Programming Languages

Virtual machines

• The concept of a virtual machine
• Hierarchy of virtual machines
• Intermediate languages

Formal Definitions

Theory

Language Classifications

• Procedural
• Functional languages
  • Applicative
  • Single Assignment
• Object-oriented languages
• Logic
  • Declarative
  • Constraint logic languages
• Imperative
• Event-Driven
• Data flow languages
• Concurrent Languages
• Very high level languages (aka Fourth Generation Languages)
• Query Languages
• Assembly Languages
• Design languages
• Extensible languages
• Microprogramming languages
• Multiparadigm languages
• Nondeterministic languages
• Specialized application languages
• Intermediate Languages
• Metalanguage
• Markup languages
• Scripting languages
• Modeling, specification languages (synonyms)

Language Constructs and Features

• Pointer to Programming Fundamentals

Language Translation and Execution

• Interpreters
• Compilers
• Debuggers
• Language translation phases
  • lexical analysis
  • parsing
  • code generation
  • optimization
• Computer architecture-specific translation requirements
  • Addressing modes
  • Instruction set
  • Instruction format
  • paralellism
• Computer architecture-independent translation elements
  • Regular expressions in lexical scanners
  • Parsing (concrete and abstract syntax, abstract syntax trees)
  • Context-free grammars in table-driven and recursive-descent parsing
  • Symbol table management
  • Code generation by tree walking
  • Optimization techniques
• Tools for the translation process
  • lexer (lexical analysis tool)
  • parser
• Separate (modular) compilation
  • Program libraries
  • Linking
• Retargetable compilers
• Translator writing systems compiler generators
• Run time environments

PL design and implementation

• Language design
  • General principles of language design
  • Design goals
  • Constraints
  • Programming language syntax
• Language features: implementation issues
  • Typing regimes
  • Data structure models
  • Name scopes
  • Declarations
    • binding
    • visibility
    • scope
    • lifetime
  • Instruction and control flow
  • Fuctions, procedures, and subroutines
    • Parameters
    • Run time memory management
      • Static and dynamic storage management
      • Activation records
      • Garbage collection
      • Stack
      • Heap
  • Coroutines
  • Data abstraction and object orientation
  • Input output
  • Exception handling
  • Concurrent programming structures
    • Threads
  • Modules packages
• Frameworks

Programming language semantics

• Informal semantics
• Formal semantics
  • Denotational semantics
  • Axiomatic semantics
  • Operational semantics