Q.1 What is one key focus of modern compiler design compared to traditional compilers?
Generating only machine code
Optimizing for parallelism and multicore processors
Ignoring runtime performance
Using only handwritten assembly code
Explanation - Modern compilers emphasize optimizations for parallelism and multicore architectures to improve performance, unlike traditional compilers which mainly focused on sequential code generation.
Correct answer is: Optimizing for parallelism and multicore processors
Q.2 Which of the following is a trend in modern compiler optimization?
Manual memory allocation only
Just-in-time (JIT) compilation
Ignoring cache behavior
Using only single-threaded execution
Explanation - JIT compilation is a key trend in modern compilers, allowing runtime optimization and execution speed improvements.
Correct answer is: Just-in-time (JIT) compilation
Q.3 What is the main purpose of profile-guided optimizations in modern compilers?
To create executable code without debugging
To optimize code based on actual runtime behavior
To ignore runtime behavior
To reduce source code readability
Explanation - Profile-guided optimization uses runtime profiling information to make better optimization decisions than static analysis alone.
Correct answer is: To optimize code based on actual runtime behavior
Q.4 Which modern compiler technology enables faster program execution by compiling code at runtime?
Ahead-of-time compilation
Just-in-time (JIT) compilation
Static linking
Interpreted bytecode
Explanation - JIT compilers translate intermediate bytecode into machine code at runtime, combining the benefits of interpretation and compilation.
Correct answer is: Just-in-time (JIT) compilation
Q.5 In modern compiler design, what role does LLVM play?
It is a hardware design tool
It provides a modular and reusable compiler infrastructure
It replaces all programming languages
It only interprets code
Explanation - LLVM is widely used in modern compiler design for building reusable, modular compiler backends and supports multiple languages and targets.
Correct answer is: It provides a modular and reusable compiler infrastructure
Q.6 Which trend in modern compiler design is driven by heterogeneous computing platforms?
Single-core optimization
GPU and accelerator-aware compilation
Removal of type checking
Ignoring hardware details
Explanation - Modern compilers optimize code for GPUs and accelerators to leverage parallel hardware efficiently.
Correct answer is: GPU and accelerator-aware compilation
Q.7 Which modern technique allows a compiler to adapt code based on observed execution patterns?
Static linking
Dynamic optimization
Lexical analysis
Tokenization
Explanation - Dynamic optimization adjusts the generated code at runtime to improve performance based on observed execution behavior.
Correct answer is: Dynamic optimization
Q.8 What is a key advantage of using intermediate representations (IR) in modern compilers?
They remove the need for syntax analysis
They allow optimization across multiple source languages and targets
They generate only interpreted code
They eliminate machine code generation
Explanation - IRs enable modern compilers to separate front-end parsing from back-end code generation, facilitating cross-language and cross-platform optimizations.
Correct answer is: They allow optimization across multiple source languages and targets
Q.9 Which approach is increasingly used in modern compiler optimization?
Machine learning guided optimizations
Ignoring runtime data
Fixed, manual optimization heuristics
Avoiding instruction-level parallelism
Explanation - Modern research and some compilers leverage machine learning to predict effective optimization strategies based on code patterns.
Correct answer is: Machine learning guided optimizations
Q.10 Which feature of modern compilers supports better memory management for high-level languages?
Garbage collection integration
Manual memory allocation only
Ignoring memory leaks
Static linking exclusively
Explanation - Modern compilers for languages like Java integrate garbage collection support, reducing programmer effort and runtime errors.
Correct answer is: Garbage collection integration
Q.11 What is an emerging focus area in modern compiler research?
Optimization for energy-efficient computing
Generating only assembly code
Avoiding runtime profiling
Ignoring heterogeneous architectures
Explanation - Modern compilers are increasingly optimizing for energy and power efficiency, especially for mobile and embedded systems.
Correct answer is: Optimization for energy-efficient computing
Q.12 Which modern trend allows compilers to optimize distributed and cloud-based applications?
Cloud-aware compilation
Ignoring network latency
Manual memory management only
Single-threaded execution
Explanation - Cloud-aware compilers optimize code execution for distributed environments, considering network, latency, and resource variability.
Correct answer is: Cloud-aware compilation
Q.13 Which modern compiler technique helps detect potential security vulnerabilities at compile time?
