Language Design and Implementation using Ruby and the Interpreter Pattern commentary

In the article "Language Design and Implementation using Ruby and the Interpreter Pattern" written by Ariel Ortiz in 2008, describes the S-expression Interpreter Framework, a powerful tool designed to teach students of the Programming Language course. Once again open source software result in knowledge easy to share and to improve on. Sadly, my comments towards the subjects aren't as rich as they could be since I have not personally taken the course, so my knowledge on the area is extremely limited. However, one can start to see the relation s-expressions have with compilers. Certainly, the Interpreter handles similar problems and methods to solve such problems as a compiler, it must take a certain array of characters with meaning in a language, and to generate usable code for another language. In such a way, the SIF probably uses many of the steps we've been taking to design our own compilers.

The real message that I can clearly take from the article, besides a snippet of a framework that I may use in the future, is that magnificently, when it comes to computers and coding, it's all tightly connected. The knowledge gained in the Compilers design course will inevitably be linked to Programming Languages, because languages are the subject to translate in compilers to begin with. Moreover, understand one will help understanding the other, and may lead to hints on how a framework life SIF is programmed. Additionally, another use of syntax analysis, and scanning using regex, and context free grammars reveal themselves, as building blocks for tools crafted by people who have a vast knowledge of these steps. I am curious to begin the Programming Language course, more than I was before anyways, as my weird mix of subjects might have inadvertently given me an advantage for taking compilers first. Only time will tell, fingers crossed. 

Source:

Ortiz, A. 2008. "Language Design and Implementation using Ruby and the Interpreter Pattern". ACM. Retrieved 5th of March 2017 in: http://webcem01.cem.itesm.mx:8005/publicaciones/sif.pdf