Compiler test cases or how to test a compiler

Question

Compilers like all software, would also be prone to bugs, logical errors.

How does one validate the output generated by the compiler. Typically, my question is(are)

• How to validate that the machine code generated is correct?

• How to ensure that the machine code generated is according to the language specification.

• Does it make sense to just pick an open source project (in C if one is also writing a compiler in C) to just compile it through the "compiler". In that case also, how do judge that the compiler is behaving as expected.

• Are there any formal test cases (literature) provided by the language standards committee that a "language complying" compiler has to satisfy?

• What are the sure "give aways" that the problem in a program compiled by a compiler is a compiler bug and not a program bug.

  - Any examples where mainstream compilers get confused and compile the code wrong?

Links to any literature would be appreciated.

Answer 1

The Eiffel compiler is open source and has an extensive library of test cases and internal design contracts.

http://dev.eiffel.com