What This Document Is
This is a comprehensive course outline for CS 3820: Programming Languages, offered at William Paterson University. It serves as a roadmap for the entire semester, detailing the core concepts, learning objectives, and assessment connections within the field of programming language theory and design. It’s designed to give students a strong foundation in understanding *how* and *why* programming languages are constructed, rather than focusing solely on learning to use a specific language.
Why This Document Matters
This outline is essential for any student enrolled in, or considering enrollment in, CS 3820. It’s particularly valuable at the beginning of the course to understand the scope of material covered and how it builds throughout the semester. Students can use this outline to prioritize study efforts, anticipate challenging topics, and connect course content to broader computer science principles. It’s also helpful for understanding how coursework aligns with university-wide learning outcomes, such as critical thinking and effective communication.
Common Limitations or Challenges
This document is a high-level overview. It does *not* contain the detailed explanations, code examples, or specific assignments that form the core of the course. It won’t provide solutions to problems or walk through specific implementation details. Think of it as a blueprint – it shows *what* will be built, but not *how* each component is assembled. Access to the full course materials is required for in-depth learning and successful completion of the course.
What This Document Provides
* A clear articulation of the course description and prerequisites.
* A list of specific, measurable course objectives outlining what students will be able to *do* upon completion.
* Connections between course content and broader university learning outcomes.
* A categorized breakdown of key topics, including history, data representation, sequence control, and runtime storage.
* An overview of areas like lexical analysis, parsing, semantics, and different programming paradigms (procedural, functional, object-oriented, and logical).
* Identification of core concepts related to language implementation, such as interpreters and compilers.