Books

Many of the books and articles below only have titles and no content yet, this is because:

1. I wrote them earlier, and most of the tools I used have been significantly updated. Much of the original content is no longer applicable, and I need time to update it.

2. Some of the articles use generic software, such as the GCC compiler and C/Python/JavaScript/Rust languages. Now that I have my own language and compiler, I plan to replace all the tools in these articles with my own, therefore, it will take some time.

I will publish the following articles gradually, you can add my website to your bookmarks to check back for updates.

Tutorials

• S01 - XiaoXuan's Adventures in RISC-V Wonderland Walkthrough the RISC-V platform with XiaoXuan Native: compilation, assembly, instructions, processes and memory

• S20 - Building a Task List Organizer Web Application with XiaoXuan Script Build a local web application with IndexedDB, Web Storage API, and XiaoXuan Script

• S30 - Mastering MCU Hardware Programming with XiaoXuan Micro A step-by-step guide to writing programs (firmware) for ARM Cortex-M chips

• S40 - Zero to AI: Building a Deep Learning Framework from Scratch with XiaoXuan Lang, Volumn 1 Hands-on deep learning theory and practice, without any third-party libraries

• S70 - Building Your Own Usable Programming Language: A Step-by-Step Guide Implement a programming language using XiaoXuan Lang: the lexer, parser, and interpreter

• S71 - Designing a Runtime Virtual Machine (VM) for Systems Programming The memory, stack and the concurrency model of XiaoXuan Core VM

• S80 - Zero to OS: Building Your Own Usable Operating System, Volumn 1: The User Space Build the user-space part of an OS for RISC-V platform from scratch in XiaoXuan Core

• S81 - Zero to OS: Building Your Own Usable Operating System, Volumn 2: The Kernel Write a simple kernel in XiaoXuan Native for RISC-V platform

• S82 - Building a Docker-like Container Utility from Scratch using XiaoXuan Core Linux namespaces, capabilities, seccomp and virtual networking

• S83 - Building a KVM-based Virtual Machine Tool Using XiaoXuan Native Linux KVM, kernel, and virtual device I/O

• S90 - Building Your Own Linux-Capable CPU: A Step-by-Step Guide Design a RISC-V CPU core using XiaoXuan Logic

• S10 - Mastering Cross-Platform Development with QEMU Set up linux system and development environment in QEMU

Manuals

• M01 - The XiaoXuan Programming Language Reference Syntax, fundamental, and the standard library

• M02 - An introduction to the XiaoXuan Core Assembly The syntax, structure, and the VM instructions

• M03 - An introduction to the XiaoXuan Core Intermediate Representation (IR) The syntax, structure and modules

Articles

• XiaoXuan Object Notation (ANON): a new easy-to-read and write data representation format
• XiaoXuan Allocator: an efficient memory allocator for automatic memory management programming language
• XiaoYu SPI Flash FileSystem: a fail-safe filesystem designed for SPI flash chip

Table of content

• S01 - XiaoXuan's Adventures in RISC-V Wonderland

  Walkthrough the RISC-V platform with XiaoXuan Native: compilation, assembly, instructions, processes and memory

  2024-02-17
  • Let's cross-compile the first program and run it
  • Write a "Hello World" program that can run standalone without an OS
  • Get to know XiaoXuan Assembly Language, and build "Hello World" program using it
  • Uncovering the ELF executable file, slim down the "Hello World" program to just 70 bytes
  • Setting up a Linux system and RISC-V development environment in QEMU
  • The memory layout of process, and the calling conventions
  • Static libraries, dynamic libraries, and dynamic linking
  • Design an assembly language with a target architecture of RISC-V
  • Implement the assembler and linker

• S20 - Building a Task List Organizer Web Application with XiaoXuan Script

  Build a local web application with IndexedDB, Web Storage API, and XiaoXuan Script

  2024-02-21
  • Setting up the XiaoXuan Script development environment
  • Analyzing and designing the application's workflow
  • Writing basic pages
  • Introduction to the Web IndexedDB API
  • Writing basic XiaoXuan Script code for CRUD functionality
  • Introduction to the Web Storage API and adding attachment functionality

• S30 - Mastering MCU Hardware Programming with XiaoXuan Micro

  A step-by-step guide to writing programs (firmware) for ARM Cortex-M chips

  2024-02-22
  • Introduction to STM32 MCU chips
  • Write your first firmware: Blinky
  • Respond to button presses with GPIOs
  • Master interrupts for efficient programming
  • Communicate with UART: sending and receiving data
  • Boost performance with Direct Memory Access (DMA)
  • Fine-tune your system with the clock tree
  • Schedule tasks with Timers
  • Convert analog signals: reading temperature with ADC
  • Control RGB LEDs with digital-to-analog converters (DACs)
  • Access the RTC module with the I2C protocol
  • Connect external Flash memory chips with the SPI protocol
  • Drive servos for precise motion control
  • Display graphics on OLED display module

• S40 - Zero to AI: Building a Deep Learning Framework from Scratch with XiaoXuan Lang, Volumn 1

  Hands-on deep learning theory and practice, without any third-party libraries

  2024-02-17
  • The myth and truth of AI, and some foundations you need to know
  • Implementing neural network layers: weights and biases
  • Building a handwritten number recognition program: training and testing
  • Implementing backpropagation
  • Improving learning efficiency: parameter update methods and parameter initialization
  • Improving recognition accuracy with convolution neural networks (CNNs): implementing convolutional and pooling layers
  • Adding network layers, towards deep learning

