Principles of Programming Languages: Design, Evaluation, and Implementation [Hardcover]

Bruce J. MacLennan (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195113063 | ISBN-13: 978-0195113068 | Publication Date: March 25, 1999 | Edition: 3

Completely revised and updated, the third edition of Principles of Programming Languages: Design, Evaluation, and Implementation teaches key design and implementation skills essential for language designers, compiler writers, and other computer scientists. It also covers descriptive tools and historical precedents so that students can understand design issues in their historical context. Ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in programming languages and comparative languages, this text uses a unique horizontal organization that analyzes individual languages in their entirety, facilitating discussion of the interrelationships between the parts of a language. It teaches design skills by emphasizing basic principles more than details, focuses on methods of implementation over specific techniques, and presents concepts inductively. In-depth case studies of representative languages from five generations of programming language design (Fortran, Algol-60, Pascal, Ada, LISP, Smalltalk, and Prolog) are used to illustrate larger themes.
This third edition adds discussions of the phenomenology of programming languages, the role of conceptual models in language design, language size and complexity, and system implementation languages (with an emphasis on C). It covers programming environments (as illustrated by the Interlisp system) and recent developments in object-oriented programming (including C++, Ada 95, CLOS, and Java), and expands the discussion of multiple inheritance. Historical information has been updated to reflect new developments in the industry and many new exercises have been added as well.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I love this book. The approach, contents (coverage), and presentation are just right!"--Ernest Paquet, Walsh University

"Very good book, nicely organized. Gives an excellent historical perspective on the development of PLs and the motivation for change." --Violetta Cavalli-Sforza, San Francisco State University

About the Author

Bruce J. MacLennan, Associate Professor of Computer Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 3 edition (March 25, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195113063
• ISBN-13: 978-0195113068
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #573,024 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Still an excellent treatment of the Principles behind programming languages., December 22, 2005

By 

Ira Carmel (Sacramento) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Principles of Programming Languages: Design, Evaluation, and Implementation (Hardcover)

Today I needed to recommend a book that would treat the ideas and concepts behind good programming. I remembered in college that I had taken a languages course, I looked on my bookshelf, and found this text. I started to re-read it, and found that the ideas and concepts that are covered in this book are still relevant and well treated for today's computing landscape. I only have the 2nd edition so it does not have a treatment of C or C++, but the ideas that it conveyes are still the most important aspect of learning about computer languages. A language you know does not help you with designing good code, however concepts of computer languages will help you no matter what language you code. Inside the cover flap reads a list of principles that are covered throughout the book in each section. Some of them are: Abstraction, Automation, Infomation hiding, Orthogonality, Portability, etc. I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to learn how to *design* quality software from the ground up. This book will not teach you a language, this book will teach you how to design good code.

3 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Very out of date., June 30, 2000

By 

Wendell - See all my reviews

This review is from: Principles of Programming Languages: Design, Evaluation, and Implementation (Hardcover)

This book reads like it was written in 1990 and the author never bothered to do any further research. It makes some good points, but it should not be a first choice for a survey of the state of the art with regard to functional, OO, and logic programming.