I was terribly interested in getting my hands on this book since I'm taking a formal course on Compilers and Interpreters at university and I really wanted to know: What's the difference between what we (as computer scientists) are taught in a compilers' course and the more practical approach presented in the book?

As it turns out there's a big difference. If you want to be the ultimate guru of compilers (eg. contributing an even more efficient compiling technique for language X or creating a language that forces us all to reconsider what we know about compilers) you need both, the theory the practice (because without the theory you wouldn't know how to improve or make obsolete an existing technique, and without the practice you wouldn't be able to put that knowledge to work inside a language compiler). Now if you just want to be able to deal with your DSL (domain specific language), create data readers, code generators, source-to-source translators, source analyzers, etc... Read more

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This is my favorite kind of book: the harder I work, the more I get. So be prepared to work hard. And if you do, you will be rewarded with gems of insight. If you're looking for a "cookbook" I respectfully suggest that you examine your reasons for being interested in language design. All the ingredients and kitchen implements are here, clearly labeled and explained. There are even examples of how you might consider mixing them. But it's up to you to write the recipe you need, and a key objective of this book is getting you to that magical moment when you see how everything comes together.

Plenty of people much more educated and experienced in the art and science of language design than I am will surely write insightful reviews about the merits of this book from the perspective of specialists. I'm writing this review for the rest of us.

Terence Parr continues his campaign to make superb language-development tools accessible. Have you ever wondered how your... Read more