A multi-language compiler system with automatically generated codegenerators

Abstract

The compiler system described in this paper may be regarded as a specialization of the classical UNCOL-problem [Con58].It has been developed at the University of Kiel and is currently being used by Norsk-Data-Oietz Computer Systems, M0Ihelm, FRG.The system results from the need to lower maintenance costs and to achieve a high degree of portability of the compilers for the languages supported.The source languages are compiled into the common intermediate language CAT [V5183], which is then translated by code generators into various machine languages [Sch83].The code generators are automatically generated from denotational specifications.The system has been designed to cover a wide range of PASCAL-and FORTRANlike languages and to generate code for von-Neumann-type processors.Up to now BASIC, FORTRAN-77, COBOL-74 and PASCAL have been considered as source languages with PASCAL and BASIC front ends fully implemented and a FORTRAN front end under construction, Codegenerators exist for the DIETZ-621/X3, a byte oriented minicomputer, for the National NS 16000 microprocessor and the Norsk-Data ND100.The system is used at Norsk-Data-Dietz for CAD and systems programming applications.