The World of Programming LanguagesThe earth, viewed through the window of an airplane, shows a regularity and reptition of features, for example, hills, valleys, rivers, lakes, and forests. Nevertheless, there is great local variation; Vermont does not look like Utah. Similarly, if we rise above the details of a few programming languages, we can discern features that are common to many languages. This is the programming language landscape; the main features include variables, types, control structures, and input/output. Again, there is local variation; Pascal does not look like Basic. This work is a broad and comprehensive discussion of the principal features of the major programming languages. A Study of Concepts The text surveys the landscape of programming languages and its features. Each chapter concentrates on a single language concept. A simple model of the feature, expressed as a mini-language, is presented. This allows us to study an issue in depth and relative isolation. Each chapter concludes with a discussion of the way in which the concept is incorporated into some well-known languages. This permits a reasonably complete coverage of language issues. |
Contents
Further Reading | 17 |
Elements of a Programming Language | 27 |
Names Locations and Values | 53 |
Control Structures | 73 |
Data Types | 109 |
Input and Output | 137 |
Procedures and Parameters | 161 |
Nesting and Scope | 187 |
Parallel Processing | 271 |
Separately Compiled Modules | 293 |
The Swamp of Complexity | 313 |
| 323 | |
| 326 | |
| 334 | |
| 341 | |
| 347 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
abstract data type abstraction activation record Algol 68 algorithm argument array assignment statement assignment-statement begin block boolean call statement Chapter characters Cobol compiler complexity component contains control structures coroutines corresponding D-structures data structures data type declaration DECODE defined digits end loop end record end select enumerated types equivalent error evaluation example exception condition exception handling execution exit expression floating point format Fortran global variables goto statement handler identifier implementation input and output input or output integer integer value invoked LINE_POSITION local variable loop statement Mini-language Procedures Mini-language Structures Mini-language Type Mini-language Typedef Modula-2 null object one-in one-out operand operations output statement parameter Pascal PL/I pointer printed problem programming language RECEIVE_CODES reference referenced scope select loop sequence of statements simple Simula 67 Smalltalk specified stack storage string subprogram subroutine symbol syntax task terminated type module variable-declaration