On Interpreter-Oriented Definitions of Programming Languages | Zendy

Frank G. Pagan | Zendy

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On Interpreter-Oriented Definitions of Programming Languages

Author(s) -

Frank G. Pagan

Publication year - 1976

Publication title -

the computer journal

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 0.319

H-Index - 64

eISSN - 1460-2067

pISSN - 0010-4620

DOI - 10.1093/comjnl/19.2.151

Subject(s) - computer science , programming language , interpreter , executable , constructive , formal language , object language , formal semantics (linguistics) , low level programming language , language primitive , semantics (computer science) , high level programming language , programming paradigm , natural language processing , natural language , programming domain , process (computing) , inductive programming

The constructive approach to the formal definition of the semantics of programming languages has much in common with the notion that a language can be defined by an actual processor which compiles or interprets programs written in that language. The two approaches can be unified if the processor is written in a sufficiently powerful and expressive high-level language so that it closely models a formal definition for the processed language. The resulting processor has the conceptual clarity of the formal scheme as well as the advantages of being executable on a real computer. These points are illustrated by exhibiting a formal definition of a minilanguage using the Vienna Definition Language and an equivalent definition using ALGOL 68.

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