This is a 3-credit core course for Integrated 5Yr M.Tech (CS) programme and is offered as an elective to MCA(III, V) Semester students. The course takes a behind-the-scenes look at programming languages and analyses their individualities and common aspects. Emphasis is given to the factors that are critical in designing and implementing a programming language rather than to the syntax and specific features.

FORTRAN, C, C++, Java and Python are used to illustrate the different concepts as these represent some of the most popular and well-known languages. They also span the entire history of modern computer science from the 1950s to the present.

The textbook for the course is:

• Terrence W. Pratt, Marvin V. Zelkowitz, T. V. Gopal. "Programming Languages: Design and Implementation", 4th Edition, Pearson Education (India), 2006.