While not working on Tuesdays, we from time to time participate to/ or organize events. Even if it is not customary, software-application-related events do take place in Brussels; this one was intitled Programming Conference 2017.

Raincode Labs organized a Compiler Coding Dojo, hosted by Vadim Zaystev its Chief Science Officer (later seen on pictures below)

Here’s what the program looked like:

– 09:00–09:15: Opening and introductions (Vadim Zaytsev)
– 09:15–10:30: Attribute Grammars for DSLs for Music and 3D Graphics (Elizabeth Scott, Adrian Johnstone) with ART
– 11:00–12:00: Metaprogramming in Late Phases of Compilation (Anya Helene Bagge) with Rascal
– 13:30–15:00: Experimenting with Racket as a Language Workbench (Robby Findler) with Racket
– 15:30–17:00: The Future of Compilers, presentations by Rik Arends with MakePad, Ralf Lämmel with The Software Languages Book, Adrian Johnstone with FunCons & Nicolas Laurent with Whimsy and Autumn

Participants were lucky enough to measure their compiling coding skills to others and especially under supervision of experts.

Robert Findler [Responsible for the creation and maintenance of DrRacket], Adrian Johnstone & Elizabeth Scott [both developed correct parsing algorithms in particular GLL top-down parser and the RNGLR family of generalised Tomita-style LR parsers] and Anya Helene Bagge [whose reasearch interests include DSLs & language extensions, program transformation & more] spent the whole day with newbie compiler coders throughout their respective sessions.

An impressive collection of books was available to help them “survive” the day.

A few quotes from the day:

Adrian Johnstone, while describing the software he & E. Scott are working on:
“We’re excepting a full release of the software in the summer, you are my guinea pigs”

on Java:
“Of course it’s quite easy to write Java that is incorrect”

We learned from Anya Helene Bagge that the implementation of Rascal is about 30 000 lines.

Robby Findler & Matthew Flatt, in the Rascal session, were excellent supervisors & accessible to every participant.

Find out more about CoCoDo on Facebook
or Look out for #CoCoDo on Twitter