Jonathan Blow

I am not sure if the messy stapling job is my fault. I got a D in the class since I barely showed up or did any of the work ... these notes are from one of the times I at least aspired to doing the homework, but I don’t remember if I did.

@Jonathan_Blow If you got a D in the class, you didn't do homework, and you don't recommend university classes, then how did you learn compiler stuff well enough to end up developing one today that looks like it is going to be better than the existing compilers?

Because most of the stuff taught in those classes is irrelevant to making a good compiler. A large part of it is just general good software engineering, which most modern-day professors don't really know about, because they don't have time to program enough.

To be fair, the graduate-level class that I took was much better than the undergrad class; and, both provided at least some useful background knowledge. But still, I would not recommend people to use such classes as their primary reference in how to make a compiler.

But also, that was a graduate class from the 90s, before things went Full OOP at universities. A graduate class today might well do way more harm than good.