Developing a C Compiler From Scratch

Are you ready to learn compiler design and compiler development and prove your a master programmer?

Learn to create your very own C compiler from scratch. In this course we develop a compiler that compiles a subset of the C Programming Language. By the time you finish all modules of this course you will be able to compile C programs that use pointers, structures, unions, arrays, functions, for loops, while loops. do while loops, if statements, switches and much more.

Our compiler also has a preprocessor macro system allowing you to include header files and create definitions just like you would in any C file.

Your compiler is advanced enough to use the GCC standard library so we are able to call C functions from our compiler. Your compiler will be able to compile the C programming language.

This course does not rely on any frameworks we do everything from scratch to ensure the best possible learning experience for students

Module 1

In module 1 of this course we load our C source file that we wish to compile, into memory. We create a lexer to preform lexical analysis on the source input which will convert the source code into a bunch of tokens that our compiler can easily understand. We then pass the tokens through a parser to produce an abstract syntax tree. An AST describes the C program in a logical way that makes it easier for our compiler to understand. For example for the expression 50 + 20 you will end up with a root expression node that has a left operand that has a node of value 50 and a right operand that has a node of value 20. Breaking down problems in this way makes it much easier to create compilers.

Throughout the whole course series you will learn to create a fully functioning C compiler.

What's inside

Learning objectives

How to build a c compiler from scratch
Full understanding of stackframes and how assembly language is generared for a c source file
Complete understanding of lexical analysis and parsing

Stronger assembly language skills will be gained
Compiler design

How to build a c compiler from scratch
Full understanding of stackframes and how assembly language is generared for a c source file
Complete understanding of lexical analysis and parsing
Stronger assembly language skills will be gained
Compiler design

Syllabus

Course Overview

Introduction

Overview Of The Course

Installation And Setup

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Provides a hands-on approach to compiler design by guiding learners through the creation of a C compiler from the ground up, without relying on external frameworks

Assumes familiarity with C programming concepts like pointers, structures, unions, and arrays, which are essential for understanding the course material

Covers lexical analysis and parsing, which are fundamental concepts in compiler design and are essential for understanding how compilers work

Develops skills in assembly language, which is crucial for understanding how high-level code is translated into machine code by a compiler

Focuses on building a compiler that is compatible with the GCC standard library, allowing learners to leverage existing C functions in their compiled programs

Requires learners to implement features like preprocessor macros, which are essential for creating header files and definitions, similar to standard C development

Reviews summary

Deep dive into c compiler front-end

According to learners, this is Module 1 of a course series focused on building a C compiler completely from scratch (without using external frameworks). Students find it provides a deep dive into compiler front-end concepts, specifically lexical analysis and parsing to build an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST). Many appreciate the step-by-step approach and the practical coding exercises that solidify understanding. However, some learners note that the course can be very challenging and assumes a solid background in C programming, and potentially Assembly. A few reviews mention initial setup difficulties or minor issues with code examples that required debugging.

Builds compiler components manually for deep learning.

"Building everything without frameworks is challenging but provides an unparalleled depth of understanding."

"The 'from scratch' promise is delivered upon, forcing you to understand every piece of the pipeline."

"While difficult, the manual implementation makes the concepts stick much better than using tools would."

Hands-on project building reinforces concepts.

"The hands-on coding and project building is the best part; you actually write code that works."

"Writing the lexer and parser code step-by-step alongside the instructor was invaluable."

"I appreciated the practical focus, turning theory into a tangible compiler component."

Provides clear instruction on compiler front-end.

"The section on parsing expressions and handling precedence was particularly clear and helped solidify my understanding."

"Going through the process of creating tokens from scratch gave me a deep understanding of lexical analysis."

"I now have a much clearer picture of how source code is transformed into an Abstract Syntax Tree."

Some learners faced technical difficulties.

"Had some trouble with the initial setup, requiring some manual debugging to get the project running."

"Encountered a few minor errors in the provided code examples that needed fixing."

"Be ready to troubleshoot a bit, as the code isn't always plug-and-play perfect in every environment."

Demanding course, assumes prior C knowledge.

"This course is not for beginners. You need a strong grasp of C, pointers, and data structures before starting."

"Found it very challenging at times; definitely requires comfortable prior experience with C."

"Be prepared for a steep learning curve if your C fundamentals aren't rock solid."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Developing a C Compiler From Scratch - Module 1 with these activities:

Read 'Engineering a Compiler'

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Gain a deeper understanding of compiler design principles and techniques before diving into the course material.

