Why learn about compilers?

Why learn about compilers?

Few people will ever be required to write a compiler for a general-purpose language like C, Pascal or SML. So why do most computer science institutions offer compiler courses and often make these mandatory Some typical reasons are:

• It is considered a topic that you should know in order to be “well-cultured” in computer science.
• A good craftsman should know his tools, and compilers are important tools for programmers and computer scientists.
• The techniques used for constructing a compiler are useful for other purposes as well.
• There is a good chance that a programmer or computer scientist will need to write a compiler or interpreter for a domain-specific language.