Programming Languages

Programming Languages (PL) (10%) For Computer Science Students


   PL1. Overview of programming languages [core]
   PL2. Virtual machines [core]
   PL3. Introduction to language translation [core]
   PL4. Declarations and types [core]
   PL5. Abstraction mechanisms [core]
   

Recommended Books:

1.    Programming Languages by Pratt

2.    Principles of Object Oriented Analysis & Design by James Martin

A programming language is a programmer's principal interface with the computer. More than just knowing how to program in a single language, programmers need to understand the different styles of programming promoted by different languages. In their professional life, they will be working with many different languages and styles at once, and will encounter many different languages over the course of their careers. Understanding the variety of programming languages and the design tradeoffs between the different programming paradigms makes it much easier to master new languages quickly. Understanding the pragmatic aspects of programming languages also requires a basic knowledge of programming language translation and runtime features such as storage allocation.

PL1. Overview of programming languages [2%] [core]
Minimum core coverage time: 2 hours
Topics:

• History of programming languages
• Brief survey of programming paradigms
• Procedural languages
• Object-oriented languages
• Functional languages
• Declarative, non-algorithmic languages
• Scripting languages
• The effects of scale on programming methodology

Learning objectives:

1. Summarize the evolution of programming languages illustrating how this history has led to the paradigms available today.
2. Identify at least one distinguishing characteristic for each of the programming paradigms covered in this unit.
3. Evaluate the tradeoffs between the different paradigms, considering such issues as space efficiency, time efficiency (of both the computer and the programmer), safety, and power of expression.
4. Distinguish between programming-in-the-small and programming-in-the-large.

PL2. Virtual machines [1%] [core]

Minimum core coverage time: 1 hour
Topics:

• The concept of a virtual machine
• Hierarchy of virtual machines
• Intermediate languages
• Security issues arising from running code on an alien machine

Learning objectives:

1. Describe the importance and power of abstraction in the context of virtual machines.
2. Explain the benefits of intermediate languages in the compilation process.
3. Evaluate the tradeoffs in performance vs. portability.
4. Explain how executable programs can breach computer system security by accessing disk files and memory.

PL3. Introduction to language translation [2%] [core]

Minimum core coverage time: 2 hours
Topics:

• Comparison of interpreters and compilers
• Language translation phases (lexical analysis, parsing, code generation, optimization)
• Machine-dependent and machine-independent aspects of translation

Learning objectives:

1. Compare and contrast compiled and interpreted execution models, outlining the relative merits of each..
2. Describe the phases of program translation from source code to executable code and the files produced by these phases.
3. Explain the differences between machine-dependent and machine-independent translation and where these differences are evident in the translation process.

PL4. Declarations and types [3%] [core]

Minimum core coverage time: 3 hours
Topics:

• The conception of types as a set of values with together with a set of operations
• Declaration models (binding, visibility, scope, and lifetime)
• Overview of type-checking
• Garbage collection

Learning objectives:

1. Explain the value of declaration models, especially with respect to programming-in-the-large.
2. Identify and describe the properties of a variable such as its associated address, value, scope, persistence, and size.
3. Discuss type incompatibility.
4. Demonstrate different forms of binding, visibility, scoping, and lifetime management.
5. Defend the importance of types and type-checking in providing abstraction and safety.
6. Evaluate tradeoffs in lifetime management (reference counting vs. garbage collection).

PL5. Abstraction mechanisms [2%] [core]

Minimum core coverage time: 3 hours
Topics:

• Procedures, functions, and iterators as abstraction mechanisms
• Parameterization mechanisms (reference vs. value)
• Activation records and storage management
• Type parameters and parameterized types
• Modules in programming languages

 Learning objectives:

1. Explain how abstraction mechanisms support the creation of reusable software components.
2. Demonstrate the difference between call-by-value and call-by-reference parameter passing.
3. Defend the importance of abstractions, especially with respect to programming-in-the-large.
4. Describe how the computer system uses activation records to manage program modules and their data.