Modern Compiler Implementation
Modern Compiler Implementation by Andrew Appelby Andrew Appel
Ranked 2 of 9 compiler textbooks by recommenders
People recommend it as a compiler textbook that balances practical and theoretical material, with the Standard ML edition singled out as the best version, and it is useful for backend compiler algorithms.
People recommend it as a compiler textbook that balances practical and theoretical material, with the Standard ML edition singled out as the best version, and it is useful for backend compiler algorithms.
9 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 9
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 9 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Preferred ML edition
“Writing a compiler in Standard ML is as natural as writing a grammar and denotational semantics.”
Comment from 26 Nov 2025 in “Build a Compiler in Five Projects” “The ML version is my favourite and I can vouch for the books being quite interesting.”
Comment from 25 Nov 2025 in “Build a Compiler in Five Projects” “It really should be read in the SML/NJ as God Intended.”
Comment from 6 Jul 2026 in “Introduction to Compilers and Language Design” - Comment from 25 Nov 2025 in “Build a Compiler in Five Projects”
Liked by teachers and readers
“I taught in the past and still like the trilogy of books”
Comment from 25 Nov 2025 in “Build a Compiler in Five Projects” “I like the Appel compiler book.”
Comment from 25 Oct 2026 in “Small Programs and Languages”
Other compiler textbooks people recommend
The four most recommended other compiler textbooks, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compilers: Principles, Techniques, and Toolsby Aho, Sethi and Ullman | 23 | 17 | 58% | 9 | — | — |
| Modern Compiler Implementationby Andrew AppelThis page | 9 | 0 | 100% | 4 | — | — |
| Writing a C Compilerby Nora Sandler | 8 | 2 | 80% | 8 | — | — |
| Engineering a Compilerby Cooper and Torczon | 6 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
| Compiler Constructionby Niklaus Wirth | 4 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
8 of the 11 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“I like the Appel compiler book.”
“It really should be read in the SML/NJ as God Intended.”
“Tiger book is a much better introductory read, balancing between practical and theoretical aspects.”
“Writing a compiler in Standard ML is as natural as writing a grammar and denotational semantics.”
“The ML version is my favourite and I can vouch for the books being quite interesting.”
“the best book is the ML version”
“I taught in the past and still like the trilogy of books”
“invaluable for understanding backend (after parsing) compiler algorithms”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.