Frequently Asked Questions

How does this book differ from the earlier books authored only by Fischer and LeBlanc?

While we have kept the title and the undergraduate focus of the earlier books, this book is a complete revision of the original text:

• Algorithms are presented in a pseudocode style that should be familiar to students who have studied the fundamental algorithms of our discipline. Pseudocode enables a concise formulation of an algorithm and a rational discussion of the algorithm's purpose and construction.

• The details of implementation in a particular language have been relegated to this web site.

• Parsing theory and practice are organized to facilitate a variety of pedagogical approaches. Some may study the material at a high level to gain a broad view of top-down and bottom-up parsing. Others may study a particular approach in greater detail.

• The front- and back-end phases of a compiler are connected by the Abstract Syntax Tree (AST), which is created as the primary artifact of parsing. Most compilers build an AST, but relatively few texts articulate its construction and use. The visitor pattern is introduced for traversing the AST during semantic analysis and code generation.

• Laboratory and studio exercises are available to instructors via this web site. Instructors can assign some components as exercises for the students while other components are supplied from our course-support Web site.