CSCI 310 Spring 2005, Day 1

1. Syllabus issues.

2. Thoughts from last year's evals, and what it means this year.
   1. everyone agrees: start early, work as continuously as you can ("like a job").
   2. Book received relatively okay reviews -- several liked it, a couple mentioned it was overly terse on a couple of topics. My personal take is that the later topics tend to need additional information but it isn't utter crap like some others.
   3. midterm exam instead of only a final.
   4. reworking of material in project 1 which may help the effort in later projects.
   5. a bit more information at the start of each project.
   6. *** in general, I have a better idea of where people stumble this time around which I think will help you.

3. Tugging at the memory
   1. What do finite automata have to do with compilers?
   2. What is a grammar?
   3. What is the difference between syntax and semantics?
   4. How might parameters be passed?
   5. List up to three other things from Languages and Automata, Machine Org, or Programming Languages that you think might apply to compiler writing.

4. Your memory -> some sense of compiler phases. (Phases on p. 6 of Appel)

5. Getting into Real Work: Project 1