NDAA09032U Advanced Language Processing

Volume 2013/2014
Education
MSc Programme in Computer Science
Content
The course covers implementation of advanced programming language features and methods for automatic analysis and transformation of programs.

Topics include:
  • Memory management, including garbage collection.
  • Dataflow analysis.
  • Implementing function calls in scoped languages, including closures.
  • Implementing polymorphic types.
  • Implementing logic languages.
  • Various optimisation techniques.
  • Program transformation methods such as partial evaluation and supercompilation.
Learning Outcome

Knowledge: Methods for implementing various language paradigms and features and for optimising and transforming programs using these.

Skills: Reading and presenting scientific papers about the course topics.  Implementing simple instances of selected topics.

Competences: Understanding the impact language design choices have on implementation and transformation of programs.
Literature
See Absalon when the course is set up.
The student must be familiar with different programming language paradigms corresponding to the content of the course "Advanced Programming" and have a basic understanding of computer architecture and programming language implementation, including lexing, parsing and code generation.
Lectures and sessions with discussion and problem solving. Project work and seminar presentations.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Colloquia
  • 15
  • Exam
  • 1
  • Lectures
  • 18
  • Preparation
  • 127
  • Project work
  • 30
  • Theory exercises
  • 15
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination, 30 minutes
The final exam is an oral exam without preparation that covers the subjects of the lectures and mandatory exercises (including seminar presentations).
Exam registration requirements
In order to qualify for the exam the student must complete 3 mandatory exercises (which can be seminar presentations or small implementation projects). Students who fail a mandatory exercise will be given one chance to redo the exercise or make another.
Aid
Written aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Internal grading.
Re-exam
Same as ordinary exam.
Criteria for exam assesment

In order to receive the grade 12, the student should be able to demonstrate mastery of the knowledge, skills and competences described under the course goals.  In particular:

  • Explain how advanced language features such as higher-order functions, inheritance, polymorphism and backtracking are implemented.
  • Identify opportunities for optimisation and describe the required analyses and transformations to safely achieve these optimisations.
  • Define selected program transformations and sketch their implementation.
  • Implement instances of the above for simple languages.