University CS1:1 mentoring

Compiler Design

Learn how source code becomes a running program: scanners, parsers, intermediate code, optimisation and code generation.

Level:: University, year 3
Format:: 1:1 online mentoring

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Free, no-obligation chat · Affordable plans that fit your budget · Start this week

1:1 personal attentionOne mentor, one student, at your pace.
Flexible timingsSessions that fit your week and time zone.
Affordable plansPlans that fit your budget.
Practise between sessionsShort problems that build confidence.

About this course

Learn Compiler Design online

Compiler design combines theory and practice, and many students find it the hardest course in the degree. Constructing first and follow sets, LL and LR parsing tables and DFA from regular expressions takes careful, mechanical work, and one small error spoils the whole table.

This course follows the standard university syllabus used with the Dragon Book by Aho, Lam, Sethi and Ullman and with Crafting Interpreters and Cooper and Torczon: lexical analysis, syntax analysis with top-down and bottom-up parsers, syntax-directed translation, semantic analysis, intermediate code, optimisation, code generation and runtime environments.

It is taught through affordable 1:1 mentoring. Your mentor explains each phase with small examples, works table-building exercises with you step by step, and helps you plan a mini compiler project for your own understanding. Message us on WhatsApp or email, or fill in the short form, for a free, no-obligation chat. We will suggest a plan that fits your budget and flexible timings in your time zone, and you can start this week.

Who this course is for

Third-year computer science students taking compiler design
Students who find parsing tables, first and follow sets confusing
Learners who want to build a small interpreter or compiler
Students preparing for exams full of table-construction questions
Developers curious how languages are implemented

Outcomes

What you'll learn

Describe the phases of a compiler and how they connect
Build a DFA from a regular expression and design a lexical analyser
Remove ambiguity and left recursion and left-factor a context-free grammar
Compute first and follow sets and construct LL(1) parsing tables
Construct LR(0), SLR, LALR and CLR parsing tables and parse a string with them
Write syntax-directed definitions and generate three-address code
Apply local and global optimisations such as constant folding and dead code elimination
Explain runtime environments, stack frames and basic code generation

Skills you'll gain

Regular expressions and DFAs
Lexical analysis
Context-free grammars
LL(1) parsing
LR parsing
Syntax-directed translation
Symbol tables
Three-address code
Code optimisation
Code generation
Runtime environments
Exam problem solving

Detailed syllabus

Compiler Design syllabus

Every module lists its topics and what you will be able to do. Your mentor plans sessions around them and your own goals.

