Computer Science – 19.2 Recursion | e-Consult
19.2 Recursion (1 questions)
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The compilation of recursive programming code involves a series of phases, each with a specific purpose. Here are four key phases:
- Lexical Analysis (Scanning): This is the first phase where the source code is read character by character and broken down into a stream of tokens. Tokens represent basic building blocks like keywords, identifiers, operators, and literals. The output of this phase is a stream of tokens.
- Syntax Analysis (Parsing): The token stream is then analyzed to check if it conforms to the grammar of the programming language. This phase builds a parse tree (or abstract syntax tree - AST) representing the syntactic structure of the program. The output is the AST.
- Semantic Analysis: This phase checks the meaning of the program. It verifies type compatibility, checks for undeclared variables, and ensures that the program adheres to the language's semantic rules. The AST is annotated with semantic information during this phase.
- Code Generation: Finally, the compiler translates the intermediate representation (often the AST) into machine code or assembly language. This involves allocating memory, generating instructions for the program's logic, and optimizing the code for efficiency. The output is the executable code.