Introduction

I have always been interested in compilers but never got a chance to build one. I recently got some time and decided to learn compiler development. I started to look for an example compiler that meets following criteria:

• Minimalistic – Quick walk-through and reading
• Documented – Easier to understand
• Complete – Produces executables without external tools
• Uses Lex & Yacc – Many books available on building parsers

I didn’t find a good example that meets these requirements and can used as a starting point to bootstrap knowledge of compiler construction. I decided to develop a compiler, primarily for learning and later on, to create an example, that serves as a resource for others who are interested in learning compiler development.

Ceed (pronounced as seed) is an open source (BSD style license) compiler that compiles a high level language to x86 machine code and packages it in an executable binary. It supports 32-bit Linux and Windows and can generate output file in either ELF or PE format. Complete code for Ceed is around 1400 lines of Flex/Bison/C code excluding comments.