Module 1
Introduction to compilers
What a compiler does and the pipeline from source to target.
- Compilers, interpreters, assemblers and linkers
- Phases of a compiler
- Front end and back end
- Symbol table and error handling
- Compiler construction tools
- Bootstrapping and cross compilers
By the end of this module you can
- Name each phase and what it passes to the next
- Explain the difference between a compiler and an interpreter
Covered in 1:1 mentoring sessions
Module 2
Lexical analysis
Turning characters into tokens.
- Tokens, lexemes and patterns
- Input buffering
- Regular expressions and regular definitions
- Finite automata: NFA and DFA
- Thompson construction and subset construction
- DFA minimisation
- Lex-style scanner generators
By the end of this module you can
- Convert a regular expression to a minimal DFA
- Describe how a lexer recognises the longest match
Covered in 1:1 mentoring sessions
Module 3
Context-free grammars and syntax analysis
Describing programming language syntax.
- Context-free grammars and derivations
- Parse trees and ambiguity
- Eliminating ambiguity and left recursion
- Left factoring
- Role of the parser and error recovery
- Grammar design for expressions
By the end of this module you can
- Remove left recursion and ambiguity from a grammar
- Draw parse trees for a given derivation
Covered in 1:1 mentoring sessions
Module 4
Top-down parsing
Building a parse tree from the root down.
- Recursive-descent parsing
- First and follow sets
- LL(1) grammars and parsing tables
- Predictive parsing algorithm
- Error recovery in predictive parsers
- Checking whether a grammar is LL(1)
By the end of this module you can
- Compute first and follow sets correctly
- Construct an LL(1) table and parse an input string
Covered in 1:1 mentoring sessions
Module 5
Bottom-up parsing
Building a parse tree from the leaves up.
- Shift-reduce parsing and handles
- LR(0) items and canonical collection
- SLR(1) parsing tables
- CLR(1) and LALR(1) parsers
- Conflicts: shift-reduce and reduce-reduce
- Operator-precedence parsing
- Parser generators such as Yacc
By the end of this module you can
- Construct SLR, CLR and LALR tables for a small grammar
- Resolve parsing conflicts and explain their cause
Covered in 1:1 mentoring sessions
Module 6
Syntax-directed translation
Attaching meaning to grammar rules.
- Syntax-directed definitions
- Synthesised and inherited attributes
- S-attributed and L-attributed definitions
- Dependency graphs and evaluation order
- Translation schemes
- Building syntax trees
By the end of this module you can
- Evaluate attributes on a parse tree
- Write a syntax-directed definition for expressions
Covered in 1:1 mentoring sessions
Module 7
Semantic analysis and runtime environments
Checking meaning and organising memory at run time.
- Type checking and type systems
- Symbol tables and scope
- Storage organisation
- Activation records and the call stack
- Parameter passing methods
- Heap management and garbage collection (overview)
By the end of this module you can
- Check types for expressions and statements
- Draw activation records for a recursive call
Covered in 1:1 mentoring sessions
Module 8
Intermediate code generation
A machine-independent form of the program.
- Abstract syntax trees and DAGs
- Three-address code: quadruples, triples, indirect triples
- Translation of expressions and assignments
- Boolean expressions and control flow
- Backpatching
- Procedure calls
By the end of this module you can
- Generate three-address code for expressions and loops
- Represent code as quadruples and triples
Covered in 1:1 mentoring sessions
Module 9
Code optimisation
Making the code faster or smaller without changing what it does.
- Basic blocks and flow graphs
- Local optimisations: constant folding, common subexpressions, dead code
- Loop optimisations: code motion, induction variables
- Data-flow analysis: reaching definitions, live variables
- Peephole optimisation
- Register allocation (overview)
By the end of this module you can
- Split code into basic blocks and draw its flow graph
- Apply standard optimisations to a short program
Covered in 1:1 mentoring sessions
Module 10
Code generation
Producing target machine code.
- Issues in code generator design
- Target machine model
- Instruction selection
- Register allocation and assignment
- Simple code generation algorithm
- Putting a mini compiler together
By the end of this module you can
- Generate target code for a basic block
- Explain how a compiler chooses and orders instructions
Covered in 1:1 mentoring sessions

Ways to learn

How you can learn Compiler Design

Compiler Design mentor, 1:1 online

A mentor who knows this course plans sessions around your goal, explains each idea with fresh examples and checks your understanding. Personal attention, flexible timings in your time zone and affordable plans that fit your budget.

Talk to our team

How it works

Your learning journey

Four simple steps to start Compiler Design with a mentor. A real person replies to you; there is no booking system.

Step 1: Talk to us
Message us on WhatsApp or email, or fill in the short form. The first chat is free, with no obligation.
Step 2: Get your plan
We listen to your goal, level and deadlines, then suggest a plan that fits your budget and timings.
Step 3: Learn with your mentor
Online 1:1 sessions with a mentor who knows your course, explains clearly and checks your understanding.
Step 4: Practise & track progress
Keep going between sessions with practice, and watch your confidence grow week by week.

Learn by doing

Projects and practice

Hand-written lexer
Write a scanner for a small language that turns source text into tokens with line numbers and clear error messages.
Recursive-descent calculator
Build a parser and evaluator for arithmetic expressions with precedence, parentheses and variables.
First, follow and LL(1) table tool
Write a program that reads a grammar and prints first sets, follow sets and the predictive parsing table.
Mini compiler to three-address code
Translate a tiny language with variables, if and while into three-address code and apply constant folding.

Your progress

What you'll be able to do

Milestones from the start, middle and end of the syllabus.

