Definitions


abstract type
An abstract data type ---
abstraction
An abstraction is the
actual parameter
aliasing
Aliasing occurs whenever a given object becomes accessible through more than one name.
actual parameter
argument
assembly language
assertion
backtrack
binding
Binding is an association between two objects.
block
class
clause
coertion
composite type
A composite type is a type whose values are compose of simpler values.
computation
A computation is the application of a sequence of operations to a set of values to yield a value.
computational model
A computational model is a collection of values and operations.
concurrent programming
Concurrent programming is characterized by programming with more than one process.
context
context-sensitive
A syntactic element is context-sensitive if its value depends on the context in which it appears.
coroutine
deadlock
domain
environment
exception
formal parameter
functional programming
Functional programming is characterized by programming with values, functions and functional forms.
generator
imperative programming
Imperative programming is characterized by programming sequential modifications to a state.
inheritance
instance
iterator
lexical analyzer
a scanner
live-lock
liveness
logic programming
Logic programming is characterized by programming with relations and deduction.
machine language
1's and 0's.
method
module
object
object-oriented programming
Object-oriented programming is characterized by programming with objects, messages, and hierarchies of objects.
overloading
parameter
partition
polymorphism
pragmatics
The pragmatics of a programming language describe the degree of success with which a programming language meets its goals both in its faithfulness to the underlying model of computation and in its utility for human programmers.
primitive type
A primitive type is a type whose values cannot be decomposed. The values are atomic.
process
program
A program is a specification of a computation.
programming language
A programming language is a notation for writing programs.
recursive type
A recursive type is a type whose values may be composed of other values of the same type.
safety
scanner
A scanner is a program which groups characters in an input stream into a sequence of tokens.
scope
semantics
The semantics of a programming language describe the relationship between the syntactical elements and the model of computation.
semantic algebra
A semantic algebra is set of values and operations defined on those values. A semantic algebra is distinguished from a type in that semantic algebras are the objects denoted in denotational semantics while types are the syntactic objects
semantic domain
A semantic domain is a set of values.
side effect
A side effect is a modification of a non-local environment.
starvation
state
static semantics
The static semantics is the description of the structural constraints (context-sensitive aspects) that cannot be adequately described by context-free grammars.
symbol table
syntax
The syntax of a programming language describes the structure of programs.
type
A type is a set of values and a set of operations (see semantic algebra).
value
A value is any thing that may be evaluated, stored, incorporated in a data structure, passed as an argument to a procedure or function, returned as a function result, and so on.
variable
virtual machine

Author: A. Aaby