BSc Computer Science / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

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Course unit details:
Programming Languages & Paradigms

Course unit fact file
Unit code	COMP26020
Credit rating	20
Unit level	Level 2
Teaching period(s)	Full year
Available as a free choice unit?	No

Overview

There is a variety of programming languages designed with different features aiming to address different types of problems. The unit is an advanced course for students who have already mastered one programming language. It is trying to consider the broad spectrum of different programming paradigms and how these can be used and translated.

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title	Unit code	Requirement type	Description
Introduction to Programming 1	COMP16321	Pre-Requisite	Compulsory
Introduction to Programming 2	COMP16412	Pre-Requisite	Compulsory

COMP16321 and COMP16412 are pre-requisites for COMP26020

Aims

To provide advanced coverage of the main programming paradigms used in computing, how they differ, how they can be used and translated.

Learning outcomes

Design, implement, modify, test, debug and evaluate programs in C, C++, Solidity and Haskell

Compare and contrast the appropriateness of various programming languages and paradigms with respect to real-world problems

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of functional programming with respect to imperative programming

Describe the principles, outline the problems, and discuss methods and techniques applied to the compilation process

Explain the role of each of the basic components of a standard compiler

Write C/C++ code conforming to best practice

Explain the impact of concurrency or blockchain on programming

Identify the impact of modern trends in programming languages

Syllabus

The course unit will be structured according according to 4 complementary parts:

Part I: Overview and the imperative programming paradigm: C, C++

Overview of the main programming paradigms: imperative vs declarative, structured, object-oriented, concurrent, functional

Structured imperative programming in C

Syntax, type system, control flow, build/debugging tools

Dynamic memory allocation, pointers

Introduction to Object Oriented programming in C++

Polymorphism and Inheritance

C/C++ use cases

high performance computing, systems/kernel programming

Memory (un)safety in C/C++ programs, memory errors: vulnerabilities, attacks, defenses

Part II: Functional programming: Haskell

Basic concepts of functional programming: datatypes and recursive functions

Haskell basics

List comprehension, Case study: sorting algorithms

Trees, Case study: binary search trees, red-black trees

Using higher-order functions: lambda, map, fold

Monads

Type classes

Lazy Evaluation

Case study: Parser combinators

Part III: Compilation of Programming Languages

Introduction: What is a compiler, high-level view of compilation, a general structure of a compiler.

The Front-End: Lexical analysis, syntax analysis, semantic analysis

The Middle-End: Intermediate representation, code optimisation

The Back-End: Code generation

Part IV: Advanced Topics

Introduction to Solidity

Concurrent Execution

Blockchains and Smart Contracts

Contemporary Trends in Languages

Teaching and learning methods

Lectures: 44 in total, 2 x 1 hour per week

Laboratories: 2-hour sessions every fortnight (10 hours per Semester, 20 hours in total)

Feedback: Formative feedback based on assessment of solutions to small problems. Feedback is also provided by teaching assistants in the laboratory.

Assessment: one 2-hour exam at the end of the module.

Knowledge and understanding

Practical skills

Analytical skills

Innovation/creativity

Problem solving

Assessment methods

Method	Weight
Written exam	70%
Written assignment (inc essay)	30%

Feedback methods

Feedback through marking

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures	44
Practical classes & workshops	20

Independent study hours
Independent study	136

Teaching staff

Staff member	Role
Rizos Sakellariou	Unit coordinator

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