Compilers and Language Design Course at the University of Notre Dame
Prof. Douglas Thain
dthain@nd.eduTA: Colin Thomas
cthoma26@nd.eduTA: David Simonetti
dsimone2@nd.eduThis class will introduce students to the theory and practice of compilers. Students will construct a working compiler that transforms C into x86 assembly. This project will proceed in five steps, requiring the construction of a scanner, parser, type checker, source translator, and code generator. More theoretical topics will be explored in lectures and written assignments and evaluated in exams.
This will be a fun and challenging course for advanced undergraduates as well as graduate students. Compilers cover a broad array of topics in computer science, ranging from the abstract theory of automata to the very practical details of assembly languages. In addition, students will gain experience with tools and techniques for software engineering. Students completing this course will gain a broad range of skills valuable in both the job market and in graduate studies.
Graduate students taking 60243 will attend the same class but will have some additional work to earn graduate credit, including an expository paper on a modern compiler technique, and a substantial extension to the project compiler.
The textbook is online and your are welcome to download PDFs for online reading, or purchase a hard copy online. Make a habit of reading the appropriate chapter over the weekend before Monday’s lecture begins. (Read Chapters 1 and 2 today.)
Note there are still a few typos lurking here and there in the book, and I will grant a little credit (1/10th of a point) for each typo correctly reported and fixed, up to a maximum of 10 points. Read carefully!
http://dthain.github.io/compilers-fa23
compilerbook.orgTo succeed in the class, you should attend all class meetings, take notes, and participate in class discussions. During most class sessions, I’ll give a prepared lecture for about 30 minutes, and then we will shift into Q&A or working on an example.
The textbook is dense in places; sometimes a key algorithm may only occupy two pages in the book, but requires 30 minutes of class discussion to work out all the details. So, it works best if you read the textbook for a broad understanding before class, and then go back and review details and work some examples afterward.
Because much of the class material involves working with data structures and examples of algorithms, I will mostly work on the blackboard instead of presenting slide decks. I recommend that you take notes by sketching along with pen and paper: the simple act of note-taking exercises your mental muscles in a way that passive observation does not. If you prefer to take notes on your laptop or tablet, then that’s fine too.
However, I do ask that you refrain from using your laptops or phones for non-class related tasks during class time. I know it is tempting during a brief lull to respond to messages, check the news, etc, but even one laptop open can be an unavoidable distraction for other people in the class. Let’s reserve this time for working together.
Also note that this class is designed to be primarily an in-person learning experience. Class recordings are a backup available if you are sick or otherwise excused. But don’t use recordings as a substitute for attending.
Assignments and the course schedule are available on the course website, and assignment grades will be posted in Canvas. We will be using Slack (#compilers-fa23) to handle general Q&A for the class. If you have a technical question that could be of interest to others, please post it here, so that others can benefit from the answers.
You are welcome to post (or answer) questions anytime, and we will generally monitor and answer questions on weekday afternoons. (Keep in mind that we do go home at night, and so late-night questions will get answered the next day.)
For questions about grades or anything else that just applies specifically to you, just email the instructor or TA directly.
Office hours are a good to get focused help on a tricky bit of code or homework problem. We are happy to help you during that time – just knock, come in, and introduce yourself. If you can’t make any of the office hours, then send email to see if we can work out another time.
Written homeworks will be submitted as PDFs or images on Canvas, and programming assignments must be pushed to your private github repository by the deadline. Both are due before 11:59PM on the date due.
Late assignments will receive no credit. You are free to turn in programming assignments multiple times before the deadline expires, so it would be a good habit to turn in your partial work on a daily basis, so as to ensure something is submitted.
Exceptions will only be made for serious circumstances such as an extended illness, death in the family, mandatory participation in a university sponsored event, or the other items outlined in section 3.1 of the Undergraduate Academic Code. In those cases, please confer with the instructor at the earliest possibility, and we will make alternate arrangements.
For each assignment, a numeric grade will be awarded. Throughout the semester, grades and class averages will be posted through Sakai. At the end of the semester, I’ll convert number grades to letter grades on a scale of A/B/C/D = 90/80/70/65, and exercise some prudential judgement for pluses and minuses and borderline grades.
If you believe that an error has been made in grading an item, please bring it to the attention of the person who graded it (usually the TA) within seven days. Mistakes do occasionally happen in grading, so factual and clerical errors will be cheerfully corrected. Matters of judgement are reserved to the grader. If, after talking to the grader, you are unconvinced, you can bring it up with Prof. Thain.
For undergraduate students in CSE 40243, grades are weighted as follows: Homeworks 15%, Code Assignments 55%, Midterm 15%, Final 15%.
For graduate students in CSE 60243, grades are weighted as follows: Homeworks 10%, Code Assignments 50%, Paper 10%, Midterm 15%, Final 15%.
As a student at Notre Dame, you are bound by the [Academic Code of Honor] (http://honorcode.nd.edu), which states:
As a member of the Notre Dame community, I acknowledge that it is my responsibility to learn and abide by principles of intellectual honesty and academic integrity, and therefore I will not participate in or tolerate academic dishonesty.
The purpose of the homeworks and assignments in this course is for each student to gain the discipline and skills in analysis, design, and programming so that they will be able to work independently in a professional setting. To that end, all exams, homeworks, and programming assignments are to be completed individually. Each student must write their own code from scratch with their own hands based on their own understanding of the course material.