Includes bibliographical references (p. 507-509) and index.

1. Background. Introduction. System Software and Machine Structure. The Simplified Instructional Computer (SIC). Traditional (CISC) Architectures. RISC Architectures. 2. Assemblers. Basic Assembler Functions. Machine-Dependent Assembler Features. Machine-Independent Assembler Features. Assembler Design Options. Implementation Examples. 3. Loaders and Linkers. Basic Loader Functions. Machine-Dependent Loader Features. Machine-Independent Loader Features. Loader Design Options. Implementation Examples. 4. Macro Processors. Basic Macro Processor Functions. Machine-Independent Macro Processor Features. Macro Processor Design Options. Implementation Examples. 5. Compilers. Basic Compiler Functions. Machine-Dependent Compiler Features. Machine-Independent Compiler Features. Compiler Design Options. Implementation Examples. 6. Operating Systems. Basic Operating System Functions. Machine-Dependent Operating System Features. Machine-Independent Operating System Features. Operating System Design Options. Implementation Examples. 7. Other System Software. Database Management Systems (DBMS). Text Editors. Interactive Debugging Systems. 8. Software Engineering Issues. Introduction to Software Engineering Concepts. System Specifications. Procedural Design. Object-Oriented Design. System Testing Strategies.

In this third edition of classic title, Leland Beck provides a complete introduction to the design and implementation of various types of system software. Stressing the relationship between system software and the architecture of the machine it is designed to support, Beck first presents the fundamental concepts and basic design of each type of software in a machine-independent way. He then discusses both machine-dependent and independent extensions to the basic concepts, and gives examples of the actual system software. New FeaturesProvides updated architecture and software examples, including the Intel x86 family (Pentium, P6, etc.), IBM PowerPC, Sun SPARC, and Cray T3E. Includes an introduction to object-oriented programming and design, and illustrates these concepts of object-oriented languages, compilers, and operating systems. Brings the book up-to-speed with industry by including current operating systems topics, such as multiprocessor, distributed, and client/server systems. Contains a wide selection of examples and exercises, providing teaching support as well as flexibility, allowing you to concentrate on the software and architectures that you want to cover.