Programming Languages, Part C

[As described below, this is Part C of a 3-part course. Participants should complete Parts A and B first – Part C “dives right in” and refers often to material from Part A and Part B.]This course is an introduction to the basic concepts of programming languages, with a strong emphasis on functional programming. The course uses the languages ML, Racket, and Ruby as vehicles for teaching the concepts, but the real intent is to teach enough about how any language “fits together” to make you more effective programming in any language – and in learning new ones.

This course is neither particularly theoretical nor just about programming specifics – it will give you a framework for understanding how to use language constructs effectively and how to design correct and elegant programs. By using different languages, you will learn to think more deeply than in terms of the particular syntax of one language. The emphasis on functional programming is essential for learning how to write robust, reusable, composable, and elegant programs. Indeed, many of the most important ideas in modern languages have their roots in functional programming. Get ready to learn a fresh and beautiful way to look at software and how to have fun building it.

The course assumes some prior experience with programming, as described in more detail in the first module of Part A. Part B assumes successful completion of Part A.

The course is divided into three Coursera courses: Part A, Part B, and Part C. As explained in more detail in the first module of Part A, the overall course is a substantial amount of challenging material, so the three-part format provides two intermediate milestones and opportunities for a pause before continuing. The three parts are designed to be completed in order and set up to motivate you to continue through to the end of Part C.

Week 1 of Part A has a more detailed list of topics for all three parts of the course, but it is expected that most course participants will not (yet!) know what all these topics mean.

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Syllabus

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week 1
Introduction, Course-Wide Information, and Software Installation (Start Here)
Section 8 and Homework 6 (First Module with Ruby)
Welcome! Start here! Learn about this course and how it’s organized.
Section 8 and Homework 6 (First Module with Ruby): Lesson Choices
Let’s get started programming with Ruby, including learning about Ruby’s variant of (almost) function closures and the “inheritance and overriding” that is the essence of object-oriented programming. The welcome message has a few additional comments about “what makes Ruby different” and how to approach the (rather different) homework assignment, so let’s get started…
Week 2
Section 9 and Homework 7 (Second Module With Ruby)

Section 9 and Homework 7 (Second Module With Ruby): Lesson Choices
Welcome to the second week of Part C where we will focus on how functional programming and object-oriented programming encourage such “exactly opposite” decompositions of problems that they are “more alike than you might realize”. This is a key opportunity to synthesize much of what we have learned so far. As the welcome message discusses in more detail, we will go a bit beyond this to touch on some related advanced topics and then dive into the last – and challenging – programming assignment, which involves porting an interpreter from ML to Ruby.
Week 3
Section 10, Final Exam, and Course Wrap-Up

FAQ

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:

What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?

When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Reviews

One of the best courses of my career. This was truly programming languages. You'll look at your programs, in any language you use, in a whole different way! Highly recommended!

It was an incredible journey, have learnt from it a lot of things, Prof. Dan was spectacular, his way of delivering difficult concepts in an easy way is very very good.

Excellent course that introduced me to the field of programming languages. I can now see many OOP programs and languages from the functional perspective and simplify a lot of problems.

Very Challenging course but worth it at all the explanation in the three parts helps you a lot I recommend it for every one wanting to approach better to different programming languages.