This book taught me how to write a compiler and build a programming language of my own.
To answer you question "where and how did you start?": This is where I started learning about compilers and programming language implementation.
Here is its description from its website:
* Comprehensive treatment of compiler construction.
* JavaCC and Yacc coverage optional.
* Entire book is Java oriented.
* Powerful software package available to students that tests and evaluates their compilers.
* Fully defines many projects so students can learn how to put the theory into practice.
* Includes supplements on theory so that the book can be used in a course that combines compiler construction with formal languages, automata theory, and computability theory.
What I promise you with this book: You'll learn how to write your own programing language. Not only how compilers and about the language but also about computer architecture. This book is very easy to read and understand. It starts with very basic topics then slowly building from it until you'll grok implementing the language given the specification. You'll have the chance to build a compiler from scratch or by using JavaCC and Yacc.
One of the things that free software lacks strength is in EDA tools. There were people who created free software for hardware guys but with the lack of fund and volunteers, the development deteriorates. While hardware development is not easy compared to software development, I hope there will be a strong move in EDA tool development.
Free software deserves the praise for saving everyone's ass.
The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
I've learned a lot from this book. It made me calm and influenced my decisions.
For those who are interested and want to see an example here is an excerpt from the book:
July 1st
DO YOUR JOB
“Whatever anyone does or says, for my part I’m bound to the good. In the same way an emerald or gold or purple might always proclaim: ‘whatever anyone does or says, I must be what I am and show my true colors.’”
— MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 7.15
The Stoics believed that every person, animal, and thing has a purpose or a place in nature. Even in ancient Greek and Roman times, they vaguely understood that the world was composed of millions of tiny atoms. It was this idea—this sense of an interconnected cosmos—that underpinned their sense that every person and every action was part of a larger system. Everyone had a job—a specific duty. Even people who did bad things—they were doing their job of being evil because evil is a part of life. The most critical part of this system was the belief that you, the student who has sought out Stoicism,have the most important job: to be good! To be wise. “To remain the person that philosophy wished to make us.” Do your job today. Whatever happens, whatever other people’s jobs happen to be, do yours. Be good.
I think getting a copy of the third edition is much better.
It is really worth studying even though sometimes you will be discouraged when answering some of the problems in the book and that would be normal. In fact, reading Donald Knuth's book is difficult but you should not feel bad about it.
Here is a quote from Peter Seibel's book, Coders at Work:
"I try to give the key ideas and I try to simplify them the best I can, but then what happens is every five pages of my book is somebody's career.
In other words, there's still so much more beyond any five pages of my book that you can make a lifetime's worth of study, because there's just that much in computer science."
Compiler Construction Using Java, JavaCC, and Yacc, IEEE/Wiley, 2012
Get this book. Please. __I promise__. You'll be able to grok compilers after reading and answering the exercises from this book.
We can talk further by sending me an email (see my profile).
Here's my previous comment somewhere in HN:
I bet this is what you are looking for: https://www.amazon.com/Compiler-Construction-Using-Java-Java....
This book taught me how to write a compiler and build a programming language of my own.
To answer you question "where and how did you start?": This is where I started learning about compilers and programming language implementation.
Here is its description from its website:
* Comprehensive treatment of compiler construction.
* JavaCC and Yacc coverage optional.
* Entire book is Java oriented.
* Powerful software package available to students that tests and evaluates their compilers.
* Fully defines many projects so students can learn how to put the theory into practice.
* Includes supplements on theory so that the book can be used in a course that combines compiler construction with formal languages, automata theory, and computability theory.
What I promise you with this book: You'll learn how to write your own programing language. Not only how compilers and about the language but also about computer architecture. This book is very easy to read and understand. It starts with very basic topics then slowly building from it until you'll grok implementing the language given the specification. You'll have the chance to build a compiler from scratch or by using JavaCC and Yacc.