GoLF-compiler

This project is a comprehensive effort to build a compiler using C++ for a subset of the Go programming language (GoLF) into MIPS assembly code. The GoLF compiler includes several essential components such as a scanner, a parser that generates an abstract syntax tree (AST), a semantic checker, and a MIPS code generator. The goal of this project is to demonstrate a deep understanding of compiler construction, from lexical analysis to code generation, in the context of the GoLF programming language.

Components

1. Scanner

The scanner is responsible for the lexical analysis of GoLF source code. It breaks down the source code into a stream of tokens, which serve as the fundamental building blocks for the subsequent phases of the compiler. It identifies keywords, identifiers, literals, operators, and other language constructs.

2. Parser

The parser takes the stream of tokens generated by the scanner and constructs an abstract syntax tree (AST) representing the structure and semantics of the GoLF program. It enforces the grammar rules of the GoLF language and organizes the code into a hierarchical tree structure. The parser implemented in this project is a top-down predictive recursive descent parser.

3. Semantic Checker

The semantic checker performs various checks on the AST to ensure that the GoLF program is semantically correct. It verifies type compatibility, variable scoping, function declarations, and other aspects of program correctness. Any errors or inconsistencies are reported at this stage. The semantic checker implemented in this project uses symbol tables during AST traversals to store information of symbols in the program.

4. MIPS Code Generator

The MIPS code generator translates the validated AST into MIPS assembly code suitable for execution on an x86-64 architecture. It maps GoLF constructs to equivalent assembly instructions, optimizing where possible to produce efficient code.

Getting Started

To compile and use this GoLF compiler, follow these steps:

1. Clone the repository to your local machine.
2. Build the compiler by running make in the root directory. This will iteratively run all of the makefiles within the subdirectories as well. The output will be a golf.exe (./golf).
3. Run the compiler on Go source code by executing:

./golf inputfile

5. The output will be MIPS assembly code printed to the console.

The ./input folder contains example GoLF test files that can be used as input to the compiler.

Usage Example

Here's an example of how to use the GoLF compiler:

gen.t1:

func main() {
	prints("Hello, world!\n")
}

Make the executable:

make

Compile the code:

./golf gen.t1

The resulting console output will contain the MIPS assembly code equivalent to the GoLF program.