The document discusses key concepts in programming languages including: - Reasons for studying programming language concepts such as choosing appropriate languages and learning new languages. - Factors that influence language design such as implementation methods and programming environments. - Syntax and semantics including formal methods for describing syntax and meanings of programs.

1. PREPARED BY ,
Asst.Prof.M.Gokilavani,
BIET
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2.  Preliminary Concepts: Reasons for Studying Concepts
of Programming Languages, Programming Domains
 Language Evaluation Criteria, Influences on Language
Design, Language Categories
 Language Design Trade-Offs, Implementation Methods,
Programming Environments.
 Syntax and Semantics: General Problem of Describing
Syntax and Semantics,
 Formal Methods of Describing Syntax
 Attribute Grammars, Describing the Meanings of Programs.
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3.  Why study PL concepts?
 Programming domains
 PL evaluation criteria
 What influences PL design?
 Tradeoffs faced by programming languages
 Implementation methods
 Programming environments
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4.  A programming language is a computer language programmers use to
develop software programs, scripts, or other sets of instructions for
computers to execute.
 Each of the different programming languages can be broken into one or
more of the following types (paradigms) of languages.
 A programming language is the tool for developing executable models for
a class of problem domains .
 A programming language also have words, symbols and rule of grammar .
 A grammar rules are called syntax.
 Each programming language has its qon syntax set of rules.
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5.  Increased capacity to express ideas
 Improved background for choosing appropriate
languages
 Increased ability to learn new languages
 Better understanding of the significance of
implementation
 Better use of languages that are already known
 Overall advancement of computing
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6.  People can easily express their ideas clearly in any
language only when they have clear understanding of
the natural language.
 Similarly, if programmers want to simulate the features
of languages in another language, they should have
some ideas regarding the concepts in other languages as
well.
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7.  Many programmers when given a choice of languages
for a new project, continue to use the language with
which they are most familiar, even if it is poorly suited
to the project.
 If these programmers were familiar with a wider range
of languages, they would be better able to choose the
language that includes the features that best address the
characteristics of the problem at hand.
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8.  In software development, continuous learning is
essential.
 The process of learning a new programming language
can be lengthy and difficult, especially for someone
who is comfortable with only two or more languages.
 Once a thorough understanding of the fundamental
concepts of languages is acquired, it becomes far easier
to see how these concepts are incorporated into the
design of the language being learned.
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9.  An understanding of implementation issues leads to an
understanding of why languages are designed the way
they are.
 This knowledge in turn leads to the ability to use a
language more intelligently, as it was designed to use.
 We can become better programmers be understanding
the choices among programming language constructs
and consequences of those choices.
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10.  By studying the concepts of programming languages,
programmers can learn about previously unknown and
unused parts of the languages they already use and
begin to use those features.
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11.  There is a global view of computing that can justify the
study of programming language concepts.
 For example, many people believe it would have been
better if ALGOL 60 had displaced Fortran in the early
1960s, because it was more elegant and had much better
 control statements than Fortran.
 That it did not is due partly to the programmers and
software development managers of that time, many of
whom did not clearly understand the conceptual design of
ALGOL 60.
 If those who choose languages were better informed,
perhaps, better languages would eventually squeeze out
poorer ones.
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12.  Clarity, simplicity and unity
 Orthogonality
 Naturalness of application
 Support of abstraction
 Ease of program verification
 Programming environments
 Portability of programs
 Cost of use
 Cos of execution
 Cost of program translation
 Cost of program creation, testing and use
 Cost of program maintains.
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13.  To improve the ability to develop effective algorithms.
 To improve use of familiar languages.
 To increase the vocabulary of useful programming
languages.
 To make it easier to learn a new language.
 To simulate useful feature in language that lack them.
 To make better use of programming technology
wherever it appears.
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14.  Scientific applications
 Business applications
 Artificial intelligence
 Systems programming
 Scripting languages
 Special purpose languages
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