Re: Book recommendation required

Maarten D, de Jong wrote:
> I am looking for a book on compiler design.


Some suggestions for reasonably recent books:


1. Steve Muchnick: Advanced Compiler Design and Implementation
(mentioned by the moderator) -- good information on optimization, but
the algorithms and presentation were too complicated for my taste.


2. Robert Morgan: Building an Optimizing Compiler
also good, but I'd recommend it as a second book. The author tends to
assume that you're already on his wavelength, often starting with what
I consider the middle of a topic, and ending before it seems complete.


3. Keith Cooper & Linda Torczon: Engineering a Compiler
to me, the best current compiler book. Very clear and very thorough.
I especially liked his algorithm for calculating dominance, which is
completely intuitive and trivial to describe and implement. The
corresponding algorithm in Muchnick's book confused me completely.


4. Randy Allen & Ken Kennedy: Optimizing Compilers for Modern Architectures
only get this one if you need to do exptensive optimization of loops
in scientific Fortran. If that's what you need, it's got 700 pages in
exquisite detail.


For one book, Cooper & Torczon is my recommendation.


jeff

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