SIMATS ENGINEERIN
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences
Chennai-602105.
Error Detection and Recovery in a Simple
Compiler
Presentation By:
HariPriya S S(192371004)
Praveenkumar G (192424032)
VamsiKrishna L(192425054)
Abstract
Lexical Errors – Invalid tokens, illegal characters
Syntax Errors – Missing brackets, incorrect structure
Semantic Errors – Type mismatches, undeclared variables
Error Detection – During lexical, syntax, and semantic analysis
Introduction
A compiler translates source code into machine-readable instructions
Errors can occur during lexical, syntax, or semantic analysis
Detecting errors early improves code reliability and debugging
Recovery techniques help the compiler continue after encountering errors
Essential for building robust and user-friendly programming tools
Objectives
To identify and categorize common compiler errors
To implement error detection during lexical, syntax, and semantic analysis
To explore error recovery techniques for uninterrupted compilation
To enhance compiler reliability and user feedback
To support efficient debugging and improve code qualit
Module 1:Types of Errors in Compilation
Lexical Errors – Invalid tokens, illegal characters, unmatched strings
Syntax Errors – Missing operators, unbalanced parentheses, incorrect grammar
Semantic Errors – Type mismatches, undeclared variables, incompatible assignments
Logical Errors – Unreachable code, infinite loops (optional in advanced compilers)
Importance – Early error identification improves code reliability and debugging
Algorithm
Scan source code and perform lexical analysis to identify invalid tokens
Parse tokens using grammar rules to detect syntax errors
Analyze semantics to check for type mismatches and undeclared identifiers
Log errors with relevant details and apply recovery strategies
Continue compilation if possible, or halt with a summary of detected errors
Module 2: Error Detection Techniques
Lexical Analysis – Scans source code for invalid tokens and characters
Syntax Analysis – Builds parse trees to detect structural issues
Semantic Analysis – Uses symbol tables and type checking for logical consistency
Error Reporting – Generates meaningful messages to guide the programmer
Integration – Detection embedded in each compilation phase for efficiency
Module 3: Error Recovery
Strategies
Panic Mode Recovery – Skips input until a synchronizing token is found
Phrase-Level Recovery – Makes local corrections to continue parsing
Error Productions – Uses augmented grammar to handle common mistakes
Global Correction – Attempts minimal changes for closest valid code (rarely used)
Objective – Prevent abrupt termination and support smooth compilation flow
Work flow
Start / Login
Semantic Analysis
Code Generation
Lexical Analysis Error Detection
Syntax Analysis Error Recovery
Conclusion
Error handling is a vital component of compiler design
Early detection improves code reliability and user productivity
Recovery techniques allow continued compilation despite faults
Lexical, syntax, and semantic checks ensure thorough validation
A robust compiler enhances debugging and supports better programming practices
Thank You
