README.md

Abstract Syntax Tree: an Example in C

Source code for the blog post Abstract Syntax Tree: an Example in C.

ast.c

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>


typedef struct AST AST; // Forward reference

struct AST {
  enum {
    AST_MAIN,
    AST_NUMBER,
    AST_ADD,
    AST_MUL,
  } tag;
  union {
    struct AST_MAIN { AST *body; } AST_MAIN;
    struct AST_NUMBER { int number; } AST_NUMBER;
    struct AST_ADD { AST *left; AST *right; } AST_ADD;
    struct AST_MUL { AST *left; AST *right; } AST_MUL;
  } data;
};

AST *ast_new(AST ast) {
  AST *ptr = malloc(sizeof(AST));
  if (ptr) *ptr = ast;
  return ptr;
}

void ast_free(AST *ptr) {
  AST ast = *ptr;
  switch (ast.tag) {
    case AST_MAIN: {
      struct AST_MAIN data = ast.data.AST_MAIN;
      ast_free(data.body);
      break;
    }
    case AST_NUMBER: {
      struct AST_NUMBER data = ast.data.AST_NUMBER;
      break;
    }
    case AST_ADD: {
      struct AST_ADD data = ast.data.AST_ADD;
      ast_free(data.left);
      ast_free(data.right);
      break;
    }
    case AST_MUL: {
      struct AST_MUL data = ast.data.AST_MUL;
      ast_free(data.left);
      ast_free(data.right);
      break;
    }
  }
  free(ptr);
}

#define AST_NEW(tag, ...) ast_new((AST){tag, {.tag=(struct tag){__VA_ARGS__}}})

void ast_print(AST *ptr) {
  AST ast = *ptr;
  switch (ast.tag) {
    case AST_MAIN: {
      struct AST_MAIN data = ast.data.AST_MAIN;
      printf("main() = ");
      ast_print(data.body);
      return;
    }
    case AST_NUMBER: {
      struct AST_NUMBER data = ast.data.AST_NUMBER;
      printf("%d", data.number);
      return;
    }
    case AST_ADD: {
      struct AST_ADD data = ast.data.AST_ADD;
      printf("(");
      ast_print(data.left);
      printf(" + ");
      ast_print(data.right);
      printf(")");
      return;
    }
    case AST_MUL: {
      struct AST_MUL data = ast.data.AST_MUL;
      printf("(");
      ast_print(data.left);
      printf(" * ");
      ast_print(data.right);
      printf(")");
      return;
    }
  }
}

#define emitf printf

void ast_emit(AST *ptr) {
  AST ast = *ptr;
  switch (ast.tag) {
    case AST_MAIN: {
      struct AST_MAIN data = ast.data.AST_MAIN;
      emitf(".global _main\n");
      emitf("_main:\n"); 
      ast_emit(data.body);
      emitf("  ret\n");
      emitf("\n");
      return;
    }
    case AST_NUMBER: {
      struct AST_NUMBER data = ast.data.AST_NUMBER;
      emitf("  mov rax, %d\n", data.number);
      return;
    }
    case AST_ADD: {
      struct AST_ADD data = ast.data.AST_ADD;
      ast_emit(data.left);
      emitf("  push rax\n");
      ast_emit(data.right);
      emitf("  pop rbx\n");
      emitf("  add rax, rbx\n");
      return;
    }
    case AST_MUL: {
      struct AST_MUL data = ast.data.AST_MUL;
      ast_emit(data.left);
      emitf("  push rax\n");
      ast_emit(data.right);
      emitf("  pop rbx\n");
      emitf("  mul rbx\n");
      return;
    }
  }
}

int main() {
  // main() = 4 + 2 * 10 + 3 * (5 + 1)
  AST *term = AST_NEW(AST_MAIN,
    AST_NEW(AST_ADD,
      AST_NEW(AST_NUMBER, 4),
      AST_NEW(AST_ADD,
        AST_NEW(AST_MUL, 
          AST_NEW(AST_NUMBER, 2), 
          AST_NEW(AST_NUMBER, 10),
        ),
        AST_NEW(AST_MUL,
          AST_NEW(AST_NUMBER, 3),
          AST_NEW(AST_ADD,
            AST_NEW(AST_NUMBER, 5),
            AST_NEW(AST_NUMBER, 1),
          ),
        ),
      ),
    ),
  );
  printf("/* "); ast_print(term); printf(" */\n"); 
  ast_emit(term);
  ast_free(term);
}

ast.ml

type ast = 
  | Main of ast 
  | Number of int 
  | Add of ast * ast
  | Mul of ast * ast

let emitf x = Printf.kprintf print_endline x

let rec emit = function
  | Main body ->
      emitf ".global _main";
      emitf "_main:";
      emit body;
      emitf "  ret"
  | Number n ->
      emitf "  mov rax, %d" n
  | Add (left, right) ->
      emit left;
      emitf "  push rax";
      emit right;
      emitf "  pop rbx";
      emitf "  add rax, rbx"
  | Mul (left, right) ->
      emit left;
      emitf "  push rax";
      emit right;
      emitf "  pop rbx";
      emitf "  mul rbx"

let () = 
  (* main() = 4 + 2 * 10 + 3 * (5 + 1) *)
  let term = 
    Main (
      Add (
        Number 4, 
        Add (
          Mul (Number 2, Number 10), 
          Mul (Number 3, Add (Number 5, Number 1))
        )
      )
    )
   in
   emit term

Makefile

ast.exe: ast.c
	gcc -Werror -Wswitch -Wimplicit-fallthrough ast.c -o ast.exe

clean:
	rm -f *.o *.exe *.s a.out

test.s: ast.exe
	./ast.exe > test.s

test.exe: test.s
	gcc test.s -masm=intel -o test.exe

.PHONY: test
test: test.exe
	./test.exe

Thank you, this is really helpful.