Compiler Design 2018

“Wasting programmer time is the true inefficiency” So, this quote stuck with me during the whole article. How is this even possible?  Haven’t we aimed towards efficient and faster machine execution, than to how much time we spend writing the code? Complex and long algorithms have been written to solve problems with the sole purpose to make them optimal. So, how can programmers time be more important than machine time? Maybe we have hit bedrock here, maybe we have hit local maxima (Genetic algorithm pun?). Now the goal has shifted. One interesting example mentioned in the article was about lists and strings; “Semantically, strings are more or less a subset of lists in which the elements are characters… Having strings in a language seems to be a case of premature optimization, since speed doesn't matter in most of a program, you won't ordinarily need to bother with this sort of micromanagement. This will be more and more true as computers get faster”. This whole quote is...

But don’t judge me, that’s the title of the article that we read this time. Debray explains us that Compiler Design is a highly specialized topic, and it´s difficult to know how many students are going to pursue this course on their professional career. However, this would not be the first course that faces the same dilemma: Mathematics; many loves Mathematics, others hate it. Most of us ask ourselves “Why should I even learn how to derivate or integrate if we have advanced tools that gives us the result instantly without any errors. Even worse, why should I learn that if I won´t use them anymore?”. Some have even recurred to other teachers who embraces programming and asked them if they have used integrals or some advanced trigonometric in their job. Most of them didn’t, so why should we even learn it? This same concept (hopefully) will apply to Compiler Design. It isn´t the math itself the thing we learn from the course mentioned before, but the critical thinking process that sticks...

Welcome to my first blog entry, I´m your host Esteban Gil, in this chapter I will introduce myself and some other insights about my feelings towards this course. First let´s get rid of the (academical) elephant off the room; my expectations from the Compiler Design Course. I hope I can successfully complete the Legendary Compiler exam and not die in the attempt. I wish I learn how a compiler works, and how we can compile a compiler. This is my third course with Ariel, so I know how to fear with joy throughout the course... I think I´m ready... And now my hobbies and personal interests, as well as books, music, movies and programs I have enjoyed. I consider myself an avid gamer, especially in Super Smash Bros Melee (SSBM for short). Currently managing professional e-Sports team SHFFL, I´m ranked in the top  25  31 players in Mexico City (was top 25 last semester, I blame it all on Software Architecture and Programming Languages for my poor performance). ...