Concepts of Programming Languages, Global Edition

For courses in computer programming.

Evaluates the fundamentals of contemporary computer programming languages

Concepts of Computer Programming Languages introduces students to the fundamental concepts of computer programming languages and provides them with the tools necessary to evaluate contemporary and future languages. Through a critical analysis of design issues, the text teaches students the essential differences between computing with specific languages, while the in-depth discussion of programming language structures also prepares them to study compiler design. The 12th Edition includes new material on contemporary languages like Swift and Python, replacing discussions of outdated languages.

Features

• Introduces the fundamental constructs of contemporary programming languages.
• Critical evaluation of existing and future programming languages gives students the necessary tools for evaluating on their own.
• An in-depth discussion of programming language structures, presenting a formal method of describing syntax, and introducing approaches to lexical and syntax analysis prepare students for the study of compiler design.
• Coverage of advanced object-oriented topics and languages is integrated throughout.
• Provides a historical context for learning different programming languages.
• Historical boxes and interviews with James Gosling, Larry Wall, Alan Cooper, Bjarne Stroustrup, and others put the material in context.
• Valuable historical foundations that set out the origins, purposes, and contributions of the most important languages discussed in the rest of the text are introduced early on.
• In-depth discussions of the design issues faced by the early versions of relevant languages are presented in later chapters.

New to this edition

• Addresses the most up-to-date information in this field
• New material on Swift, a contemporary programming language, is now part of several chapters.
• Section on Delphi now included in Chapter 2.
• Section on optional types is included in Chapter 6.
• Content describing iterations in Python are part of Chapter 8.
• To ensure the material remains relevant to students, sections on outdated languages (specifically Lua and Objective-C) have been removed.
• Sections of Chapter 5 have been rewritten to improve and clarify the material.

About the Author

Robert Sebesta is an Associate Professor Emeritus in the Computer Science Department at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Professor Sebesta received a BS in Applied Mathematics from the University of Colorado in Boulder and MS and PhD degrees in Computer Science from Pennsylvania State University. He has taught computer science for more than 40 years. His professional interests are the design and evaluation of programming languages and Web programming.