Interpreters, Bytecode & Runtimes

Build a language twice — tree-walk interpreter and bytecode VM — then open up frames, closures, GC, JIT, the JVM, .NET, CPython, V8 and WebAssembly. 14 interactive tools, every output from a real run.

Lessons

• Exceptions, Errors and Stack Unwinding
• Memory Management and Garbage Collection in Runtimes
• Runtime Startup, Loading and Lifecycle
• JIT Compilation and Adaptive Optimization
• Production Runtime Case Study: JVM and Java Bytecode
• Production Runtime Case Study: .NET CLR and IL
• Production Runtime Case Study: Python and CPython
• Production Runtime Case Study: JavaScript Engines
• WebAssembly and Portable Sandboxed Execution
• Other Runtimes and Execution Models
• Orientation, Prerequisites and Execution Vocabulary
• The Program Execution Pipeline
• Language Implementation Strategies
• Lexing, Tokens and Lexical Rules
• Grammars and Parsing
• Abstract Syntax Trees and Semantic Analysis
• Runtime Debugging, Profiling and Observability
• Runtime Security, Sandboxing and Trust Boundaries
• Advanced VM Implementation and Optimization
• Language Design, Semantics and Conformance
• Build a Complete Mini-Language and Runtime
• Projects, Revision and Certification Assessment
• Glossary, Resources & Final Checklist
• Build a Tree-Walk Interpreter
• Runtime Values, Types and Environments
• Bytecode and Intermediate Representations
• Implement a Stack-Based Virtual Machine
• Register-Based VMs and VM Design Trade-offs
• Functions, Call Frames and Calling Conventions Inside a VM
• Closures, Scope, Modules and Object Systems
• Course Overview