5 ms·

The "Dragon Book" is pretty solid and a widely accepted resource: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compilers:_Principles,_Techniques,_and_Tools http://en.wikipedia.

• wglb 11y ago
  One of the authors of the Rosalyn compiler has a different opinion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5149315 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5149315. And he gives some examples of much better books. It used to be good, but it is not any longer thought of that way.
  • tptacek 11y ago
    I think you'll learn more from porting a simple C compiler than you will from any compiler book, at least given a fixed amount of time to do either task in.
    • wglb 11y ago
      This book, http://www.amazon.com/Compiler-Generator-Automatic-Computation-McKeeman/dp/0131550772 http://www.amazon.com/Compiler-Generator-Automatic-Computati..., which by today's standards is not a very good book, got me started in my compiler career. And I agree with your basic point that building one is the only to gain true understanding.
• nickpsecurity 11y ago
  If I was going academic and imperative language, I'd suggest this old paper written by The King of Simple Languages and Compilers: http://www.ethoberon.ethz.ch/WirthPubl/CBEAll.pdf http://www.ethoberon.ethz.ch/WirthPubl/CBEAll.pdf