Transition diagram for Identifiers in Compiler Design

Transition diagram is a special kind of flowchart for language analysis. In transition diagram the boxes of flowchart are drawn as circle and called as states. States are connected by arrows called as edges. The label or weight on edge indicates the input character that can appear after that state. Transition diagram of identifier is given below: This transition diagram for identifier reading first letter and after that letter or digit until the next input character is delimiter for identifier, means the character that is neither letter nor digit. To turn up the transition diagram into a program we construct the program segment code for each state of transition diagram. Program segment code for each state is given below:

State-0:

C=GETCHAR();
if LETTER(C) then goto State 1
else FAIL() 

State-1:

C=GETCHAR();
if LETTER(C) OR DIGIT(C) then goto State 1
else if DELIMITER(C) then goto State 2
else FAIL() 

State-2:

RETRACT();
RETURN(ID, INSTALL())

Where, Next character for input buffer we use GETCHAR() which return next character. LETTER(C) is a procedure which returns the true value if and only if C is a letter. FAIL(C) is a routine which RETRACT the look ahead pointer and start up the next transition diagram otherwise call error routine. DIGIT(C) is a procedure which returns the true value if and only if C is a digit. DELIMITER(C) is a procedure which returns the true value if and only if C Is a character that could follow the identifier for example blank symbol, arithmetic, logical operator, left parenthesis, right parenthesis, +, :, ; etc. Because DELIMITER is not part of identifier therefore we must RETRACT the look ahead pointer one character for this purpose we use the RETRACT() procedure . Because identifier has a value so to install the value of identifier in symbol table we use INSTALL() procedure.

In compiler design, an identifier is a name given to a variable, function, or other programming language construct. Identifiers must follow a set of rules and conventions to be recognized and interpreted correctly by the compiler. One way to represent these rules is through a transition diagram, also known as a finite-state machine.

The transition diagram for identifiers typically consists of several states, each representing a different stage in the process of recognizing an identifier. Here is a high-level overview of the states and transitions involved:

1. Start state: This is the initial state of the diagram. It represents the point at which the compiler begins scanning the input for an identifier.
2. First character state: In this state, the compiler has identified the first character of an identifier. The next transition will depend on whether this character is a letter or an underscore.
3. Letter state: If the first character is a letter, the compiler moves into this state. The next transition will depend on whether the next character is a letter, digit, or underscore.
4. Underscore state: If the first character is an underscore, the compiler moves into this state. The next transition will depend on whether the next character is a letter, digit, or another underscore.
5. Digit state: If the first character is a digit, the compiler cannot recognize it as an identifier and will move to an error state.
6. Identifier state: If the compiler successfully follows the appropriate transitions, it will eventually reach an identifier state. This indicates that the sequence of characters scanned so far constitutes a valid identifier.
7. Error state: If the compiler encounters an unexpected character or sequence of characters, it will move to an error state. This indicates that the input does not constitute a valid identifier.

The transition diagram for identifiers can be more complex than this, depending on the specific rules and conventions of the programming language. However, this basic structure provides a good starting point for understanding how compilers recognize and interpret identifiers.