Sümbolitabele

Sümbolitabele, often translated as symbol table, is a data structure used by compilers and interpreters to store information about identifiers. These identifiers can include variable names, function names, class names, and other symbolic names encountered in source code. The symbol table acts as a lookup mechanism, allowing the compiler to efficiently retrieve and manage attributes associated with each identifier.

When a compiler processes source code, it encounters identifiers and needs to keep track of their properties such as their type, scope, memory location, and other relevant details. The symbol table is populated with entries for each identifier as it is declared. Each entry typically contains the identifier's name and a set of attributes. For example, for a variable named 'count' declared as an integer, the symbol table entry would store 'count' as the name and 'integer' as its type.

The concept of scope is crucial in symbol tables. Scope defines the region of the program where an identifier is valid and can be accessed. Symbol tables often implement mechanisms to handle nested scopes, such as global scope, local scope within functions, and block scope within conditional statements or loops. When an identifier is referenced, the compiler searches the symbol table, starting from the innermost scope and moving outwards, to find the correct declaration.

Symbol tables are fundamental to many compiler phases, including lexical analysis, parsing, semantic analysis, and code generation. They enable the compiler to perform type checking, variable resolution, and to generate efficient machine code by knowing the properties of each symbol. Without symbol tables, managing the multitude of identifiers and their attributes in complex programs would be an unmanageable task.