• S70 - Building Your Own Usable Programming Language: A Step-by-Step Guide

  Implement a programming language using XiaoXuan Lang: the lexer, parser, and interpreter

  2024-02-17
  • Programming language fundamentals: interpreters, VM, compilers, AOT and JIT
  • S-Expressions: designing a simple syntax
  • Implementing lexer: converting characters to language elements "tokens"
  • Implementing parser: converting tokens to structured "statements"
  • Evaluating expressions: understanding the "intent" of statements
  • Variables and context: enabling multiple statements to express complex "intents"
  • Statement blocks and variable scopes: organizing sentences to express more complex intents
  • Implementing control flow: conditional branches and loops, completing a "basic language"
  • Implementing functions: code structuring and reusability
  • Adding native functions: turn our language from "toy" to "tool"
  • Implementing anonymous functions (closures): enhancing language expressiveness
  • Adding syntax sugar: making our language more modern
  • Implementing "objects": handling complex data types
  • Implementing a minimal standard library: Lists, Maps, Sets, and file I/O

• S71 - Designing a Runtime Virtual Machine (VM) for Systems Programming

  The memory, stack and the concurrency model of XiaoXuan Core VM

  2023-06-13
  • Data types and thoughts on floating-pointer numbers
  • The triadic stack
  • Using indexes instead of pointer
  • The instruction set
  • Using structured blocks instead of jumps for control flow
  • Tail call optimization
  • Environment calls
  • System calls
  • Bridge functions and external calls
  • A Data-race-free parallel Model

• S80 - Zero to OS: Building Your Own Usable Operating System, Volumn 1: The User Space

  Build the user-space part of an OS for RISC-V platform from scratch in XiaoXuan Core

  2024-01-09
  • Set up a RISC-V virtual machine using QEMU
  • Write a minimal `init` program
  • Write a minimal `shell` program
  • Fundamentals of file system and processes, implementing the `pwd` and `ls` commands
  • Implement the `mount` and `umount` commands
  • Principals of `redirect`, implementing the `echo` and `cat` commands
  • Principal of `pipe`, implementing the `tee` and `tr` commands
  • Session and process groups
  • The `root` privileges, users and groups, and the `setuid` bit
  • Add support for shell scripts

• S81 - Zero to OS: Building Your Own Usable Operating System, Volumn 2: The Kernel

  Write a simple kernel in XiaoXuan Native for RISC-V platform

  2024-02-06
  • RISC-V QEMU boot process and basic input/ouput
  • Creating a bare-metal "Hello, World" program
  • CPU interrupts and task switching
  • Multi-level page tables
  • Creating a simple file system
  • Pipes: Inter-process communication
  • Creating a simple shell

• S82 - Building a Docker-like Container Utility from Scratch using XiaoXuan Core

  Linux namespaces, capabilities, seccomp and virtual networking

  2024-01-15
  • The principal of Linux container
  • Isolating the file system
  • Isolating the process space
  • Isolating the accounts
  • The virtual networking devices and route

• S83 - Building a KVM-based Virtual Machine Tool Using XiaoXuan Native

  Linux KVM, kernel, and virtual device I/O

  2024-02-01
  • Comparison of CPU virtualization, simulators, and containers.
  • Creating a minimal virtual machine using the KVM API
  • Creating a virtual serial port device
  • Creating a virtual block device
  • Building a minimal kernel and a simple userspace program
  • Guide to booting a Linux kernel

• S90 - Building Your Own Linux-Capable CPU: A Step-by-Step Guide

  Design a RISC-V CPU core using XiaoXuan Logic

  2024-01-15
  • Digital circuit fundamentals: combinational and sequential circuits
  • Building a Blinky circuit, and interacting with the visual simulator
  • Synthesizing and downloading to FPGA hardware (Optional)
  • Introduction to RISC-V Instruction Architecture
  • Instruction decoder
  • Register File and Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
  • Jump and branch instructions
  • Memory and load/store instructions
  • RISC-V calling convention ABI and implementing the functon calling
  • Memory mapping and implementing the UART peripheral
  • ROM and Building a simple program (firmware)
  • Synthesizing and downloading to FPGA hardware (Optional)
  • Interacting via USB-UART and terminal on computer

• S10 - Mastering Cross-Platform Development with QEMU

  Set up linux system and development environment in QEMU

  2024-02-17
  • Build a minimal Linux system
  • Build a base Linux system using Buildroot
  • Setting up a complete RISC-V Linux system, and developing with XiaoXuan Lang
  • Setting up remote editing and debugging by VSCode

• M01 - The XiaoXuan Programming Language Reference

  Syntax, fundamental, and the standard library

  2023-04-16
  • Data types and Literals
  • Variables
  • Functions
  • Collection
  • Control Flow
  • Error Handling
  • Method, Generic and Interface
  • Pattern
  • Chain
  • Modules, Packages and Properties
  • Annotations and IoC
  • Macro

• M02 - An introduction to the XiaoXuan Core Assembly

  The syntax, structure, and the VM instructions

  2023-09-10
  • Literals
  • Module Nodes
  • Instructions
  • Control Flow
  • Function Call
  • System Call
  • Environment Call
  • Packages and Modules

• M03 - An introduction to the XiaoXuan Core Intermediate Representation (IR)

  The syntax, structure and modules

  2023-10-12
  • Data Types and Literals
  • Functions
  • Control Flow
  • Struct and Array
  • Packages and Modules