Intermediate representations and artifacts: the term “assembly code data base” refers to which compilation product or table in a typical compiler–assembler toolchain?
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Aa permanent table which lists all key words and special symbols of the language in symbolic form
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Ba permanent table of decision rules in the form of patterns for matching with the uniform symbol table to discover syntactic structure
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Cconsists of a full or partial list or the tokens as they appear in the program. Created by Lexical analysis and used for syntax analysis and interpretation
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Dassembly language version of the program which is created by the code generation phase and is input to the assembly phase
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ENone of the above
Answer
Correct Answer: assembly language version of the program which is created by the code generation phase and is input to the assembly phase
Explanation
Introduction / Context:Compilers often emit textual assembly after semantic analysis and optimization. This “assembly code” then serves as input to the assembler to produce object code. Some literature loosely refers to this emitted assembly as an assembly code database or repository, distinguishing it from lexical or syntactic tables maintained earlier in the pipeline.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- The code generation phase has completed IR to target translation.
- The output is human-readable assembly matching the target ISA.
- This artifact feeds into the assembler to create relocatable objects.
Concept / Approach:Unlike token tables (products of lexical analysis) or grammar/decision tables (used in parsers), the assembly listing is a concrete, near-final representation of the program in target mnemonics. It is thus best described as the assembly language version of the program created by the code generator, which the assembler will then translate into binary and relocation records.
Step-by-Step Solution:1) Separate compiler tables (terminals, tokens, parse tables) from generated code artifacts.2) Identify “assembly code data base” as the textual assembly emitted after code generation.3) Recognize that this is precisely what the assembler consumes to produce object modules.
Verification / Alternative check:Real-world toolchains (e.g., clang -S or gcc -S) generate .s files—assembly code—which assemblers (e.g., as) then assemble into .o object files.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- Option A: Describes a terminal table (keywords/symbols), not assembly output.
- Option B: Describes parser decision tables, not emitted code.
- Option C: Describes token lists (uniform symbol table), not assembly code.
- None of the above: Incorrect because option D correctly characterizes the artifact.
Common Pitfalls:Confusing compiler-internal metadata with emitted source for the assembler. Tables drive analysis; assembly output drives code generation and linking.
Final Answer:assembly language version of the program which is created by the code generation phase and is input to the assembly phase.