Compilers

ECE479K, Unique: 18950
Semester: Fall 2025

Reference Material

• COOL (Classroom Object Oriented Language)
  • Cool overview and Cool distribution by Prof. Alex Aiken, Stanford Univ. (Cool developer)
  • The Cool Reference Manual (sometimes/historically also called "CoolAid")
    • This doc uses a Cool to MIPS compiler to run the examples (see below)
  • COOL examples, including a README file and expected output files
  • A Tour of the Cool Support Code
  • Cool resources from the Compiler Construction course at the University of Michigan
    • This includes Cool compilers for x86 machines. Cool compilers have already been packed with the Docker image given to you. There are two compilers under /coolc:
      • /coolc/cool is the cool to x86 interpreter. You can directly use it to execute your cool source code, e.g. cool <YOUR_PROGRAM_NAME>.cl
      • /coolc/cool_mips_compiler/bin is the original cool to Mips compiler (and binary interpreter for MIPS machine code) used in the Cool manual
      Under most circumstances using the Cool to x86 interpreter should meet your requirements, but feel free to explore the 2nd option.
    • The page also includes an online Cool compiler and debugger
       
• LLVM Compiler Infrastructure
  • LLVM project webpage
  • LLVM 20.1.0 documentation (version used for the labs)
    • Getting Started tutorials
    • LLVM Tutorial on implementing your own language with LLVM
    • LLVM Programmer's Manual
    • LLVM source code documentation
    • LLVM Language Reference Manual
  • Resources from the Compiler Construction course at UIUC
    • This includes an introductory LLVM exercise to get familiar with the IR
  • Another gentle introduction to the LLVM IR
  • Compiler Explorer (really useful and cool): https://godbolt.org
     
• C++, STL, and CMake
  • Bjarne Stroustup's reference for The C++ Programming Language
  • Another C++ reference
  • CMake software build system
    • CMake Reference Documentation
       
• Lexing and Parsing
  • Parser playground: https://nearley.js.org/
  • Fast Lexical Analyzer Generator (Flex) manual
  • GNU Bison parser generator manual
     

Alternative Sources of Information

• Related classes at other universities
  • Alex Aiken's CS143: Compilers course at Stanford (that originated COOL)
    • Videos
  • Alex Aiken's StanfordOnline: Compilers course
  • EECS482: Compiler Construction course at the University of Michigan that also uses Cool
  • CS6120: Advanced Compilers at Cornell
  • CS426: Compiler Construction course by Prof. Misailovic at UIUC that this class is based on
    • Earlier version of the class by Prof. Adve (LLVM co-developer)
       
• Other courses at UT Austin
  • CS375: Compilers
  • CS380C: Advanced Topics in Compilers