Is compiler construction hard

How difficult is it to emulate a C++ compiler?

Of course, this depends greatly on what you are trying to emulate (emulating an IBM mainframe on an iPhone might be a bit of a challenge) and what you are trying to compile (a small C compiler is pretty easy, a full C++ compiler almost impossibly difficult.
It depends largely on what you are emulating, and what you are compiling.

Is compiler construction hard?

Answer (1 of 2):

Compiler construction is complex.
Not “hard,” but complex.
Managing the complexity can be difficult if not done carefully, which is why compiler writers work carefully and methodically.
The purpose of a compiler is to turn code written by a human into something a machine can exe..

Compiler construction is complex.

What makes a compiler easy to write?

A compiler that compiles a very simple language for a single target (e.g. something that maps almost directly to the output assembly) will be easy to write.
An emulator that emulates a very complex system (e.g. a large, proprietary computing system) on a very simple system (e.g. a PDA) will be very hard to write .

Why do compilers use heuristics?

Many of the problems that confront the compiler are too hard for it to solve optimally; thus, compilers use approximations, heuristics, and rules of thumb.
This produces complex interactions that can lead to surprising results—both good and bad.

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