CuriousX: A Miniature Compiler

CuriousX is a mini subset of C++ language created for fun and educational purposes, to help understand how compilers work and how to build a simple programming language.

compilers are just one part of the toolchain that help build programs from source code to an executable, to learn more visit what is CuriousX

CuriousX is designed to mimic the structure of a typical compiler and includes features such as lexical analysis, syntax analysis, and semantic analysis. Additionally, it includes a visualization of the output from each stage of the compiler.

Test and check out the Compiler Playground

Features

• Print
• Variables (integer and float)
• Expressions (add, subtract, divide, and multiply)
• Operator precedence
• Statements
• Target Architecture: ARMv8

Dependencies

1. A C++ compiler that supports C++17. See cppreference.com to see which features are supported by each compiler.
2. CMake 3.15+
3. Compiler toolchain to WebAssembly Emscripten

Building

mkdir build
cd build
emcmake cmake ..
cmake --build .
emrun ..\web\index.html

Testing

To compile and run the tests, you need to turn on the -DCURIOUSX_BUILD_TESTS option when building and execute

cd build
emcmake cmake -DCURIOUSX_BUILD_TESTS=ON ..
cmake --build .
ctest

Usage

html file is located at the web folder, after building sucessfuly, start the webserver

emrun ..\web\index.html

This generates a Lexical-analysis Syntax-analysis and an assembly files outputs on the webpage and you can also view the symbol table if you source code has any.

You can always validate your assembly code with this ARM emulator miniarm

or Just visit the Compiler Playground 🫠

Examples

for the source code input:

a = 2 + 3 * 4
print(a)

the lexical-analysis output

[a]    ->   <line:1, col:1>;	 VarToken
[=]    ->   <line:1, col:3>;	 AssignToken
[2]    ->   <line:1, col:5>;	 IntToken
[+]    ->   <line:1, col:7>;	 PlusToken
[3]    ->   <line:1, col:9>;	 IntToken
[*]    ->   <line:1, col:11>;	 MultiplyToken
[4]    ->   <line:1, col:13>;	 IntToken
[print] ->   <line:2, col:1>;	 PrintToken
[(]    ->   <line:2, col:6>;	 ParenOpen
[a]    ->   <line:2, col:7>;	 VarToken
[)]    ->   <line:2, col:8>;	 ParenClose

syntax-analysis output

          =
        /   \
       a     +
            / \
           2   *
              / \
             3   4

and assembly output

	 mov r0, #2
	 mov r1, #3
	 mov r2, #4
	 mul r1, r1, r2
	 add r0, r0, r1
	 str r0, [sp, #-4]!

print: 
	 ldr r0, [sp, #0]
	 bl printf

	 bx lr