Is it allowed to use the supplied JackCompiler.bat to look at and compare it's output with my own as I work on my compiler?

[Leipod]

I am on Project Compiler II (i.e. extending JackAnalyzer into a complete compiler) and I have been using the output of the "tools" folder's JackCompiler like this:
1. I run it on the supplied Jack programs (my compiler currently can generate valid Seven/Main.jack vm code, and now I am working on the Average's Main.jack)
2. I then look at the resulting "Main.vm" from the supplied compiler and my own compiler's "Main.my.vm" files and I, step by step, modify my analyzer and re-run my compiler until Main.my.vm is (at least functionally) equivalent to Main.vm.


Is this an accepted use of the supplied JackCompiler tool?

[WBahn]

Probably. It depends on the constraints that your particular instructor expects you to follow, so they are the person to ask.

If you aren't taking a formal course, then it's really up to you what you allow yourself to do.

At the end of the day, it's about what approach will you learn the most from. For some people, your approach is likely to result in them finally getting something to work through a serious of trial and error modifications that will leave them with very little understanding of what is happening or why it is correct. For other people, this approach can lead to a lot of very valuable exploration and a much deeper understanding of what is happening and why it is correct. It comes down to how each person learns and the attitude they bring to the table as they proceed.

A good test to see if you really learned what you think you've learned (and we all tend to think we've learned more than we actually do) is to, once you are finished, put everything aside for a while (a week or two) and start over from scratch and see if you can do it on your own. If you can, then you've learned it pretty well. If not, then your approach ended up being too much of a crutch for you.