Static code analysis
Ignoring runtime behavior
Dynamic optimization
Just-in-time compilation
Explanation - Static analysis in modern compilers allows detection of security issues, such as buffer overflows, without executing the program.
Correct answer is: Static code analysis
Q.14 Which modern compiler trend is important for supporting functional programming languages?
Optimizing tail recursion
Eliminating type checking
Ignoring higher-order functions
Disabling garbage collection
Explanation - Tail recursion optimization is crucial in functional languages to prevent stack overflows and improve runtime efficiency.
Correct answer is: Optimizing tail recursion
Q.15 Which technology allows modern compilers to support multiple programming languages efficiently?
Intermediate representation (IR)
Manual code translation
Direct assembly generation
Single-language front-end only
Explanation - IR enables modular compiler design, allowing reuse of backends for multiple programming languages.
Correct answer is: Intermediate representation (IR)
Q.16 Which feature of modern compilers improves debugging in high-level languages?
Preserving source-level information in compiled code
Removing all debugging information
Translating directly to machine code without symbols
Ignoring runtime errors
Explanation - Modern compilers retain mappings between source and machine code to provide accurate debugging capabilities.
Correct answer is: Preserving source-level information in compiled code
Q.17 Which type of analysis do modern compilers use to optimize loops effectively?
Loop unrolling and vectorization
Ignoring loop structures
Manual memory management
Only instruction scheduling
Explanation - Compilers use loop transformations like unrolling and vectorization to exploit instruction-level parallelism and improve performance.
Correct answer is: Loop unrolling and vectorization
Q.18 Which aspect of modern compiler design helps in efficient multi-threaded execution?
Automatic parallelization
Single-threaded code generation
Ignoring data dependencies
Disabling runtime checks
Explanation - Modern compilers can automatically detect and exploit parallelism in code to improve performance on multi-core systems.
Correct answer is: Automatic parallelization
Q.19 Which modern compiler approach uses runtime information to optimize program execution paths?
Speculative optimization
Static code generation
Manual instruction selection
Tokenization
Explanation - Speculative optimization uses runtime profiling to make aggressive optimization decisions, improving execution speed when predictions are correct.
Correct answer is: Speculative optimization
Q.20 Which modern compiler component allows integration with different target hardware easily?
Modular backend architecture
Monolithic compiler design
Direct source-to-assembly translation
Ignoring hardware details
Explanation - A modular backend allows modern compilers to target multiple hardware architectures without rewriting the entire compiler.
Correct answer is: Modular backend architecture
Q.21 Which trend in modern compiler design supports just-in-time code optimization for virtual machines?
Dynamic compilation
Static linking
Ahead-of-time compilation only
Ignoring runtime profiling
Explanation - Dynamic compilation allows virtual machines like JVM to compile and optimize code at runtime, improving performance based on actual execution.
Correct answer is: Dynamic compilation
Q.22 Which modern compiler technique helps improve energy efficiency in embedded systems?
Energy-aware optimization
Ignoring memory usage
Single-threaded execution
Removing all optimizations
Explanation - Energy-aware optimization adjusts code generation to reduce power consumption, which is critical in embedded and mobile devices.
Correct answer is: Energy-aware optimization
Q.23 Which modern trend helps compilers handle domain-specific languages effectively?
Retargetable compiler frameworks
Manual code rewriting
Ignoring language semantics
Fixed backend for all languages
Explanation - Retargetable compiler frameworks allow modern compilers to easily support new or domain-specific languages with minimal effort.
Correct answer is: Retargetable compiler frameworks
Q.24 Which modern compiler feature is important for high-performance scientific computing?
Vectorization and parallelization
Ignoring numerical accuracy
Static single-threaded execution
Removing loop optimizations
Explanation - Scientific computing benefits from vectorized and parallelized code to fully utilize modern CPUs and accelerators.
Correct answer is: Vectorization and parallelization
Q.25 What is one reason modern compilers are incorporating AI and machine learning techniques?
To predict better optimization strategies automatically
To replace hardware entirely
To eliminate the need for front-end parsing
To ignore runtime errors
Explanation - AI and ML can analyze patterns in code and runtime data to guide the compiler in making more effective optimization decisions.
Correct answer is: To predict better optimization strategies automatically