Schedule for CSC 254, Fall 2009 (Tentative)

The following is my best guess as to the schedule for this fall.
I will do my best to keep it up to date if and when things change.
I encourage you to check back here on a regular basis. 

PLP refers to the textbook.  CD refers to the accompanying compact disc.
icons link to review questions, which should be completed before coming to class.
They are adapted from the “Check Your Understanding” questions that appear every 10 pages or so in the text.

Click on the unit name to see my lecture notes.

Unit Topics Reading and Review Other Assignments (handed
out or [where indicated] due)




Introduction
     Tues. Sept. 1 Introduction PLP 1.0–1.5 T0: administration (see Blackboard);
A0: Unix tools
     Thur. Sept. 3 Structure of a compiler PLP 1.6–1.7   T0 due;
A1: comparing languages




Syntax
     Tues. Sept. 8 Review of scanning and BNF (DFA construction) PLP 2.0–2.2; CD 2.4.0–2.4.1   T1 due
     Thur. Sept. 10 Top-down and bottom-up parsing, error recovery PLP 2.3.0–2.3.1; CD 2.3.4 (pp. 1–6)  
     Tues. Sept. 15 Table-driven LL(1) parsing PLP 2.3.2; CD 2.3.4 (pp. 10–12) (for A2)   A1 due last night;
A2: LL(1) parsing and error recovery




Functional programming
     Thur. Sept. 17 Intro to Scheme PLP 10.0–10.3   T2 due
     Tues. Sept. 22 Evaluation order, higher-order functions PLP 10.4–10.8  




Semantics
     Thur. Sept. 24 Attribute grammars, action routines PLP 4.0–4.5  
     Tues. Sept. 29 Decorating a syntax tree PLP 4.6–4.7, 14.0–14.3   A2 due last night;
A3: interpretation (in Scheme)




Names
     Thur. Oct. 1 Binding time, scope rules PLP 3.0–3.4   T3 due
     (Mon. Oct. 5 Fall Break)
     Tues. Oct. 6 Binding rules, separate compilation PLP 3.5–3.9; CD 3.8  




Scripting languages
     Thur. Oct. 8 Overview, Perl PLP 13.0–13.1, 13.2.4 (Perl), 13.4.2, 13.4.3  
     Tues. Oct. 13 Web scripting PLP 13.3   A3 due last night




     Thur. Oct. 15 Midterm Exam A4: cross-indexer




Control flow
     Tues. Oct. 20 Expressions, sequencing, and selection PLP 6.0–6.4   T4 due
     Thur. Oct. 22 Iteration and recursion PLP 6.5–6.8  




Concurrency
     Tues. Oct. 27 Threads
Guest lecture (Prof. Scott out of town)
PLP 12.0–12.2.3, 8.6, 12.2.4  
     Thur. Oct. 29 Synchronization PLP 12.3  
     Tues. Nov. 3 Language mechanisms
DON'T FORGET TO VOTE
PLP 12.4–12.6  




Types
     Thur. Nov. 5 Type systems, type checking PLP 7.0–7.2   A4 due last night;
A5: concurrency (in Java)
     Tues. Nov. 10 Records and arrays PLP 7.3–7.4   T5 due
     Thur. Nov. 12 Pointers, references, and dynamic storage management PLP 7.7–7.11  




Subroutines
     Tues. Nov. 17 Stack management PLP 8.0–8.2  
     Thur. Nov. 19 Parameter passing, closures PLP 8.3  
     Tues. Nov. 24 exceptions, events PLP 8.5.3, 8.7   A5 due noon Wed.




    (Thur. Nov. 26 Thanksgiving)




     Tues. Dec. 1 Polymorphism
Guest lecture (Prof. Scott out of town)
PLP 3.5.3 (review), 8.4, 9.4.4; CD 7.2.4, 8.4.4   A6: templates
     Thur. Dec. 3 Virtual machines PLP 15.0–15.2.1  
Objects
     Tues. Dec. 8 Review and implementation
PLEASE be sure to fill out your
on-line course evaluation.
 
PLP Chapter 9 (skim all of it; read 9.4 carefully)  
     Thur. Dec. 10 Smalltalk; scripting objects CD 9.6.1; PLP 13.4.4  




     Thur. Dec. 17 Final exam, 7:15–10:15pm


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Last Change: 18 November 2009 / Michael Scott's email address