COMP2007: Programming Languages Assignment

Assignment

Introduction

In Programming Languages, we have been exploring the development of programming languages, examining their features, and analysing them through a framework of programming characteristics and criteria. This assignment continues that work, with a particular emphasis on tracing the influence of an older programming language on one or more modern languages. You will select a language from the 1990 - 2000 era, and investigate how its design decisions, paradigms, and features have shaped contemporary programming practice. Your analysis should be grounded in the same evaluative framework used throughout this unit, while also drawing clear connections between past and present.

Tasks 

Choice of Language & Historical Context You must choose a focus language that:

• Has had an influence on at least one modern programming language (modern programming languages). 
• In the 1990 
• 2000 era; and 
• Has not been the primary focus of any previous assignment in this unit. That is, it is NOT in the following list:
  • Fortran; 
  • ALGOL; 
  • Elixir; 
  • Lisp and Scheme; 
  • Prolog; 
  • Perl; 
  • Ruby; 
  • C++; 
  • Ada; 
  • Java; 
  • Bash; 
  • C; or 
  • Python.

In this section, you should:

• Justify your choice of language.
• Identify the problem domains it was designed to address.
• Outline the historical and technological context of its development.
• Identify competing languages from its era and explain how your chosen language differentiated itself.

Language Description

Provide a concise but thorough description of your chosen language, including: 

• Key features and paradigms (e.g., procedural, functional, object-oriented). 
• Type system and memory management approach. 
• Tooling available at the time (compilers, interpreters, debuggers). 
• Standard libraries and notable third-party extensions. 
• Example code that illustrates a distinctive feature of the language.

Language Analysis

Using the three criteria: readability, writability, and reliability, and the nine characteristics discussed in this unit: 

• Simplicity 
• Orthogonality 
• Data types 
• Syntax design 
• Support for abstraction 
• Expressivity 
• Type checking 
• Exception handling 
• Restricted aliasing …

analyse your chosen language in depth. For each characteristic:

• Provide a short code example that demonstrates whether the language is a strong or weak example of that characteristic. 
• Accompany each example with a brief justification.
• Where relevant, compare the feature to its equivalent in a modern language influenced by your chosen language. 2.4 Influence on Modern Languages This section should explicitly connect your chosen language to at least one modern language.
• Identify specific features, paradigms, or design philosophies that have been inherited or adapted.
• Discuss whether these features have been improved, simplified, or abandoned in modern contexts.
• Provide side-by-side code snippets to illustrate the evolution of a feature from the older language to the modern one.

Summary of Assessment Requirements

The assignment focuses on exploring the evolution of programming languages by selecting a language from the 1990–2000 era that influenced at least one modern programming language. The key objectives and pointers to cover include:

Step-by-Step Approach Guided by Academic Mentor

The Academic mentor guided the student through the assignment in a structured manner to ensure clarity, depth, and alignment with learning outcomes:

1. Language Selection & Contextual Research

   • Mentor advised on choosing a language with clear influence on modern languages and sufficient historical documentation.
   • Student conducted research to understand its development, target domains, and competing languages.
   • Mentor reviewed the justification for language choice and historical context to ensure relevance.

2. Language Description

   • Mentor instructed the student to summarize key paradigms, type system, tooling, and libraries.
   • Example code was selected to clearly demonstrate a unique language feature.
   • Feedback was provided to refine clarity and technical accuracy.

3. Language Analysis

   • Mentor guided the student to systematically assess each of the nine characteristics with relevant code examples.
   • Step-by-step comparisons with modern languages were suggested to highlight evolution of features.
   • Mentor ensured each evaluation was concise, evidence-based, and justified.

4. Mapping Influence on Modern Languages

   • Mentor recommended identifying explicit connections to modern languages, highlighting inherited or adapted paradigms.
   • Side-by-side code comparisons were created to illustrate feature evolution, ensuring clear visual representation of influence.

5. Review and Refinement

   • Mentor provided feedback on logical flow, technical accuracy, and readability.
   • Ensured all assessment requirements were met, including word limits, code formatting, and clear transitions between sections.

Outcome and Learning Objectives Covered

• Outcome Achieved:
  • Student produced a structured, clear, and comprehensive analysis of a 1990–2000 programming language.
  • Demonstrated both historical understanding and technical insight into its features, paradigms, and evolution.
  • Provided well-justified comparisons to modern languages, highlighting inherited features and design evolution.
• Learning Objectives Covered:
  1. Ability to evaluate programming languages using key criteria.
  2. Understanding the historical and technological context of language development.
  3. Demonstrating analytical and comparative skills with modern languages.
  4. Applying technical knowledge to practical coding examples.
  5. Communicating complex concepts clearly in written form, with structured argumentation.

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