First, a high-level introduction to the compiler, then some practical tips for testing it.

A compiler is a software program that converts high-level programming language source code into machine code that can be executed by a computer. The compilation is a multi-stage process that includes lexical analysis, syntax analysis, semantic analysis, code generation, and optimization.

Lexical analysis is the process of separating the source code into individual tokens or words. Syntax analysis entails parsing the tokens to determine whether they form a valid program according to the grammar rules of the programming language. Semantic analysis entails verifying the program's meaning to ensure that it is semantically correct. Code generation is the process of creating machine code that corresponds to the source code, whereas optimization is the process of improving the machine code to make it faster and more efficient.