Introduction to Compiler Construction in a Java World

Immersing students in Java and the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), Introduction to Compiler Construction in a Java World enables a deep understanding of the Java programming language and its implementation. The text focuses on design, organization, and testing, helping students learn good software engineering skills and become better programmers.

The book covers all of the standard compiler topics, including lexical analysis, parsing, abstract syntax trees, semantic analysis, code generation, and register allocation. The authors also demonstrate how JVM code can be translated to a register machine, specifically the MIPS architecture. In addition, they discuss recent strategies, such as just-in-time compiling and hotspot compiling, and present an overview of leading commercial compilers. Each chapter includes a mix of written exercises and programming projects.

By working with and extending a real, functional compiler, students develop a hands-on appreciation of how compilers work, how to write compilers, and how the Java language behaves. They also get invaluable practice working with a non-trivial Java program of more than 30,000 lines of code. Fully documented Java code for the compiler is accessible at http://www.cs.umb.edu/j--/

Bill Campbell is an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Dr. Campbell has been teaching compilers for more than twenty years and has commercial experience working with AT&T, Intermetrics Inc., Apple Computer, and Entitlenet. His areas of expertise include software engineering, object-oriented analysis, design and programming, and programming language implementation.

Swami Iyer is a PhD candidate in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, where he has taught classes on introductory programming and data structures. His research interests are in the fields of dynamical systems, complex networks, and evolutionary game theory.

Bahar Akbal-Delibas is a PhD student in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, where she is the teaching assistant for the compilers course. Her research interests include structural bioinformatics and software modeling.