Introduction

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Course Objectives

To learn how new languages deal with problems that your current language handles poorly
- Concurrency
- Web programming
- Adapting to domain vocabulary
To increase your capacity to express ideas using a programming language
To learn how to learn a new language quickly
Why should you care?
- C++/Java will be the next Cobol in the first half of your career
- You will be using different languages...
- ...and none of us knows today what they are

English-like syntax “can be read by managers”

ACCEPT Num1.
ACCEPT Num2.
MULTIPLY Num1 BY Num2 GIVING Result.
DISPLAY "Result is = ", Result.

Bjarne Stroustrup, AT&T Bell Labs, 1983
C with Classes
Brought object-oriented programming into the mainstream
Complex feature set: operator overloading, templates, multiple inheritance, virtual base classes, copy constructors/destructors
New version in progress (C++ 0x), with better support for libraries and multithreading
Limited libraries for UI, database, networking
“C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot. C++ makes it harder, but when you do, it blows away your whole leg.” — Bjarne Stroustrup

Check out dzone.com (an aggregator of blogs for software engineers)
In any given week, lots of programming languages are discussed
- Ruby, Groovy
- Python, PHP, Perl
- C#
- JavaScript
- JavaFX, Flex
- Scala
- Newspeak
- Clojure
- Fortress, X10
Some are optimized for different tasks (UI, parallel programming, scripting, ...)
Some aim to be your next general purpose language

Concurrency
- End of Moore's law
- Concurrency is the new normal
- Difficult and error-prone to program with traditional "lock" model
Agility
- Java programs are easy to read but also very repetitive
- Hard to write quickly, hard to make changes
- Ruby on Rails: Agile web framework
Domain-Specific Languages
- “Little languages” are everywhere: JavaScript, ActionScript, Lua, bash, PHP
- Multi-language projects are complex
- Express domain-specific vocabulary in “scalable” host language

Similar to “Seven Languages in Seven Weeks” (don't have to buy)
More emphasis on applications and mechanisms, less on basic syntax
Mixed lecture/lab
Weekly homework, two projects
One midterm, one final
Prerequisites
- Good programming skills
- A course in programming languages
- Some familiarity with functional programming (e.g. from OCamL, Scala, or Lisp)
Grading scheme:
- Midterm: 15%, Final: 25%
- Homework: 30%
- Projects: 20%
- Participation and presentations: 10%
Note time change: Monday 13:20-15:00 @207B1, Friday 10:00-11:35 @203B9

Format of modules: Short lecture, lab, review
No lab today
You will work with a buddy
You need to bring a laptop (Windows, Linux, or Mac OS)
One of you (the coder) codes, the other (the scribe) types up answers
Switch roles each lab
The scribe submits lab work to the Sakai site
Don't worry about the English in the reports. Mostly code and a bit of English is fine.