1. Ten Mini-Languages: A Study of Topical Issues in Programming Languages.
- Author
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Ledgard, Henry F.
- Subjects
- *
COMPUTER input design , *PROGRAMMING language semantics , *SYNTAX in programming languages , *COMPILERS (Computer programs) , *DATA structures , *COMPUTER science - Abstract
The proliferation of programming languages has raised many issues of language design, definition, and implementation. This paper presents a series of ten mini-languages, each of which exposes salient features found in existing programming languages. The value of the mini-languages lies in their brevity of description and the isolation of important linguistic features: in particular, the notions of assignment, transfer of control, functions, parameter passing, type checking, data structures, string manipulation, and input/output. The mini-languages may serve a variety of uses: notably, as a pedagogical tool for teaching programming languages, as a subject of study for the design of programming languages, and as a set of test cases for methods of language implementation or formal definition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1971
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