CS304: Compilers | Saylor Academy

This course and its exam closed on August 18, 2018. It is no longer possible to enroll in or obtain a certificate for this course.

Because we have compiler programs, software developers often take the process of compilation for granted. However, as a software developer, you should cultivate a solid understanding of how compilers work in order to develop the strongest code possible and fully understand its underlying language. In addition, the compilation process comprises techniques that are applicable to the development of many software applications. As such, this course will introduce you to the compilation process, present foundational topics on formal languages and outline each of the essential compiler steps: scanning, parsing, translation and semantic analysis, code generation, and optimization. By the end of the class, you will have a strong understanding of what it means to compile a program, what happens in the process of translating a higher-level language into a lower-level language, and the applicability of the steps of the compilation process to other applications.

The compilation process is one of the steps in executing a program. Understanding how compilers work and what goes on "behind the scenes" will help you get better at developing software. This unit will first provide you with an introduction to the compiler, its history, compiler structure and design, and the types of compilers. By the end of this unit, you will be able to describe the steps of the compilation process.

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