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CIT332Sciences4 Unitsintermediate

Survey of Programming Languages

This course provides a survey of programming languages, exploring their evolution, concepts, and application domains. It covers fundamental syntactic and semantic concepts underlying modern programming languages such as C/C++, C#, Java, Python, LISP, PERL, ALGOL, and PROLOG. Students will learn about language description, evolution of programming language levels, and language comparison, enhancing their ability to choose appropriate languages for different tasks.

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156h
Study Time
13
Weeks
12h
Per Week
basic
Math Level
Course Keywords
Programming LanguagesSyntaxSemanticsEvolutionComparison

Course Overview

Everything you need to know about this course

Course Difficulty

Intermediate Level
Builds on foundational knowledge
65%
intermediate
➕
Math Level
Basic Math
📖
Learning Type
Theoretical Focus

Course Topics

Key areas covered in this course

1

Programming Language Concepts

2

Syntax Analysis

3

Semantic Analysis

4

Language Design

5

Implementation Methods

6

Language Evaluation

Total Topics6 topics

Requirements

Knowledge and skills recommended for success

Basic programming knowledge

Data structures and algorithms

💡 Don't have all requirements? Don't worry! Many students successfully complete this course with basic preparation and dedication.

Assessment Methods

How your progress will be evaluated (3 methods)

Assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Tutor-Marked Assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Final Examination

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Career Opportunities

Explore the career paths this course opens up for you

Software Developer

Apply your skills in this growing field

Systems Analyst

Apply your skills in this growing field

Compiler Designer

Apply your skills in this growing field

Programming Language Researcher

Apply your skills in this growing field

Software Engineer

Apply your skills in this growing field

Industry Applications

Real-world sectors where you can apply your knowledge

Software DevelopmentArtificial IntelligenceWeb DevelopmentSystems ProgrammingCompiler Design

Study Schedule Beta

A structured 13-week journey through the course content

Week
1

Module 1: Concept of Programming Languages

8h

Unit 1: History of Programming Languages

4 study hours
  • •Understand the history of programming languages
  • •Differentiate between different generations of programming languages
  • •Describe the characteristics of each generation

Unit 2: Reasons for Studying Concepts of Programming Language

4 study hours
  • •Identify reasons for studying programming language concepts
  • •Discuss the importance of expressing ideas and algorithms effectively
  • •Explain how studying language concepts improves language selection
Week
2

Module 1: Concept of Programming Languages

8h

Unit 3: Application Domains

4 study hours
  • •Explore different application domains of programming languages
  • •Identify languages suitable for scientific applications
  • •Discuss languages used in data processing and AI

Unit 4: Criteria for Language Evaluation

4 study hours
  • •Analyze criteria for language evaluation
  • •Discuss expressivity, well-definedness, and readability
  • •Evaluate the tradeoffs in language design
Week
3

Module 2: Influence of Language Design

8h

Unit 1: Computer Architecture

4 study hours
  • •Understand the influence of computer architecture on language design
  • •Explain the Von Neumann architecture
  • •Describe the Fetch-Decode-Execute cycle

Unit 2: Language Paradigms

4 study hours
  • •Discuss different language paradigms
  • •Compare imperative, functional, and object-oriented paradigms
  • •Explain the characteristics of each paradigm
Week
4

Module 2: Influence of Language Design

8h

Unit 3: Language Design Trade-offs

4 study hours
  • •Analyze language design trade-offs
  • •Discuss reliability, expandability, and programmability
  • •Evaluate the trade-offs in language design

Unit 4: Implementation Method

4 study hours
  • •Explore different implementation methods
  • •Compare compilation, interpretation, and hybrid approaches
  • •Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each method
Week
5

Module 3: Language Description

8h

Unit 1: Fundamental Syntactic Analysis Concept on Underlying Modern Programming Language

8 study hours
  • •Understand fundamental syntactic analysis concepts
  • •Explain language recognizers and generators
  • •Discuss parsing and parse trees
Week
6

Module 3: Language Description

8h

Unit 2: Fundamental Semantic Analysis Concept on Underlying Modern Programming Language

8 study hours
  • •Understand fundamental semantic analysis concepts
  • •Explain operational, denotational, and axiomatic semantics
  • •Discuss static and dynamic semantics
Week
7

Module 3: Language Description

8h

Unit 3: Formal Language and Grammars

8 study hours
  • •Understand formal languages and grammars
  • •Explain the syntax of grammars
  • •Discuss Noam Chomsky and John Backus
Week
8

Module 3: Language Description

8h

Unit 4: The Basic Elements of Programming Language

8 study hours
  • •Explore the basic elements of programming languages
  • •Discuss primitive data types and expressions
  • •Explain control structures and subroutines
Week
9

Module 4: Evolution of Programming Language Levels

8h

Unit 1: Brief History on Level of Programming Languages

8 study hours
  • •Understand the brief history of programming language levels
  • •Explain low-level, middle-level, and high-level languages
  • •Discuss the differences between low-level and high-level languages
Week
10

Module 4: Evolution of Programming Language Levels

4h

Unit 2: Evolution of Different Languages

4 study hours
  • •Explore C/C++ languages
  • •Discuss C/C++ program structure and features
  • •Understand the evolution of C/C++
Week
11

Module 4: Evolution of Programming Language Levels

4h

Unit 2: Evolution of Different Languages

4 study hours
  • •Explore C#, Java, Python, LISP, PERL, ALGOL, and PROLOG
  • •Discuss program structure and features of each language
  • •Understand the evolution of these languages
Week
12

Module 4: Evolution of Programming Language Levels

8h

Unit 3: Language Evaluation and Comparison

8 study hours
  • •Understand language evaluation and comparison
  • •Discuss criteria for a good programming language
  • •Compare and contrast different programming languages
Week
13

Module 4: Evolution of Programming Language Levels

8h

Unit 3: Language Evaluation and Comparison

8 study hours
  • •Review all course materials
  • •Work on assignments
  • •Prepare for final examination

This study schedule is in beta and may not be accurate. Please use it as a guide and consult the course outline for the most accurate information.

Course PDF Material

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Study Tips & Exam Preparation

Expert tips to help you succeed in this course

1

Review all tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)

2

Focus on understanding the core concepts of each programming paradigm

3

Practice writing code in different languages

4

Create concept maps linking syntax, semantics, and implementation

5

Study language evaluation criteria and compare different languages

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