jamiebuilds/the-super-tiny-compiler

Analysis updated 2026-06-20

★ 28,498JavaScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · easy

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((super-tiny-compiler))
    Compiler stages
      Tokenizing
      Parsing
      AST traversal
      Code generation
    Format
      Single JS file
      Heavy comments
      Test suite
    Use cases
      Learning compilers
      Teaching aid
      DSL starter
    Audience
      Developers
      CS students

mindmap root((super-tiny-compiler)) Compiler stages Tokenizing Parsing AST traversal Code generation Format Single JS file Heavy comments Test suite Use cases Learning compilers Teaching aid DSL starter Audience Developers CS students

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Read through the commented source file to understand the tokenizing, parsing, and code generation stages of a real compiler.

USE CASE 2

Use it as a teaching aid when explaining compiler fundamentals to students or junior developers at a study group or workshop.

USE CASE 3

Fork it as a hands-on starting point for building a custom mini-language or domain-specific language as a learning project.

What is it built with?

JavaScript

How does it compare?

	jamiebuilds/the-super-tiny-compiler	kenwheeler/slick	viatsko/awesome-vscode
Stars	28,498	28,587	28,610
Language	JavaScript	JavaScript	JavaScript
Setup difficulty	easy	easy	easy
Complexity	2/5	1/5	1/5
Audience	developer	developer	developer

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Creative Commons BY 4.0, free to share and adapt for any purpose including commercial, as long as you give credit to the original author.

In plain English

The Super Tiny Compiler is a teaching resource written in JavaScript that walks you through how a compiler works. A compiler is a program that translates code written in one language into another, the tools you use every day (like the ones that turn modern JavaScript into code older browsers can run) are compilers. This project makes the concept approachable by implementing all the essential stages of a compiler in a single, heavily commented JavaScript file that is intentionally small and easy to read. The README acknowledges that compilers have a reputation for being intimidating, and the goal here is to show that the core ideas are actually straightforward once explained clearly. It is a learning tool, not a production-use library. Tests can be run with node test.js. Licensed under Creative Commons BY 4.0.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

Walk me through the tokenizer function in the-super-tiny-compiler source code and explain what each step does in plain English.

Prompt 2

Based on the-super-tiny-compiler code, explain the difference between the AST traversal step and the code generation step, and why both are needed.

Prompt 3

Using the-super-tiny-compiler as a reference, help me build a tiny compiler that translates a simple custom syntax into JavaScript function calls.

Prompt 4

I want to add support for a new node type to the-super-tiny-compiler. Walk me through which functions I need to modify and in what order.

Frequently asked questions

What is the-super-tiny-compiler?

A single, heavily commented JavaScript file that teaches you how compilers work by implementing one from scratch, covering tokenizing, parsing, and code generation in a way that is intentionally tiny and easy to read.

What language is the-super-tiny-compiler written in?

Mainly JavaScript. The stack also includes JavaScript.

What license does the-super-tiny-compiler use?

Creative Commons BY 4.0, free to share and adapt for any purpose including commercial, as long as you give credit to the original author.

How hard is the-super-tiny-compiler to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is the-super-tiny-compiler for?

Mainly developer.

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