View Engineering a Compiler on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of the book.
Read the chapters on lexical analysis and parsing.
Take notes on key concepts and algorithms.

Review Assembly Language Fundamentals

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Strengthen your understanding of assembly language, which is crucial for understanding the code generation phase of the compiler.

Browse courses on Assembly Language

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Review assembly language syntax and instructions.
Practice writing simple assembly programs.
Understand how assembly code relates to C code.

Implement a Simple Lexer

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Gain hands-on experience with lexical analysis by implementing a lexer for a simplified language.

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Define the tokens for your language.
Write code to read the input source file.
Implement the lexical analysis algorithm.
Test your lexer with various input files.

Four other activities

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Create a Blog Post on Abstract Syntax Trees

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Solidify your understanding of Abstract Syntax Trees (ASTs) by explaining the concept in a blog post.

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Research ASTs and their purpose in compilers.
Write a clear and concise explanation of ASTs.
Include diagrams and examples to illustrate the concept.
Publish your blog post online.

Read 'Modern Compiler Implementation in C'

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Deepen your understanding of compiler implementation details with a practical guide.

View Program Logics for Certified Compilers on Amazon

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Obtain a copy of the book.
Read the chapters relevant to the course modules.
Compare the book's approach to the course's approach.

Contribute to an Open-Source Compiler Project

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Gain real-world experience by contributing to an open-source compiler project.

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Find an open-source compiler project on GitHub.
Read the project's documentation and contribution guidelines.
Identify a bug or feature to work on.
Submit a pull request with your changes.

Extend Your Compiler with a New Feature

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Apply your knowledge by extending your compiler with a new language feature, such as support for a new data type or control structure.

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Choose a new feature to implement.
Design the syntax and semantics of the feature.
Implement the necessary changes in the lexer, parser, and code generator.
Test your implementation thoroughly.

Career center

Learners who complete Developing a C Compiler From Scratch - Module 1 will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Compiler Engineer

A Compiler Engineer designs, develops, and maintains compilers, which are essential tools that translate programming languages into machine code. This role involves a deep understanding of programming language theory, compiler design principles, and software development practices. This course provides a practical, hands-on approach to compiler development, specifically focusing on the C language, that will help you build a solid understanding of how a compiler works. By implementing a lexer, parser, and abstract syntax tree from scratch, this course provides foundational experience directly relevant to the work of a Compiler Engineer.

See salaries and explore the career path for Compiler Engineer

Low Level Programmer

A Low Level Programmer works closely with hardware, writing software to interact directly with computer architecture. These programmers need a detailed understanding of how compilers translate high level code into machine code. This course will be instrumental for a Low Level Programmer as it develops an understanding of compiler design in C and assembly language. Low Level Programmers need an understanding of the assembly language and how the compiler works in order to write effective code. This course gives the programmer the ability to understand both the compiler transformation process and the architecture itself.

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Operating Systems Engineer

An Operating Systems Engineer is a computer professional who works on the creation and maintenance of operating systems. The knowledge from this course would translate particularly well to this role since the course goes into detail about compiling the C programming language which is often used in operating system work such as the kernel or driver development. This course will be particularly informative to the engineer who wishes to get a high degree of control over how their C code works on the target machine. This course may be especially useful for those working with low-level functionality within the operating system.

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Firmware Engineer

A Firmware Engineer develops the low-level software that controls hardware devices. A deep knowledge of how compilers translate high-level languages into machine code is important for firmware development. This course teaches how to create a C compiler from the ground up, which directly translates to the daily work of a firmware engineer. Specifically, this course helps build a strong understanding of the tokenizing, parsing, and abstract syntax tree generation that are part of the compilation process. This may be particularly useful in debugging and optimization for a firmware engineer.

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Systems Programmer

A Systems Programmer works on the core software components of an operating system, including device drivers, kernels, and system utilities. Understanding how compilers generate code is critical in this role, as system software interacts directly with hardware at a low level. By building a C compiler from the ground up, this course provides a deep dive into the compilation process, and how source code is transformed into executable code. This can help a systems programmer write code that performs well in terms of speed and efficiency. The course will be particularly useful for any work involving kernel development.

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Software Developer

Software developers create applications, systems and tools used in a wide range of fields. While many software developers do not build compilers, a deep understanding of the processes a compiler goes through to turn source code into machine code may be useful when debugging code, or optimizing performance. This course helps build a strong foundation in understanding how code is translated into a form that a computer can understand, giving one a greater understanding of the underpinnings of all computer programs. A software developer who understands the full compilation process can be more effective in various aspects of development.

