Questions and Answers
What is the primary purpose of a symbol table in a compiler?
To keep track of semantics of variables and store information about names, classes, and objects
When is the information in the symbol table collected by the compiler?
During the analysis phases of the compiler
What type of entries are created in the symbol table during lexical analysis?
Entries about tokens
Which phase of the compiler adds information about attribute type, scope, and line of reference in the symbol table?
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What supports the compiler in different phases for each entry in the symbol table?
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How does the symbol table contribute to compile-time efficiency?
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What is the purpose of semantic analysis in the context of symbol tables?
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What type of information is stored in the symbol table?
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Which operation is used to search for a name and return a pointer to its entry in the symbol table?
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What is the purpose of the 'Set Attribute' operation in a symbol table?
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Which data structure is commonly used for implementing symbol tables?
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What is the disadvantage of using a list as a data structure for a symbol table?
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In which phase of compilation does the symbol table play a role in code optimization?
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What type of information is used by the compiler from the symbol table for machine-dependent optimization?
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Study Notes
Symbol Table in Compiler
- The primary purpose of a symbol table is to manage and store information about variables, functions, and labels encountered during the compilation process.
Information Collection
- The information in the symbol table is collected by the compiler during the lexical analysis phase.
Entry Creation
- During lexical analysis, entries are created in the symbol table for each identifier encountered.
Attribute Addition
- The semantic analysis phase adds information about attribute type, scope, and line of reference to the symbol table.
Support for Compiler
- The symbol table supports the compiler in different phases for each entry, providing necessary information for efficient compilation.
Compile-time Efficiency
- The symbol table contributes to compile-time efficiency by allowing the compiler to quickly retrieve and access information about variables, functions, and labels.
Semantic Analysis
- The purpose of semantic analysis in the context of symbol tables is to analyze the meaning of the source code and update the symbol table accordingly.
Information Storage
- The symbol table stores information about variables, functions, and labels, including their type, scope, and line of reference.
Search Operation
- The search operation used to search for a name and return a pointer to its entry in the symbol table is called a lookup operation.
Set Attribute Operation
- The purpose of the 'Set Attribute' operation in a symbol table is to update the attributes of a symbol table entry.
Data Structure
- A hash table is a common data structure used for implementing symbol tables.
Disadvantage of List
- The disadvantage of using a list as a data structure for a symbol table is that it leads to slow lookup times.
Code Optimization
- The symbol table plays a role in code optimization during the optimization phase of compilation.
Machine-dependent Optimization
- The compiler uses information from the symbol table for machine-dependent optimization, such as register allocation and instruction selection.
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