History of compiler construction

In <a href="/facts/Computing/Kghtm9fX">computing</a>, a <a href="/facts/Compiler/WNfCDFJe">compiler</a> is a <a href="/facts/Computer_program/e38jH9N9">computer program</a> that transforms <a href="/facts/Source_code/o9J6Jv23">source code</a> written in a <a href="/facts/Programming_language/cWTYbgWa">programming language</a> or computer language (the source language), into another computer language (the target language, often having a binary form known as <a href="/facts/Object_code/Sht3h4lW">object code</a> or <a href="/facts/Machine_code/bgdQ1Fxf">machine code</a>). The most common reason for transforming source code is to create an <a href="/facts/Executable/VSst9eLA">executable</a> program.
Any program written in a <a href="/facts/High-level_programming_language/smjECUhx">high-level programming language</a> must be translated to object code before it can be executed, so all programmers using such a language use a compiler or an <a href="/facts/Interpreter_(computing)/JB85fbyb">interpreter</a>, sometimes even both. Improvements to a compiler may lead to a large number of improved features in executable programs.
The <a href="/facts/PQCC/yR2Erp2b">Production Quality Compiler-Compiler</a>, in the late 1970s, introduced the principles of compiler organization that are still widely used today (e.g., a front-end handling syntax and semantics and a back-end generating machine code).

History of compiler construction open-in-new

History of compiler construction