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Robotics Engineer

A Robotics Engineer designs and develops robotic systems and automation systems. Often, robotics engineers work with lower-level programming languages like C and C++ to control robot hardware and interfaces, which means that they must deal with the compilation process. This course will be useful for a robotics engineer as it provides detailed knowledge of the compilation process and how C code relates to the generated assembly. The course may enable a robotics engineer to better optimize how their control code translates down to the lower levels of the robot's system. This course may be especially relevant for those working with embedded systems in robotics.

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Embedded Systems Engineer

An Embedded Systems Engineer designs, develops, and tests software and hardware for embedded systems, such as those in cars, medical devices, and consumer electronics. These systems often have very specific resource constraints, requiring a high degree of optimization when creating code. This course gives hands-on experience with the complexities of compiler design which will help a future embedded systems engineer understand how code gets translated into a target assembly. This course may be useful when trying to optimize code for a specific hardware target. The course's detailed study of the C language will also be useful when coding embedded systems, as C is a commonly used language for such systems.

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Programming Language Researcher

Programming Language Researchers study and improve the theoretical foundations of programming languages, designing new language features and paradigms. This role often involves a deep understanding of compilers and interpreters. This course provides a great practical understanding of how a compiler is built, which can inform the theoretical work of a programming language researcher. By building a compiler, one gains hands-on knowledge of the challenges and trade-offs in language design. The course provides useful background knowledge for researchers who wish to study compilation or build new programming languages. A researcher in this field typically needs an advanced degree (Master's or PhD).

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Reverse Engineer

Reverse engineers analyze existing software, often without access to the original source code, in order to understand its inner workings. A good understanding of compilation will help a reverse engineer read and understand the output of a compiler which is often assembly code. This course will help a reverse engineer understand how source code constructs translate into machine code, this way, the reverse engineer may be better able to infer the high-level operations that a compiled binary performs. This course provides a deep, hands-on understanding of the parsing and translation steps of a compiler that will help with this process. Although reverse engineering is often a complex, multi-faceted job, this course builds a useful foundation.

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Security Analyst

A Security Analyst monitors computer systems for security breaches and vulnerabilities. They often work with compiled code as well as source code. This course may be useful as it delves into the low-level details of how C source code is turned into executable code. This knowledge can provide a better understanding of vulnerabilities that are present in compiled code. By understanding how the abstract syntax tree and assembly code relate to the original C code, a security analyst may be more effective in identifying and remediating vulnerabilities. This course may provide a helpful foundation for those who want to delve into security analysis.

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Game Developer

A Game Developer creates interactive experiences for games across a variety of platforms. Game development often involves the use of C and C++, which means that they need to understand the compilation process. The knowledge gained in this course about building a C compiler, understanding the lexer, parser and abstract syntax tree may be useful for optimizing game code. Game developers may more effectively profile and improve the performance of games by having this deeper understanding of the C programming language. This course may be useful for those seeking a deeper understanding of the workings of a game engine, or want to build their own.

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Software Architect

Software Architects are responsible for the high-level design of software systems. Although they typically don't work on the low level code that is the focus of this course, they can benefit from understanding the details of how code is transformed into machine instructions. This knowledge can help a software architect make better informed decisions about the performance and capabilities of a software system. A detailed understanding of compilation, as provided in this course, may help a software architect develop a holistic view of the system. This course may be useful for those seeking to become a software architect.

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Software Tester

A Software Tester is responsible for finding bugs and verifying the quality of software. While often not programming themselves, software testers may be more effective in testing compilers if they understand the compilation process. This course may prove useful as it gets into the inner workings of the compilation process. This deep understanding of the compilation process enables a tester to think more deeply about how a program interacts with hardware. This course may be useful for those who are particularly interested in compiler testing.

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Technical Writer

Technical writers create documentation for software, hardware and other technical products. While not programming themselves, they must have some knowledge of technical topics, which may include compiler design principles. The knowledge of the inner workings of a compiler as obtained in this course may be useful to a technical writer trying to explain the compilation process to an audience. This course may also be useful when creating documentation for software development tools, or programming methodologies. The course may help build a good foundation in the key concepts of compilers.

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Developing a C Compiler From Scratch - Module 1

What's inside

Learning objectives

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Reviews summary

Deep dive into c compiler front-end

Activities

Career center

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