Title:			`A Semantics-Directed Compiler Generator'

Abstract:

An Attribute Grammar is a context-free grammar that specifies the semantics
of each grammar symbol via attributes.  Attributes describe the flow of
information in a parse tree.  A grammar that uses denotational semantics for
the attributes is called a Semantic Grammar. The speaker will show how
semantic grammars can describe the compile- and run-time semantics of many
programming languages.

The speaker will discuss a Compiler Generator that translates semantic
grammars into compilers.  The system includes a Grammar Analyzer (which
converts a grammar into tables), a Universal Translator (which compiles
programs in any language described by tables), and a Stack Machine (for
executing user programs). It has generated compilers for several languages,
including Pascal and Fortran. These compilers are efficient enough to run
test programs, but are too inefficient for production work.  The compiler
generator is most useful to language designers who wish to experiment with
various prototype languages.
