1. Introduction to the principles and concepts of compilers.
2. Understanding assembly language and its role in compilation.
3. Exploring different intermediate representations used in the compilation process.
4. Utilizing LLVM as a powerful tool for compiler design and optimization.
5. Working with structured data in LLVM's Intermediate Representation (IR).
6. Performing lexical analysis to analyze and tokenize source code.
7. Implementing recursive parsing techniques for syntactic analysis.
8. Applying LL parsing algorithms for parsing context-free grammars.
9. Utilizing LR parsing techniques for efficient syntactic analysis.
10. Incorporating first-class functions into the compiler design.
11. Compiling closures to support lexical scoping and function objects.
12. Performing type checking to enforce static typing rules.
13. Understanding subtyping and its role in type systems.
14. Implementing Oat's type system and handling objects.
15. Further exploration of object-related concepts in Oat.
16. Optimization techniques to improve code efficiency.
17. Conducting dataflow analysis for program analysis and optimization.
18. Implementing register allocation algorithms for efficient use of CPU registers.
19. Applying loop optimization techniques to improve loop performance.
20. Understanding garbage collection mechanisms for memory management in the compiler.

Things you should be able to do

1. Distinguish the main phases of a state-of-the-art compiler: This objective enables students to gain a comprehensive understanding of the different stages involved in modern compiler design, including lexical analysis, parsing, semantic analysis, optimization, and code generation. It provides a holistic view of the compilation process and prepares students to work on real-world compiler projects.

2. Understand static and dynamic semantics of an imperative language: By grasping the static and dynamic semantics of an imperative language, students acquire a deeper understanding of how programs are structured, how they execute, and how to identify and handle various types of language-level errors. This knowledge is crucial for writing correct and efficient programs and lays the foundation for advanced compiler optimizations.

3. Develop parsers and lexers using parser generators and combinators: This objective equips students with the skills to create parsers and lexers using both parser generators and parser combinator libraries. These tools automate the process of transforming source code into abstract syntax trees, making the development of compilers and interpreters more efficient and maintainable.

4. Perform semantic analysis: Students learn how to perform semantic analysis, which involves checking the validity and consistency of the program's meaning and detecting potential errors. This process ensures that programs adhere to the language's rules and provides a solid foundation for subsequent compilation phases.

5. Translate abstract syntax trees to intermediate representations and static single assignment form: This objective focuses on the transformation of abstract syntax trees (ASTs) into intermediate representations (IRs) and, specifically, the static single assignment (SSA) form. Understanding this process enables students to perform further analysis and optimizations on the code.

6. Analyze the dataflow in an imperative language: Students gain the ability to analyze dataflow within programs, identifying dependencies and relationships between variables and instructions. This knowledge is crucial for optimizing code and identifying potential performance bottlenecks.

7. Perform standard compiler optimizations: This objective familiarizes students with a range of standard compiler optimization techniques. They learn how to apply optimizations such as constant folding, loop unrolling, and common subexpression elimination to improve code efficiency and performance.

8. Generate efficient assembly code for a modern architecture: Students gain practical experience in generating efficient assembly code tailored to modern computer architectures. This objective enables them to bridge the gap between high-level language constructs and low-level machine instructions, ensuring optimal execution on specific hardware platforms.

9. Allocate registers using a graph-coloring algorithm: Students learn how to allocate registers efficiently by employing graph-coloring algorithms. Register allocation is a critical step in code generation, ensuring that variables are optimally stored in registers for fast access during program execution.

10. Understand opportunities and limitations of compiler optimizations: This objective provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the benefits and limitations of various compiler optimizations. They learn to evaluate trade-offs between code size, execution time, and compilation time, enabling them to make informed decisions when applying optimizations in real-world scenarios.

11. Appreciate design trade-offs and how representation affects optimizations: Students gain an appreciation for the design trade-offs involved in compiler development. They learn how different choices in language representation and compiler design impact the effectiveness and efficiency of optimizations.

12. Automatically manage memory using garbage collection: This objective focuses on automatic memory management techniques, specifically garbage collection. Students learn how to develop memory-efficient programs without the need for manual memory allocation and deallocation, reducing the risk of memory leaks and other memory-related errors.

13. Develop complex software following high-level specifications: This objective emphasizes the development of complex software systems while adhering to high-level specifications. Students learn to translate abstract requirements into concrete implementations, ensuring the reliable and efficient execution of programs.

By achieving these course objectives, students will possess a solid foundation in compiler design and optimization, enabling them to develop efficient and reliable software systems that leverage the power of modern programming languages.