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Conceptualising Programming Language Semantics

Troy Astarte

Philosophies, Volume: 10, Issue: 4, Start page: 90

Swansea University Author: Troy Astarte

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DOI (Published version): 10.3390/philosophies10040090

Abstract

The semantics of programming languages tend to be discussed with high levels of formality; much of the previous research—both philosophical and historical—has investigated them from this perspective. In this paper, I draw on the philosophical and cognitive theories of metaphor and use the early work...

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Published in: Philosophies
ISSN: 2409-9287
Published: Basel, Switzerland MDPI AG 2025
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70136
Abstract: The semantics of programming languages tend to be discussed with high levels of formality; much of the previous research—both philosophical and historical—has investigated them from this perspective. In this paper, I draw on the philosophical and cognitive theories of metaphor and use the early work of Adriaan van Wijngaarden as a historical case study to explore the conceptual and discursive surroundings of semantics. I investigate the relationships between the texts of semantics, the abstract entities they denote, and the metaphors, analogies, and illustrative language used to accompany or explain the same. This serves to further understanding of the historical developments of work in this area, the nature of programming languages and their semantics, and the importance of the communicative methods used in dissemination and education of computer science.
Keywords: programming languages; semantics; computer science; metaphor; van Wijngaarden; machines; machine language; programming; IFIP; ALGOL
College: Faculty of Science and Engineering
Funders: This work was supported by EPSRC grant EP/Z000580/1.
Issue: 4
Start Page: 90

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