Selected Papers on Computer Languages

✍ Scribed by Donald E. Knuth

• Publisher: CSLI Publications
• Year: 2002
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 608
• Series: Center for the Study of Language and Information - CSLI Lecture Notes 139
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

This volume, sixth in a series of collected works by world-renowned computer scientist Donald E. Knuth, assembles approximately two dozen of his pioneering contributions to the field of computer languages, including papers on ALGOL, SOL, Runcible, and FORTRAN. Papers on the early development of programming languages, the history of writing compilers, the characterization of parenthesis languages, and the semantics of context-free languages are also included.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents......Page 3
1 The Early Development of Programming Languages......Page 15
2 Backus Normal Form versus Backus Naur Form......Page 109
3 Teaching ALGOL 60......Page 113
4 ALGOL 60 Confidential......Page 117
5 SMALGOL-61......Page 129
6 Man or Boy?......Page 137
7 A Proposal for Input-Output Conventions in ALGOL 60......Page 141
8 The Remaining Trouble Spots in ALGOL 60......Page 169
9 SOL-A Symbolic Language for Systems Simulation......Page 189
10 A Formal Definition of SOL......Page 205
11 The Science of Programming Languages......Page 219
12 Programming Languages for Automata......Page 251
13 A Characterization of Parenthesis Languages......Page 277
14 Top-Down Syntax Analysis......Page 299
15 On the Translation of Languages from Left to Right......Page 341
16 Context-Free Multilanguages......Page 375
17 Semantics of Context-Free Languages......Page 391
18 Examples of Formal Semantics......Page 415
19 The Genesis of Attribute Grammars......Page 437
20 A History of Writing Compilers......Page 453
21 RUNCIBLE-Algebraic Translation on a Limited Computer......Page 471
22 Computer-Drawn Flowcharts......Page 485
23 Notes on Avoiding 'goto' Statements......Page 509
24 An Empirical Study of FORTRAN Programs......Page 521
25 Efficient Coroutine Generation of Constrained Gray Sequences......Page 559
Index......Page 589