Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Introduces the design and development of high-level languages and shows how they can be implemented on a computer. Includes a comparative study of the design and characteristics of high-level languages and describes the theory and practice of compiler design, focusing on the implementation of imperative languages. Features examples and exercises. Acidic paper. Annotation(c) 2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Watson introduces fairly completely the relevant vocabulary for categories of programming languages, notations for describing programming tools--meta; basic structure of a compiler, lexical analysis, parsing, code generation, and compiler construction tools. Because of the breadth of the subject area, and also the intended audience of lower-division undergraduates, coverage of any one topic is brief. Algorithms and important results are presented through example rather than through formal derivation and proof. This style of presentation is a good vehicle for conveying the concept to the novice without requiring background in the underlying mathematical theory. The book is divided into three sections: languages, compilers, and implementation. The language section contains a survey of languages by category. Although it might appear at first glance that object-oriented languages have been slighted (there are major subsections for imperative, functional, and logic programming languages), object-oriented programming is discussed in two different places--first with respect to C++ in the "imperative languages" subsection, and second with respect to Smalltalk in the "other languages" subsection. The compiler segment section of the book is quite broad. Highlights of the topics include BNF two-level language description schemes in which the higher level generates an infinite number of production rules in the lower level; finite state machine; top down and bottom up parsing; issues in code optimization. The implementation section contains miscellaneous topics such as choice of implementation language, impact of RISC on compiler technology, and compiler generation tools. In summary, a good introductory survey to a large and complex field. Recommended for college libraries. -M. B. Gokhale, University of Delaware