Re: Java compiler courses

Michael Klemm <usenet@gmx.info>
26 Apr 2007 09:42:07 -0400

          From comp.compilers
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From: Michael Klemm <usenet@gmx.info>
Newsgroups: comp.compilers
Date: 26 Apr 2007 09:42:07 -0400
Organization: Compilers Central
References: 07-04-074
Keywords: courses, Java
Posted-Date: 26 Apr 2007 09:42:07 EDT

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


From my experience (tutor for compiler construction both in C and
later in Java), the students are able to produce a more stable
compiler in Java more quickly than in C. For Java, all gory details
that make programming tough (esp. memory management) comes almost for
free. Hence, students can focus on writing a solution to the exercise
and do not have to get stuck with trying to avoid SEGFAULTs.


As already mentioned, going "down" from Java to C is much easier than up
from C to Java.


And: For Java, there's also a plenty of tools available. JLex, JavaCC,
CPU, ANTLR, byacc/j. So, the tool chain to write the compiler is not a
problem.




Kind regards
-michael


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