Re: The making of compilers

["Marc A. Criley" <mcqada95@earthlink.net>]

tony gair wrote:
> 
> After sticking my neck out and being shot out out of the sky by the big
> guns.....................................
> 
> I heard from a lecturer in 1990 that compilers were built by writing a
> language subset compiler in assembler (or C or C++ or.....) and then by
> using that subset to step by step extend the language to its desired form.

That is one approach to coding a compiler.  Another is writing it in a
different language, such as the "C-path" Ada compilers, or writing a
VHDL compiler in Pascal (and Univac Pascal at that!) as I did many years
ago.  Then there's implementing it using a different version of the same
language, like writing an Ada 95 compiler with Alsys Ada 83--which I
recall hearing is how GNAT started out.

> 
> And he was really clever he was , he had glasses and a beard and everything.

No glasses, but I do have a beard and long hair, just like Dr.
Science!   :-) :-)

Marc A. Criley
Consultant
Quadrus Corporation
www.quadruscorp.com