Re: Java compiler courses

glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu>
23 Apr 2007 07:49:43 -0400

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From: glen herrmannsfeldt <gah@ugcs.caltech.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.compilers
Date: 23 Apr 2007 07:49:43 -0400
Organization: Compilers Central
References: 07-04-074
Keywords: Java, courses
Posted-Date: 23 Apr 2007 07:49:43 EDT

wooks wrote:
> Why do they exist.


> Why would anybody want to teach a compiler course in Java when it
> seems that there are more and better resources (books, tools)
> supporting a compilers course based on C (aside from the obvious -
> students are taught Java and not C).


Well, first, Java compilers are likely to be written in Java,
following the tradition of writing compilers in the language
that they compile.


> Why would anybody want to write a compiler in Java (unless it's the
> only language they know).


Java has much better support for string handling than C does. It is
likely slower, but that isn't always a limitation for a compiler.
Computers are now fast enough, and with JIT java is usually
pretty fast. Debugging mistakes in string handling in C,
such as overrunning the end of a string, is not easy. Java
checks string bounds, simplifying debugging.


Now, why would anyone want to write a compiler in C?


-- glen



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