Let's Build a Compiler 01: Starting Out - The General Problem

Compilers, interpreters, runtimes, and the like can sometimes feel vaguely magical. They take your code, perform complex transformations that you only partially understand, and spit out an executable binary. Clearly, the inner workings of such a beast must contain arcane secrets, not meant for the minds of mortals. Of course, even if it feels that way sometimes, that doesn't make it true. As with