| Class meeting | 8:00-9:30 M-F Austin 203 |
| Instructor | Karl Abrahamson |
| Office | Austin 233 |
| Office hours | M-Th 9:40-10:40 |
| Phone | 328-1879 |
| karl@cs.ecu.edu | |
| Course web page | www.cs.ecu.edu/~karl/3675/sum02/ |
| My web page | www.cs.ecu.edu/~karl/ |
| Text | Concepts of Programming Languages: A Unified Approach (June 2002) by Karl Abrahamson |
You should have had a course in data structures and be familiar with one procedural programming language, such as C, C++ or Pascal. You should be a proficient computer programmer.
Programming languages are the notation in which programmers express their creations. It is said that natural language influences how people think. Whether or not that is true, it is certainly the case that programming languages strongly influence how programmers think.
This course explores different kinds of programming languages: their philosophies, components, structure, advantages and disadvantages. It also covers related issues, such as type checking and specification of syntax and semantics of languages. The student should come away with an appreciation for different forms of programming languages, as well as an ability to use different programming styles (regardless of the language used) when the need arises and to learn new languages that follow particular paradigms.
Grading will be on the basis of approximately eight programming assignments and possibly some homework exercises (40%), five quizzes (35%, counting only the four best quizzes) and a final exam (25%).
Cutoffs for grades will tentatively by 90% for an A, 80% for a B, 70% for a C and 60% for a D. Those cutoffs will not be raised.
The summer session goes by very quickly. In five weeks, we will cover what is covered in fifteen weeks during the fall or spring sessions. There are no breaks, and you will have to work hard. You should count on working more than three times as hard as during the regular term, because it takes more work to learn material faster. Here are some tips on how to do well in the summer session.
Attend class. Arrive on time.
Do not allow yourself to fall behind. Work on the homework early. Do not wait until just before the deadline.
Schedule time to work outside class.
Read the notes and the book twice. Take a break in between. You will learn much more this way.
If you are having trouble, seek help soon. Do not wait until it is too late.
I will not take attendance. It is up to you to attend class. You are responsible for announcements and assignments given in class. If you miss a class, it is up to you to obtain notes and any other information that was provided in the class. Excuses that you did not know about something because you did not come to class and did not obtain the information will not count for anything at all.
Those who choose not to attend class can count on doing poorly in this course. If you choose not to attend class, then you must live with the consequences of that decision, however bad they are.
No incompletes will be issued in this course except for extraordinary circumstances, and even then only if you are nearly done already, and have done work of acceptable quality so that it is realistic that you can pass the course.
In the event of a weather emergency, information about ECU can be accessed through the following sources:
| ECU emergency notices | http://www.ecu.edu/alert |
|---|---|
| ECU emergency information hotline | 252-328-0062 |
East Carolina University seeks to comply fully with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Students requesting accommodations based on a covered disability must go to the Department for Disability Support Services, located in Brewster A-114, to verify the disability before any accommodations can occur. The telephone number is 252-328-6799.