Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools

Published by Addison-Wesley, 1986, softcover, large format, illustrated, index, 795 pages, condition: basically as new.

This introduction to compilers is the direct descendant of the well-known book by Aho and Ullman, Principles of Compiler Design. The authors present updated coverage of compilers based on research and techniques that have been developed in the field over the past few years. The book provides a thorough introduction to compiler design and covers topics such as context-free grammars, fine state machines, and syntax-directed translation.

The notorious dragon book shows us the manifold concerns surrounding the translation of high-level programming languages down to the binary codes palatable by machine hardware. Where computer organization and design showed the rock bottom of computing, Aho has built a submarine necessary to descending to those depths. This allegorical submarine is old and sometimes creaky, but its iron hull shows no sign of breaking up despite the rapid changes happening on the surface.