Program Representation,
Language Translation, and
Execution
Understanding the Foundations of Programming Languages
Presenter's:
Dr. Alhashemi Ebrahim Suhaili
lecturer: Safia Abdalla Salih
Agenda
Overview
Program Representation
Language Translation Techniques
Execution Models
Case Studies
Conclusion
Q&A
Overview
Program Representation: How code is represented
internally for analysis.
Language Translation: Converting code between
languages or formats.
Execution: Running the translated code on hardware or
virtual environments.
Why Program Representation,
Translation, and Execution Matter
Essential for optimizing and debugging software.
Efficiently running code on various platforms.
Enabling code optimization and error handling.
Enhancing code portability and performance.
Program Representation
What is Program Representation?
Defining the internal structures and formats used to
analyze, optimize, and execute programs.
Methods of structuring and understanding code.
Purpose: Facilitates analysis, translation, and
optimization.
Source Code Representation
Human-readable form written in high-level languages.
Source code as the starting point for all
representations.
Importance: Readable, maintainable, and executable.
Example: Python, C, Java.
Abstract Syntax Tree (AST)
Tree representation of source code's structure.
A hierarchical structure representing code syntax.
Represents grammar and relationships among
components.
Purpose: Used in parsing and analysis.
Example: AST for a basic arithmetic expression.
Abstract Syntax Tree (AST)
Control Flow Graph (CFG)
Directed graph showing possible execution paths.
A graph representing the flow of control in a program.
Nodes represent statements; edges represent control
flow.
Purpose: Used in control flow analysis.
Example: CFG for an if-else structure.
Control Flow Graph (CFG)
x=0
print(x)
if x > 5:
print('x is big')
else:
print('x is small')
Intermediate Representations (IR)
An abstraction between source code and machine code.
Lower-level forms like three-address code or bytecode.
Purpose: Enables platform-independent optimizations.
Example: Three-address code in IR, LLVM R, Java
bytecode.
Intermediate Representations (IR)
Machine Code Representation
Binary instructions executed directly by hardware.
Architecture-specific and optimized for performance.
Symbol Table and Memory Models
Symbol Table: Metadata for variables, functions, and
types.
Memory Models: Stack (local variables) vs. Heap
(dynamic memory).
Language Translation
What is Language Translation?
Transforming code from one language or form to
another for execution.
Converting code into a format a machine can
understand.
Types: Compilation, interpretation, and hybrid
methods.
Levels of Translation
High-Level Languages to Machine Code.
Examples: Python to bytecode, C to assembly.
Compilation vs. Interpretation
Compilation: Translates code into machine language
before execution.
Interpretation: Translates code line-by-line during
execution.
Hybrid: Combines both methods (e.g., Java).
Compilers
Tools that convert high-level code to machine code.
Stages:
Lexical Analysis: Tokenizing source code.
Syntax Analysis: Parsing tokens into AST.
Semantic Analysis: Ensuring logical correctness.
Optimization: Enhancing performance.
Code Generation: Producing machine code.
Compilers Stages
Lexical Analysis:
The process of tokenizing source code.
Purpose: Breaks down code into recognizable elements (tokens).
Example: Tokens in a Python statement.
Syntax Analysis:
Parsing tokens into a syntactic structure.
Purpose: Checks grammar and builds AST.
Example: Parsing a conditional expression.
Compilers Stages
Semantic Analysis:
Ensures that code has meaningful syntax.
Purpose: Type checking, scope analysis.
Example: Type mismatch detection.
Code Optimization:
Improves code efficiency.
Types: Loop unrolling, inlining, constant folding.
Impact: Reduces runtime and resource usage.
Compilers Stages
Code Generation:
Converting IR to machine code.
Output: Platform-specific machine instructions.
Linkers and Loaders
Role: Linkers combine object files; loaders place code
in memory for execution.
Types: Static and dynamic linking.
Interpreters
Programs that execute source code line-by-line.
Advantages: Quick feedback for development.
Example: Python Interpreter (C Python), JavaScript
interpreters.
