Compiler Design for the GATE Exam — Florida candidates

Common failure modes

These are the patterns that cause most candidates to lose marks on this topic. Recognising them in advance is half the work.

• !Computing FIRST sets incorrectly when a production has nullable symbols
• !Building FOLLOW sets without including the eof ($) marker for the start symbol
• !Misclassifying parsing conflicts: shift-reduce vs reduce-reduce in an LR parsing table
• !Confusing LL(1) conflict conditions with LR(0) conflict conditions
• !Generating incorrect three-address code by misordering temporaries in expressions

Study tips

• 1Practise FIRST and FOLLOW set computation on at least 10 different grammars — errors here cascade into parser table construction.
• 2For LL(1) parsing, verify the LL(1) condition: no two rows for the same non-terminal have the same terminal in their selection sets.
• 3Build the canonical LR(0) item sets and SLR parsing table for a small grammar (4–5 productions) from scratch.
• 4Memorise the precedence of common code optimisation techniques: constant folding → dead-code elimination → common-subexpression elimination → loop invariant code motion.
• 5Practice syntax-directed translation: attribute grammars, S-attributed vs L-attributed, and evaluating inherited vs synthesised attributes.
• 6For NCLEX-RN: Florida is a Compact state — a Florida licence allows practice in 40+ NLC member states without re-applying. Plan for the multistate licensure premium when budgeting.
• 7For internationally-educated nurses: CGFNS CES report (not VisaScreen alone) is required by the Florida Board. Allow 8–12 weeks for CES processing.
• 8For CDL: FL DHSMV waives the skills test for active-duty military with equivalent vehicle experience; bring DD-214 and CDL skills-test waiver form.

Sample GATE Compiler Design questions

These sample items mirror the format and difficulty of real GATE questions. Practice with thousands more on the free Koydo question bank.

1. 1

   For the grammar S → aAb | b and A → aA | ε, FIRST(S) is:

   • A{a}
   • B{a, b}Correct
   • C{a, b, ε}
   • D{a, ε}
   Why this answer?

   (GATE CS style) From S → aAb: FIRST starts with 'a'. From S → b: FIRST includes 'b'. S cannot derive ε, so ε ∉ FIRST(S). Therefore FIRST(S) = {a, b}.

2. 2

   Which of the following is a shift-reduce conflict in an LR parser?

   • ATwo items want to reduce by different productions on the same lookahead
   • BOne item wants to shift and another wants to reduce on the same lookaheadCorrect
   • CTwo items want to shift on the same lookahead
   • DAn item set has no actions defined for a terminal
   Why this answer?

   (GATE CS style) A shift-reduce conflict occurs when, for the same lookahead symbol, the parser can either shift the symbol onto the stack or reduce by a production. This makes the grammar ambiguous for LR(0)/SLR parsing without additional lookahead.

Frequently asked questions

Related study guides

• Data Structures for GATE (Florida, USA)Another GATE topic for Floridian candidates
• Algorithms for GATE (Florida, USA)Another GATE topic for Floridian candidates
• Theory of Computation for GATE (Florida, USA)Another GATE topic for Floridian candidates
• Computer Organization & Architecture for GATE (Florida, USA)Another GATE topic for Floridian candidates
• Operating Systems for GATE (Florida, USA)Another GATE topic for Floridian candidates
• Compiler Design for GATE — U.S. candidatesSame Compiler Design topic, different locale framing
• Compiler Design for GATE — U.K. candidatesSame Compiler Design topic, different locale framing
• Compiler Design for GATE — Indian candidatesSame Compiler Design topic, different locale framing