Programming Language Exploration

Appeared in Volume 9/2, May 1996

An informal MIT seminar comparing the linguistic aspects of Python, Self, Sather, Haskell, Lambda-Prolog, and Life is available on-line at:
http://www-white.media.mit.edu/~tpminka/PLE

The talk dealt with questions such as:

1. What are the basic mechanisms languages use to support different programming styles, e.g. object-orientation and declarative programming?

2. Are these styles conflicting or can they be mixed?

3. How can languages support reflection, i.e. extensions of the language using the language?

4. How can languages support all these demands while remaining simple?

Case studies and exercises are included.

For more details, contact:

Tom Minka or Martin Szummer
MIT Media Laboratory
Email: tpminka@mit.edu