Re: How is the concept of scope implemented?

"Louis Krupp" <lkrupp@pssw.com> wrote in message
> Tony wrote:
>> In C++, there is many kinds of scope: global, translation unit, function,
>> local (between the curly brackets within a function), class and probably
>> more. How is the concept of scope implemented by a compiler for a
>> program?
>
> The last time I looked at a (Burroughs Extended) ALGOL compiler, it used
> a linked list of symbol tables. When it entered a scope, it linked its
> symbol table to the head of the list; when it left a scope, it removed
> its table and pointed the list head at the previous scope.


I like the multiple table method, or some kind of
hierarchial/multi-data-structure thing. It seems to me though that
keeping track of the current scope can be a potential source of
inefficiency. For example:


Developer writes:


void my_func()
{
        // func code
}




Compiler generates :


void my_func()
{
      EnterScope(my_func); // compiler generates


        // func code


      LeaveScope(my_func); // compiler generates
}


Tony

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