View source for Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools

{{Short description|Computer science compiler technology textbook}}
{{Infobox book
| name          = Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools
| title_orig    =
| translator    =
| image         = purple dragon book b.jpg
| caption = The cover of the second edition (North American), showing a knight and dragon
| author        = [[Alfred V. Aho]], [[Monica S. Lam]], [[Ravi Sethi]], and [[Jeffrey D. Ullman]] 
| illustrator   = 
| cover_artist  = 
| country       = 
| language      = English
| series        = 
| subject       = 
| genre         = 
| publisher     = [[Pearson Education, Inc]]
| pub_date      = 1986, ''2006''
| english_pub_date =
| media_type    = 
| pages         = 
| isbn =  0-201-10088-6
| dewey= 005.4/53 19
| congress= QA76.76.C65 A37 1986
| oclc= 12285707
| preceded_by   =
| followed_by   =
}}

'''''Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools'''''<ref>Aho, Sethi, Ullman, ''Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools'', Addison-Wesley, 1986. {{ISBN|0-201-10088-6}}</ref> is a [[computer science]] textbook by [[Alfred V. Aho]], [[Monica S. Lam]], [[Ravi Sethi]], and [[Jeffrey D. Ullman]] about [[compiler]] construction for [[programming language]]s. First published in 1986, it is widely regarded as the classic definitive compiler technology text.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://grokcode.com/11/the-top-9-in-a-hackers-bookshelf/ |title=The Top 9 1/2 Books in a Hacker's Bookshelf |accessdate = 23 October 2010}}</ref>

It is known as the '''''Dragon Book''''' to generations of computer scientists<ref name="MartelliRavenscroft2005">{{cite book|author1=Alex Martelli|author2=Anna Martelli Ravenscroft|author3=David Ascher|title=Python cookbook|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1Shx_VXS6ioC&pg=PT623|accessdate=21 October 2011|year=2005|publisher=O'Reilly Media |isbn=978-0-596-00797-3|page=587}}</ref><ref name="Stephenson2005">{{cite book|author=Ian Stephenson|title=Production rendering: design and implementation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BCC5aTR34C4C&pg=PA139|accessdate=21 October 2011|year=2005|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-1-85233-821-3|page=139}}</ref> as its cover depicts a [[knight]] and a [[western dragon|dragon]] in battle, a [[metaphor]] for conquering complexity. This name can also refer to Aho and Ullman's older ''[[Principles of Compiler Design]]''.

==First edition==
The first edition (1986) is informally called the "red dragon book" to distinguish it from the second edition<ref name="Macz2020">{{cite book|author=Mad Macz|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q5OHEW8_gysC&pg=PA219|title=Internet Underground: The Way of the Hacker|date=January 2002|publisher=PageFree Publishing, Inc.|isbn=978-1-930252-53-0|page=219|accessdate=21 October 2011}}</ref>  and from Aho & Ullman's 1977 ''[[Principles of Compiler Design]]'' sometimes known as the "green dragon book".<ref name="Macz2020" />
Topics covered in the first edition include:
*[[Compiler]] structure
*[[Lexical analysis]] (including [[regular expression]]s and [[finite automata]])
*[[Syntax analysis]] (including [[context-free grammar]]s, [[LL parser]]s, [[Bottom-up parsing|bottom-up parser]]s, and [[LR parser]]s)
*[[Syntax-directed translation]]
*[[Type checking]] (including [[type conversions]] and [[polymorphism (computer science)|polymorphism]])
*[[Runtime system|Run-time environment]] (including [[parameter passing]], [[symbol tables]] and [[register allocation]])
*[[Code generation (compiler)|Code generation]] (including [[intermediate code generation]])
*[[Compiler optimization|Code optimization]]

==Second edition==
Following in the tradition of its two predecessors, the second edition (2006) features a dragon and a knight on its cover, and is informally known as the '''purple dragon'''. [[Monica S. Lam]] of [[Stanford University]] became a co-author with this edition.

The second edition includes several additional topics, including:
* Directed translation
* New [[Data-flow analysis|data flow analyses]]
* [[Parallel computing|Parallel machines]]
* [[Garbage collection (computer science)|Garbage collection]]
* New case studies

==Updated second edition==
In order to cover recent developments and issues, there is an updated second edition from [[Pearson Education India]] (4 July 2023), with contributions from Sorav Bansal. This revised and updated edition has new chapters on programming language semantics and undefined behaviour semantics.

==See also==
*''[[Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs]]''

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |title=Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools |title-link=Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Tools |author-last1=Aho |author-first1=Alfred Vaino |author-link1=Alfred Vaino Aho |author-last2=Lam |author-first2=Monica Sin-Ling |author-link2=Monica Sin-Ling Lam |author-last3=Sethi |author-first3=Ravi |author-link3=Ravi Sethi |author-last4=Ullman |author-first4=Jeffrey David |author-link4=Jeffrey David Ullman |date=2006 |isbn=0-321-48681-1 |edition=2 |publisher=[[Addison-Wesley]] |location=Boston, Massachusetts, US |oclc=70775643}} [http://wps.pearsoned.com/aw_aho_compilers_2/0,11227,2663889-,00.html]

==External links==
* [https://suif.stanford.edu/dragonbook/ Book Website at Stanford with link to Errata]

[[Category:1986 books]]
[[Category:2006 non-fiction books]]
[[Category:Compiler construction]]
[[Category:Computer science books]]
[[Category:Engineering textbooks]]
[[Category:Compiler theory]]