CompuServe Messages

>>and I think I could create an assembler or a compiler for a simple langauge like Basic, but I would not know how to start desinging a C compiler.<< I have written a small BASIC and COBOL compiler on the C64 years ago. It isn't very hard honestly. I have never done it for C, but since the language is much simpler to implement than BASIC, I would think it to be much easier than for BASIC. The only hard part I had in BASIC were the dynamic-length strings something that doesn't exist in C. >>And how do you create your own debugger without using someone else's debugger? It is possible, but it would be a difficult job.<< I haven't used any debugger for years. I reverted to the patches I used in the good(?) old days and feel quite happy about it. >>Existing compilers are not perfect<< That's my point. I don't claim that it is impossible to write a working program with a compiler but I do claim that correcting a compiler error in a compiler you didn't write yourself is much harder if not next to impossible. >>I would expect efforts from people who are just as good programmers but who don't have experience of compiler design are not likely to be as good.<< A priori I think you're right. However, compilers are not at all so hard to write so I *think* this to be a minor problem but I may be wrong of course. Bart Van Bockstaele at 100574.2352@compuserve.com … On AutoPilot and Amiga all the way from Belgium NOT from Mars!…