Selected Papers on Computer Languages [Paperback]

This volume, sixth in a series of collected works by world-renowned computer scientist Donald E. Knuth, assembles approximately two dozen of his pioneering contributions to the field of computer languages, including papers on ALGOL, SOL, Runcible, and FORTRAN. Papers on the early development of programming languages, the history of writing compilers, the characterization of parenthesis languages, and the semantics of context-free languages are also included.

1. The Early Development of Programming Languages
2. Backus Normal Form versus Backus Naur Form
3. Teaching ALGOL 60
4. ALGOL 60 Confidential
5. SMALGOL-61
6. Man or Boy?
7. A Proposal for Input-Output Conventions in ALGOL 60
8. The Remaining Trouble Spots in ALGOL 60
9. SOL – A Symbolic Language for Systems Simulation
10. A Formal Definition of SOL
11. The Science of Programming Languages
12. Programming Languages for Automata
13. A Characterization of Parenthesis Languages
14. Top-Down Syntax Analysis
15. On the Translation of Languages from Left to Right
16. Context-Free Multilanguages
17. Semantics of Context-Free Languages
18. Examples of Formal Semantics
19. The Genesis of Attribute Grammars
20. A History of Writing Compilers
21. RUNCIBLE – Algebraic Translation on a Limited Computer
22. Computer-Drawn Flowcharts
23. Notes on Avoiding ‘go to’ Statements
24. An Empirical Study of FORTRAN Programs
25. Efficient Coroutine Generation of Constrained Gray Sequences
Index