Just-in-Time (JIT)
Compilation
Combines compilation and interpretation for runtime
efficiency.
Purpose: Speeds up interpreted languages.
Examples: Java Virtual Machine (JVM), Java’s HotSpot
JIT compiler, .NET CLR.
Transpilers
Convert code between high-level languages.
Example: Type-Script to Java-Script.
Error Handling During
Translation
Types of Errors:
Lexical Errors : Invalid tokens, Invalid characters.
Syntax Errors : Grammar issues, Invalid structure.
Semantic Errors : Logical errors, Logical issues
Optimization Techniques
Loop unrolling, constant folding, inlining functions.
Goal: Faster, smaller, and more efficient code.
Execution Environments
Physical CPUs.
Virtual Machines.
Cloud systems.
Program Execution
The process of running translated code on hardware or
virtual machines.
Executing translated code on hardware or virtual
environments.
Execution Models
What is an Execution Model?
A framework for running translated code.
Purpose: Determines how a program interacts with
hardware.
Virtual Machines
Emulators that abstract underlying hardware.
Purpose: Platform independence.
Examples: JVM, CLR.
Error Handling During Execution
Handling runtime exceptions and debugging tools.
Mechanism for error handling.
Example: Stack traces, try-catch in Java, try-except in
Python.
Memory Management in Execution
Concepts: Stack, heap, garbage collection.
Examples: Java’s automatic garbage collection,
Python’s memory model.
Execution on Distributed Systems
Cloud-based execution environments.
Examples: AWS Lambda.
Static and Dynamic Execution
Static Execution
Compile-time execution of static code.
Example: Constant folding.
Dynamic Execution
Runtime execution with dynamic analysis.
Example: Java's runtime optimizations.
Runtime Environments
Provides services during execution.
Provide memory management and I/O handling.
Handle memory management, garbage collection.
Role: Memory management, exception handling.
Examples: JVM, Python Runtime, .NET CLR, Node.js.
Garbage Collection
Automatic memory management.
Examples: Java's GC, Python's GC.
Instruction Cycle
Steps:
1- Fetch
2- Decode
3- Execute
4- Write-back (Store)
Continuous process in modern CPUs.
Concurrency and Parallelism
Multi-threaded execution for efficiency.
Simultaneous task execution.
Tools: Threading, multiprocessing, async programming.
Concurrency Models
Executing tasks simultaneously using threads or
processes.
Running code concurrently to improve performance.
Examples: Threading in Java, multiprocessing in
Python.
Virtualization
Running programs in isolated environments.
Performance Monitoring
Tools: Profilers, debuggers, and optimization.
Profiling tools to identify bottlenecks.
Examples: gprof, perf, Visual Studio Profiler.
Case Studies
Case Study: C/C++ (Compiled Languages)
How C/C++ code is compiled and executed.
Steps: Compilation, linking, loading.
Case Study: Python (Interpreted Language)
Python’s interpreter process.
Process: Compilation to bytecode, then interpretation.
Case Study: Java (Hybrid Language)
Java’s bytecode and JVM execution.
Steps: Compilation to bytecode, JIT compilation in JVM.
Case Study: JavaScript (Just-in-
Time Compiled Language)
JIT compilation in the V8 engine.
Process: Fast execution in web environments.
Challenges in Execution
Optimizing for diverse platforms.
Handling exceptions effectively, ensuring cross-platform
compatibility, and Performance bottlenecks.
Future of Execution
AI-Driven Optimization.
Evolution of cloud-native execution models.
Improved performance and cross-platform compatibility.
Future Trends in Language
Translation and Execution
AI-driven code and assisted optimization and adaptive execution
models.
Cloud-based compilation and execution, virtualization
advancements, and WebAssembly.
Applications
Debugging tools.
Compiler design.
Optimized software development.
Summary
Program representation aids analysis and optimization.
Language translation ensures compatibility and
performance.
Execution enables real-world applications of code.
Conclusion
Understanding these concepts improves debugging,
performance, and development practices.
Understanding representation, translation, and execution
enables better programming, debugging, and optimization.
Open for questions and discussions!
