CSC 8310   Linguistics of Programming Languages

Dr. David Matuszek,   dave@acm.org
Fall 1998, Villanova University

This is the home page for CSC 8310, Linguistics of Programming Languages, Villanova, Fall 1998. Please check this page frequently as the semester progresses.

Disruption in e-mail service
Because Lockheed Martin is moving my group from Frazer to King of Prussia, my e-mail service will be down from Thursday, December 10 through Monday, December 14. If the move goes well, e-mail service should be restored by Tuesday, December 15...but that may be optimistic.

If it is essential to reach me, I will be checking a shared e-mail account at nerp@netaxs.com at least once a day. In case of a real emergency, my home phone is 610-647-9789.


Installing Moscow ML: All the information you need is in the file install.w32.txt. (There is a similar file install.dos.txt if anyone is still using DOS.) Do what it says.

You are supposed to add C:\mosml\bin to the PATH variable (use a semicolon, ; , as the separator), and set MOSMLLIB to C:\mosml\lib (these names will be different if you didn't install Moscow ML in the recommended place). To add/change these variables, use the Start menu to go to Settings, then Control Panel, then System, and use the Environment tabbed page. As I understand it, this is the usual way to install programs on a PC.


Please don't send me .doc files; send .txt files instead. Thanks.
I have updated my "Notes on ML" page somewhat, but remember that it's intended as a very brief summary of ML. Your textbook gives a much better explanation of the language and its features.

The following schedule is tentative.

Date

Class topics

Assignments

August 31

Introduction, HTML, Java

Sethi, Chapter 1
Flanagan, Chapter 1; skim Chapter 2

September 7

Labor Day, no class

September 14

Java, O-O concepts, using Java book

Sethi, Chapter 7-7.3 (skim rest of chapter)
Flanagan, Chapter 3
"Hello, World" due

September 21

Java, syntax, BNF

Sethi, Chapter 2
Flanagan, skim chapters 4 and 5

September 28

Java, applets, HTML

Sethi, Chapter 3
Flanagan, Chapter 6

October 5

Java, events

Sethi, Chapter 4
Flanagan, Chapter 7
Java application due

October 12

Java, patterns

Sethi, Chapter 5, skim Chapter 6

October 19

Semester recess, no class

See above.

October 26

Midterm exam

Exam will be about half Java, half O-O and other programming language concepts

November 2

Prolog

Sethi, Chapter 11

November 9

Prolog

A Concise Introduction to Prolog
Java applet due

November 16

Scheme

Sethi, Chapter 10
Prolog assignment due

November 23

Scheme

Additional material will be provided

November 30

ML

Notes on ML
Sethi, Chapters 8 and 9

December 7

ML

Scheme assignment due

December 14

Overview and catch up

ML assignment due

December 21

Probable date for final exam

Everything; final exam will be comprehensive

Additional pages:


This page is http://www.netaxs.com/people/nerp/proglang/index.html
Last updated August 31, 1998.