CS 3120 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE CONCEPTS (4)				 2005
	
Catalog Description:

 Survey and critical comparison of a variety of computer
 languages. Issues include syntax, semantics, control
 structures, data representation. Discussion of both design
 and implementation; of both imperative and declarative
 languages. Prerequisite: CS 2360 and 2430. 
  
Topics:

  Language design goals: readability, reliability, efficiency, etc.

  Syntax:  ability to analyze grammars, write simple grammars
     derivations, parse trees, ambiguity
     syntax diagrams
     BNF, extended BNF, attribute grammars
     associativity and precedence

  Control structures
     comparison of selections and loop constructs among languages
     GOTO statement
  
  Type issues
     coercion and conversion
     dynamic vs. static
     type equivalence issues
     type inference (optional)

  Expression evaluation
     precedence, associativity
     type issues in evaluation
     short-circuit evaluation
     lazy evaluation (optional)

  Visibility rules
     static and dynamic scopes
     languages with nested subprograms

  Procedures and functions
     parameter passing:  types of
     implementation and activation records, etc.
     overloading
     generic subprograms (optional)

  ADT's and OOP
     Data abstraction, encapsulation, information hiding
     inheritance
     virtual methods and dynamic name binding

  Storage: allocation, deallocation, stacks, heaps

  Programming paradigms
    Imperative languages
    logic languages
    functional programming
    string processing languages

  Semantics: formal and natural semantics, optional topic

  Exception handling: optional topic

  Support for concurrency: optional topic

  Languages: choose examples for comparison from C, C++, Java, Lisp,
   Scheme, Ada, Prolog, APL, Perl and others.

  Texts:
	Sethi: Programming Languages, Concepts and Constructs
        Sebesta:  Programming Language Concepts
	Pratt & Selkowitz, Programming Languages