Compiler with generic front end and dynamically loadable back ends

Abstract

A system and method provides for variable target outputs from a compiler with only a single execution. The compiler includes a front end, a generic back end, and plurality of individual back ends that are dynamically loaded by the compiler during execution. The front end produces an abstract syntax tree which is then processed by the generic back end and the individual back ends to produce a number of back end trees, each adapted for a specific back end, and representative of the desired structure of the various target outputs, including target code files, or events. The generic back end traverses the abstract syntax tree, and on each node of the tree, invokes each back end that has a node of its back end tree attached thereto. The back end can then modify its own back end tree, and attach further back end nodes to other nodes of the abstract syntax tree. In turn the generic back end will invoke such added attached nodes, until all attached back end nodes on all the nodes of the abstract syntax tree have been processed. This results in completed back end trees for all of the back ends, requiring only a single pass of the front end to produce the abstract syntax tree. The individual back ends then process their respective back end trees to produce their target outputs. A look up operation is provided in the generic back end that returns one or more back end nodes in response to a request therefore specifying a node of the abstract syntax tree, and a family identification value of a back end node.