Compiler Generator (Automatic Computation) [Hardcover]

W.M. McKeeman (Author), etc. (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 527 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall (March 1971)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0131550772
• ISBN-13: 978-0131550773
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,652,895 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars This was very useful to me, March 15, 2011

By 

Lynn G - See all my reviews

This review is from: Compiler Generator (Automatic Computation) (Hardcover)

Back in 1976, I was tasked with the job of writing a language translator for a domain-specific language that described vehicle electrical systems to a quality-control test system. Although I used to read all the compiler articles in Communications of the ACM, I was no compiler expert. Luckily, another division of my company had ported the XPL compiler generator from this book to PL/I, the favored language of my company.

Having both the compiler generator, and the book describing it was invaluable. And the book was well written, and greatly improved my understanding of language translator design.

As the previous review mentioned, compiler technology, and especially compiler generator technology has moved on, so this book may not be terribly useful to anyone writing a compiler today. But, in its day, it was a godsend.

4.0 out of 5 stars XPL (PL/I-like) Compiler-Compiler, March 26, 2008

By 

Peter Haas (Monterey Bay, California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Compiler Generator (Automatic Computation) (Hardcover)

McKeeman's XPL was a very significant development. Several commercial quality tools were developed with it, including several from Intel (then of PL/M fame) and Digital Research (then of CP/M fame).

The MSP parsing algorithm, while serviceable, is very restrictive.

However, as the commercial products can attest, it is still good enough for many applications, including complete languages such as XPL itself.

And, in an improved form, available from a user through his institution (use "XPL" as a search key, and you will find it), it is even more efficient than as-released by McKeeman in this book, although the improved form still uses the MSP algorithm.

Alas, parsing algorithms have been dramatically improved over the years, and in 1969 alone, the very year this book was first published, Frank DeRemer published his SLR(1) algorithm in his MIT PhD dissertation (which see).

I am advised that DeRemer later updated this XPL system to include an improved SLR(1) parser generator, but DeRemer later left his institution for other persuits. Perhaps UC-Santa Cruz, DeRemer's former institution, has a copy of the SLR(1) version in their files?

This book's title is taken from the XPL system's compiler generator, which is called "Analyzer" in all text references.

Taken in perspective, the XPL language in general, and this book in particular, in which the XPL language and its implementation is presented in great detail, including its source code, is historically important.