Unit information: Language Engineering in 2015/16

Unit name	Language Engineering
Unit code	COMS22201
Credit points	20
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Dr. Steve Gregory
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	Programming and Algorithms I and II, COMS12200 Introduction to Computer Architecture
Co-requisites	none
School/department	Department of Computer Science
Faculty	Faculty of Engineering

Description including Unit Aims

The unit seeks to provide an introduction to the specification of programming languages and the design of compilers.

It aims to give an overview of the entire language engineering process, from the syntax and semantics of programs to compilation and run-time systems.

The use of tools will be favoured where appropriate, and theoretical topics will be introduced as needed to support this approach.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this unit, a student will be able to:

1. Understand denotational, axiomatic, operational styles of semantics
2. Formally prove the correctness of simple programs
3. Parse source programs and generate low-level code from them
4. Carry out analyses and optimization of programs
5. Use tools to generate parsers and verify programs
6. Write a complete but simple compiler

Teaching Information

2 lectures per week supported by a combination of laboratory and problem classes.

Assessment Information

50% Coursework - consisting of two assignments assessing both theoretical and practical elements of the unit content, and involving a combination of software development and report writing - and 50% Exam

Reading and References

H. Nielson and F. Nielson. "Semantics with applications: a formal introduction". A. Appel. "Modern compiler implementation in Java".