Name each phase and what it passes to the next
Early on
Evaluate attributes on a parse tree
Halfway
Generate target code for a basic block
By the end

FAQs

Compiler Design: frequently asked questions

Is there a self-study option?

No. Self-study lessons exist only for Java and Python, so compiler design is taught through 1:1 mentoring. Your mentor works from your lectures, slides and textbook, so you get explanations that match your course.

How much does mentoring cost?

1:1 mentoring is personal online tutoring and is affordable, and we offer plans that fit your budget. Message us for a free, no-obligation chat and we will suggest a plan that suits you, with flexible timings in your time zone.

How do I get started?

Message us on WhatsApp or email, or fill in the short form, for a free, no-obligation chat. Tell us your university syllabus, your next exam or problem set, and what feels hardest. We can usually start this week.

Will a mentor do my assignments or graded work?

No. Mentors teach and explain compiler design, work through similar examples with you and check your understanding. They never complete graded assignments, lab submissions or exams for you, and we do not offer that.

Do I have to build a compiler to pass?

Not always. Many exams focus on tables and short derivations. We include optional mini projects because building a scanner or parser makes the theory much clearer.

Which language should I use for projects?

Use what your course allows. Python, Java and C are all common choices, and your mentor can explain the ideas in whichever you use.

Which textbook does the course follow?

We follow the standard university syllabus. Common textbooks are Compilers: Principles, Techniques and Tools (the Dragon Book) and Engineering a Compiler by Cooper and Torczon. Tell us yours and we will match it.

Free, no-obligation chat

Talk to our team about Compiler Design

Tell us what you need. Our support team replies within one working day, by email or WhatsApp, whichever you prefer, and arranges your mentor.

Prefer to talk first?

Message the support team directly. We usually reply the same day.

Chat on WhatsApp Email us

Our mentors teach and explain. They never complete graded work, tests or assessments for students.

Keep going

Syllabus references

Last reviewed9 November 2026

Ready to start Compiler Design?

Message us on WhatsApp or email, or fill in the short form. Our team replies with a plan that fits your goal and budget, and you can start this week.

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Learn Compiler Design online

Who this course is for

What you'll learn

Skills you'll gain

Compiler Design syllabus

Introduction to compilers

Lexical analysis

Context-free grammars and syntax analysis

Top-down parsing

Bottom-up parsing

Syntax-directed translation

Semantic analysis and runtime environments

Intermediate code generation

Code optimisation

Code generation

How you can learn Compiler Design

Compiler Design mentor, 1:1 online

Your learning journey

Step 1: Talk to us

Step 2: Get your plan

Step 3: Learn with your mentor

Step 4: Practise & track progress

Projects and practice

Hand-written lexer

Recursive-descent calculator

First, follow and LL(1) table tool

Mini compiler to three-address code

What you'll be able to do

Compiler Design: frequently asked questions

Talk to our team about Compiler Design

Related courses

Theory of Computation

Computer Architecture

Discrete Mathematics

Algorithms and Complexity

Operating Systems

Syllabus references

Ready to start Compiler Design?

Learn Compiler Design online

Who this course is for

What you'll learn

Skills you'll gain

Compiler Design syllabus

Introduction to compilers

Lexical analysis

Context-free grammars and syntax analysis

Top-down parsing

Bottom-up parsing

Syntax-directed translation

Semantic analysis and runtime environments

Intermediate code generation

Code optimisation

Code generation

How you can learn Compiler Design

Compiler Design mentor, 1:1 online

Your learning journey

Step 1: Talk to us

Step 2: Get your plan

Step 3: Learn with your mentor

Step 4: Practise & track progress

Projects and practice

Hand-written lexer

Recursive-descent calculator

First, follow and LL(1) table tool

Mini compiler to three-address code

What you'll be able to do

Compiler Design: frequently asked questions

Talk to our team about Compiler Design

Related courses

Theory of Computation

Computer Architecture

Discrete Mathematics

Algorithms and Complexity

Operating Systems

Syllabus references

Ready to start Compiler Design?