Book Description:

All software developers use languages its the fundamental tool of the trade. Yet despite widespread curiosity about how languages work, few developers actually learn how they work. For one thing, most texts on language and compiler development are highly academic and theoretical tomes intended for use in college level computer science programs. This is a shame, because the techniques used to make a language work have widespread applications in general programming.

This book takes the mystery out of compiler and language development and makes it accessible to every programmer. Ruthlessly practical, this book teaches fundamental techniques that programmers can use in their every day work.

Developers will learn how to:

- add scripts and macro languages to their applications,

- generate code "on the fly",

- add runtime expression evaluation to their applications

- understand parsing techniques essential for extracting information from any structured form of data ranging from text files to user input to XML or HTML.

As a unique added bonus, this book includes a complete QuickBasic compatible compiler with source code. Not only does this illustrate the techniques taught in the book, it provides a great new .NET language ideal for teaching kids, simple scripting, or just for fun.

Download Description:

All software developers use languages – it’s the fundamental tool of the trade. Yet despite widespread curiosity about how languages work, few developers actually learn how they work. For one thing, most texts on language and compiler development are highly academic and theoretical tomes intended for use in college level computer science programs. This is a shame, because the techniques used to make a language work have widespread applications in general programming.

Build Your Own .NET Language and Compiler takes the mystery out of compiler and language development and makes it accessible to every programmer. Ruthlessly practical, this book teaches fundamental techniques that programmers can use in their every day work.

Developers will learn how to

Add scripts and macro languages to their applications

Generate code “on the fly”

Add runtime expression evaluation to their applications

Understand parsing techniques – essential for extracting information from any structured form of data ranging from text files to user input to XML or HTML.

As a unique added bonus, this book includes a complete QuickBasic compatible compiler with source code. Not only does this illustrate the techniques taught in the book, it provides a great new .NET language ideal for teaching kids, simple scripting, or just for fun.

Book Info:

Presents the VB .NET source code for the compiler, complete with a full discussion and analysis on how it works. For programmers. Softcover.

Edward G. Nilges has been developing software since 1970. He worked on debugging an early Fortran compiler in 1972 and made it available to a university community. While at Bell-Northern Research, the research arm of Nortel Networks, in 1981, Nilges worked on compiler development and developed the SL-1XT compiler for voice and data PBX programming, as well as a firmware assembler that was compiled automatically from the firmware reference manual.

In 1993, Nilges began developing with VB3 and has developed a variety of projects in Basic. Edward also assisted mathematician John Nash (the real-life protagonist of the movie A Beautiful Mind) with C during a critical period in which Dr. Nash was being considered for the 1993 Nobel Prize. In 1999, Edward developed his vbExpression2Value VB6 technology to parse and interpret SQL Server and VB expressions for his classes at DeVry. In 2001, acting upon a suggestion from a student colleague at Princeton, Nilges used his beta copy of VB .NET to write the fully OO quickBasicEngine.

Nilges currently consults on the use of compiler technology in the real world to parse and interpret complex business rules in industries such as mortgage lending and credit evaluation. He finds that compiler optimization can be used to verify the consistency and completeness of business rule sets.