The structural analysis of programming languages
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Authors
MacLennan, Bruce J.
Subjects
Structural Analysis
Programming Language Metrics
Software Metrics, Software Measurement
Metrics
Programming Language Design Methods.
Programming Language Metrics
Software Metrics, Software Measurement
Metrics
Programming Language Design Methods.
Advisors
Date of Issue
1981-09
Date
1981-09
Publisher
Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School
Language
en_US
Abstract
A language's structures are some of its most important characteristics. These include the data structures -- those mechanisms that the language provides for organizing elementary data values. They also include the control structures, which organize the control flow. Less obviously, they include the same structures, which partition and organize the name space. Languages can be compared relative to their structures in the data, control, and name domains. This report describes a syntax-independent method of representing the structures of a language which facilitates visual complexity comparisons and is amenable to measurement. The data, control, and name structures of a number of languages are analyzed, including Pascal, LISP, Algol-60, Algol-68, the lambda calculus, FORTRAN, and Basic. (Author)
Type
Technical Report
Description
Series/Report No
Department
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
NPS-52-81-009
Sponsors
Prepared for: Chief of Naval Research; Arlington, VA 22217.
Funder
funds provided by the
Chief of Naval Research
Format
25 p. : ill. ; 27 cm.
Citation
Distribution Statement
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.