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Build Your Own Programming Language
Build Your Own Programming Language

Build Your Own Programming Language: A programmer's guide to designing compilers, interpreters, and DSLs for modern computing problems , Second Edition

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Profile Icon Clinton L. Jeffery
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$12.99 per month
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.5 (33 Ratings)
Paperback Jan 2024 556 pages 2nd Edition
eBook
$39.99
Paperback
$49.99
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Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Clinton L. Jeffery
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$12.99 per month
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.5 (33 Ratings)
Paperback Jan 2024 556 pages 2nd Edition
eBook
$39.99
Paperback
$49.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at $12.99p/m
eBook
$39.99
Paperback
$49.99
Subscription
Free Trial
Renews at $12.99p/m

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Key benefits

  • Takes a hands-on approach; learn by building the Jzero language, a subset of Java, with example code shown in both the Java and Unicon languages
  • Learn how to create parsers, code generators, scanners, and interpreters
  • Target bytecode, native code, and preprocess or transpile code into a high-level language

Description

There are many reasons to build a programming language: out of necessity, as a learning exercise, or just for fun. Whatever your reasons, this book gives you the tools to succeed. You’ll build the frontend of a compiler for your language and generate a lexical analyzer and parser using Lex and YACC tools. Then you’ll explore a series of syntax tree traversals before looking at code generation for a bytecode virtual machine or native code. In this edition, a new chapter has been added to assist you in comprehending the nuances and distinctions between preprocessors and transpilers. Code examples have been modernized, expanded, and rigorously tested, and all content has undergone thorough refreshing. You’ll learn to implement code generation techniques using practical examples, including the Unicon Preprocessor and transpiling Jzero code to Unicon. You'll move to domain-specific language features and learn to create them as built-in operators and functions. You’ll also cover garbage collection. Dr. Jeffery’s experiences building the Unicon language are used to add context to the concepts, and relevant examples are provided in both Unicon and Java so that you can follow along in your language of choice. By the end of this book, you'll be able to build and deploy your own domain-specific language.

Who is this book for?

This book is for software developers interested in the idea of inventing their own language or developing a domain-specific language. Computer science students taking compiler design or construction courses will also find this book highly useful as a practical guide to language implementation to supplement more theoretical textbooks. Intermediate or better proficiency in Java or C++ programming languages (or another high-level programming language) is assumed.

What you will learn

  • Analyze requirements for your language and design syntax and semantics.
  • Write grammar rules for common expressions and control structures.
  • Build a scanner to read source code and generate a parser to check syntax.
  • Implement syntax-coloring for your code in IDEs like VS Code.
  • Write tree traversals and insert information into the syntax tree.
  • Implement a bytecode interpreter and run bytecode from your compiler.
  • Write native code and run it after assembling and linking using system tools.
  • Preprocess and transpile code into another high-level language

Product Details

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Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : Jan 31, 2024
Length: 556 pages
Edition : 2nd
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781804618028
Vendor :
Oracle
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Languages :
Tools :

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Product Details

Publication date : Jan 31, 2024
Length: 556 pages
Edition : 2nd
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781804618028
Vendor :
Oracle
Category :
Languages :
Tools :

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Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.5
(33 Ratings)
5 star 66.7%
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2 star 6.1%
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Abdal lalit Feb 12, 2024
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This guide is a comprehensive manual on building a programming language from scratch, covering every essential aspect from requirements analysis and syntax design to the implementation of a compiler and runtime environment. It meticulously details the creation of lexical and context-free grammars, the development of scanners and parsers, and the construction of critical compiler data structures. Practical applications, such as a syntax-coloring code editor, are used to illustrate key concepts. Advanced topics like tree traversals, bytecode interpretation, native code generation, and garbage collection are also covered. The book excels in clarity and depth, making complex topics accessible and providing a practical approach to language design and compiler construction. It's an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the inner workings of programming languages, from students to seasoned developers.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Jorge Deflon Feb 13, 2024
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This is a very pragmatic book that covers all aspects of implementing your own programming language.Whether you require it for a specific purpose (DSL); to further understand how your favorite language works; or to make a transpiler to translate a poorly supported language to a modern language with better support.It even includes how to add support for your language in one of the most popular IDEs such as visual studio code, as well as how to include automatic memory management and code optimization.This book is recommended as a practical companion to compiler courses.It uses a subset of Java, but is easily understandable for other languages such as C#, or Kotlin.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Rohit Mehta Apr 11, 2024
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This book has very detailed explanation of how programming languages are built. You'll have to dig deeper a little bit to understand each and every concept. This book along with the detailed explanation also takes a step by step approach with code segments for each part. Also, after each chapter there are questions which will make you think and help you understand the topic in more detail. Highly recommended for anyone with a curious mind for programming.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Steven Fernandes Feb 08, 2024
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
This guide is a comprehensive manual on building a programming language from scratch, covering every essential aspect from requirements analysis and syntax design to the implementation of a compiler and runtime environment. It meticulously details the creation of lexical and context-free grammars, the development of scanners and parsers, and the construction of critical compiler data structures. Practical applications, such as a syntax-coloring code editor, are used to illustrate key concepts. Advanced topics like tree traversals, bytecode interpretation, native code generation, and garbage collection are also covered. The book excels in clarity and depth, making complex topics accessible and providing a practical approach to language design and compiler construction. It's an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the inner workings of programming languages, from students to seasoned developers.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Lester Nichols Apr 23, 2024
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
Build Your Own Programming Language, Second Edition is a very interesting book, because it covers something that many people and technologists do not necessarily consider. The concept of developing your own programming language is something that many do not necessarily consider and the opening of the book addresses some areas where you may want to do just that. With this in mind, The book specifically notes that the book is for the following:"software developers interested in the idea of inventing their own language or developing a domain-specific language. Computer science students taking compiler construction courses will also find this book highly useful as a practical guide to language implementation to supplement more theoretical textbooks."I think you could add those wanting to dig deeper into the computer science fundamentals around development.The book covers a lot of information in its 515+ pages. I see this as a book that bridges the traditional development classroom and texts with those that take a more self-paced approach to learning. The authors, Clinton Jeffery and Imran Ahmad, take a very practical approach to this subject matter. Chapter 1 begins with why design your own programming language as well as noting that most would rather design libraries for pre-existing languages. The follow on to this is how to approach building your new language and each chapter builds on these fundamental concepts, including Chapter 17, Garbage Collection, which is something that can make or break a language and an area that popular languages such as Java still has issues with. The book also uses the Unicon programming language as a basis for comparative examples. Unicon is a descendant of Icon, which is not necessarily widely used, but neither would the new language the reader may develop. The approach also compares with more common languages such as Java.This book is not for everyone, but it is a very good manual and book for the targeted audience and subject matter. If you are a developer and you want to expand your capabilities and your understanding of languages in general, including writing your own language, this book is for you and a valued addition to your library.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
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