A program is a tree — building a Verbose compiler in Verbose

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Learn how a compiler turns text into a tree using recursive sum types in an index arena, a crucial step in building a Verbose compiler

advanced Published 14 Jun 2026

Action Steps

Build a basic understanding of Abstract Syntax Trees (ASTs)
Implement recursive sum types in an index arena
Design a compiler that can parse text into an AST
Test the compiler with sample programs to ensure correctness
Optimize the compiler for performance and scalability

Who Needs to Know This

Compiler developers and programming language designers can benefit from understanding how to represent a program as a tree, enabling them to build more efficient compilers

Key Insight

💡 Representing a program as a tree is a fundamental step in building a compiler, enabling efficient parsing and analysis of code

Key Takeaways

Learn how a compiler turns text into a tree using recursive sum types in an index arena, a crucial step in building a Verbose compiler

Full Article

Before a compiler can understand a program, it has to turn text into a tree (an AST). Here's how a small proof-carrying language represents a tree — recursive sum types in an index arena — and why it's the brick that makes everything else possible.

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