What else will be covered in this course?

• History of programming languages
• Different Language Paradigms
• Implementation and Run Time Environment

Syntax vs Semantics

•  Syntax of a programming language is the form of its expression, statements and program units.
  • This is usually described by a CF grammar
  • Lexical analysis - usually described by RE
• Semantics of a programming language is the meaning of the expressions, statements and program units.
• Phases of Compilation

Names and Attributes

• Names (identifiers)  are a fundamental abstraction in a programming language.
• Attributes are properties associated with a name.
• Binding is the association of a name and an attribute
  • Binding time when this association takes place
    • tension between speed and flexibility.
  • Static vs Dynamic properties

Some terms and issues we will cover during the semester :

• Variables
  • corresponds to a memory region that holds values which are manipulated by the program
  • referred to by name
  • how variables are name is specified by the lexical (syntactic) rules
  • important semantic issues relate to attributes of a variable
    • scope
    • type
    • lifetime
  • Reference model vs  value model 
• Expressions
  • order of operations
  • kinds of values can the expression return
• Overloading vs Overriding 
  • methods vs functions
• Program organization