A compiler-building system developed by Brooker and Morris

Abstract

In a number of articles published during the past two years, R. A. Brooker and D. Morris (joined by J. S. Rohl in their most recent paper) have presented a very interesting programming system that they have developed for the Ferranti Atlas computer. The present paper describes some of the major features of their system. It expands on some points that the original authors cover briefly, and treats only very lightly some topics to which they devote considerable space. The purpose of this paper is purely expository. Except in some very small details, and in some comments, it does not intentionally depart from or add to the material published in the listed references. In the opinion of the writer, systems of this kind are well worth implementing and will provide useful research tools in the development of languages and techniques. This opinion is true even when such systems turn out to be of limited usefulness in producing “production” compilers, where compiling speed and object code optimization may be considered more important than language flexibility and elegance or generality of system organization.