General Class Information Class Handouts Scores Assignments Reference Materials Miscellaneous

CSc 372 Comparative Programming Languages Spring 2017 Lester I. McCann, Ph.D.

The University of Arizona College of Science Department of Computer Science McCann's Home Page

General Class Information

• Class syllabus (general course information)
• Class Discussions and Announcements (<---- Click here!) We're using Piazza for class discussions this semester.
• Some thoughts about exams:
  • Characteristics of Good Exam Answers (suggestions on how to reply to short-answer exam questions)
  • Suggestions for Studying For and Taking Exams (what to do before and during an exam)
• Program Documentation and Development:
  • Programming Style Requirements (summary)
  • Toward Developing Good Programming Style (many documents here)
• A brief tutorial on using the turnin utility.

Class Handouts       (In case you lost your copy, or missed class)

• Syllabus Summary (2017-01-11)
• Programming Style Requirements (summary; 2017-01-11)
• The Great CACM GOTO Argument (2017-05-03) (on-line only)

Final Course Grades       (Updated after each exam has been graded)

• Final Grades (Updated: 2017-05-08 2:55pm)

Assignments

• Homeworks:
  • Homework #1 Due: 01/20
  • Homework #2 Due: 02/17
  • Homework #3 Due: 03/31

• Programs:
  • Program #1: Ruby Due: 02/10
  • Program #2: Haskell Due: 03/10
  • Program #3: Prolog Due: 04/21

• Project:
  • Project: Learn a New (to You) Language Due: 04/12 (Part 1) and 05/03 (Part 2)
    • Use this form to provide your team info and language choice: Part 1 Data Form

Reference Materials       (Pointers to additional information)

• The text for this semester is Programming Languages -- Principles and Practice, 3rd ed., by Louden and Lambert. (ISBN-13: 9781111529413)
  • This book has been out for several years; used copies should be readily available.
  • This book can be purchased in print or eBook formats, or rented, or even purchased chapter-by-chapter; use the link above.
  • Think you found an error in the text? Check the errata list to see if it's already known to the authors.

• Free, legal, on-line resources for the languages used in this class:
  • Ruby:
    • The Ruby Web Site -- Downloads, documentation, etc. Specifically:
      • Ruby Documentation
    • Programming Ruby: The Pragmatic Programmer's Guide (1e) -- This is the now-free 1st edition. Later editions can be purchased.
    • Learn Ruby the Hard Way (3e) -- This is the free on-line version; downloadable and paper versions are available.
    • Ruby User's Guide -- Appears to be current as of Ruby 2.1.
    • Humble Little Ruby Book -- Older; covers Ruby 1.8.
  • Haskell:
    • Haskell.org -- The Haskell home page; has downloads, docs, etc.
    • Hoogle -- A Haskell API search engine, useful for finding the library you need to get to use a particular function.
    • Understanding Basic Haskell Error Messages -- A 21-page document with examples that demonstrate the causes of a variety of common GHC error messages.
    • Learn You a Haskell for Great Good! -- Available in print or for free online.
    • Real World Haskell -- Ditto!
    • Speeding Through Haskell -- An incomplete work, but covers the basics of the language.
    • A Gentle Introduction to Haskell (Version 98) -- From 2000, but the language basics are the same.
    • Try Haskell -- Online interactive tutorial.
    • Yet Another Haskell Tutorial -- The title says it all. Nice feature: Includes exercises with solutions at the end.
  • Prolog: (Thanks to Patrick Hickey for suggesting most of these!)
    • SWI Prolog Home Page -- Handy "Search Documentation" box at the top.
    • Try Logic Programming! A Gentle Introduction to Prolog -- A very basic introduction
    • Introduction to Prolog -- Tutorial with Prolog basics (through Lists)
    • Learn Prolog Now! -- Another intermediate-level introduction
    • prolog :- tutorial -- An extensive overview of Prolog (goes far beyond what we'll cover)
    • Quick-'n'-Dirty Prolog Tutorial -- The original 2004 version of my CSc 245 Prolog tutorial, found on a U. of Texas CS class web site

• Sample Programs:
  • Ruby:
    • f2c2k1.rb -- basic math
    • leapyear1.rb -- if/else
    • leapyear2.rb -- case
    • averages.rb -- file, array, hash
    • formati.rb, formati2.rb -- top-level methods
    • methodid.rb -- method metadata
    • fraction.rb -- class definition
    • account.rb and savings.rb -- inheritance
  • Haskell:
    • pythag1.hs -- function def w/ type inference
    • pythag2.hs -- 'normal' function def
    • guards.hs -- two examples of guards for selection
    • fact.hs -- recursion, debugging
    • mySize.hs -- recursion, pattern-matching, list comprehension, wildcard, and multiple bindings
  • Prolog:
    • hello*.pl -- Versions of 'Hello, World!': hello1.pl, hello2.pl, hello3.pl.
    • multOfFive*.pl -- Attempts at multiples of 5: multOfFive1.pl, multOfFive2.pl, multOfFive3.pl, multOfFive4.hs.
    • fib*.pl -- Two working versions of Fibonacci: fib1.pl, fib2.pl.
    • listlength*.pl -- Two length-of-list versions: listlength1.pl, listlength2.pl.
    • lastoflist*.pl -- Two last-item-of-list versions: lastoflist1.pl, lastoflist2.pl.
    • cut*.pl -- Four cut-oriented example: cut1.pl, cut2.pl, cut3.pl, cut4.pl.
    • mymember.pl -- Why doesn't member use a cut: mymember.pl.
    • findall.pl -- Simple example of the findall predicate: findall.pl.

• Quite a while ago, I created a resource page for LaTeX for those of you who would like to use it for formatting your answers to homework assignments.
• Curious about what does and does not count as 'academic dishonesty'? My Academic Dishonesty Quiz should be an eye-opener!

Miscellaneous       (A place for stuff that doesn't really fit anywhere else)

• CS2013 (Computer Science Curricula 2013) includes a section on Programming Languages (direct link) and several course exemplars (starting here). As you can see for yourself, there are many different ways that a programming languages course can be taught.
• Collection of Common CS Service Links (reset your password, for example)

Lecture Notes

• Completed Lecture Slides. I will be posting my annotated-in-class lecture slides soon after the end of each class.
  
  
  • Click here to access the completed lecture slides.

(Looking for guided notes? Sorry, none are available for this class.)

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If you have any comments about this page, drop me a note at mccannl@acm.org