DTIC ADA177802: A W Grammar Description for pdf

DTIC ADA177802: A W Grammar Description for

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Description of the Book:

This thesis explores the formal definition of the syntax and static semantics of the Ada programming language. Several notational forms were compared and the particular notational form chosen is a double level grammar called the W-grammar. W-grammars were first used in the formal definition of Algol 68. Two W-grammars are presented. The first W-grammar is a translation of the modified BNF notation used in the Ada Language Reference Manual, and the second demonstrates the description of Ada’s static semantics in W-grammar format. In the author’s opinion, the W-grammars fall short of this goal since they are less readable than BNF for determining Ada’s syntax, and experience shows that programmers most often refer to references to answer questions about syntax. However, a W-grammar description of Ada is still useful to computer scientists who need more than a simple understanding of the syntax and rudimentary description of the semantics.

A formal semanatic definition of Ada is needed by system designers for multiple targets, by compiler designers, and by individuals needing formal correctness proofs of Ada programs

• Creator/s: Defense Technical Information Center
• Date: 12/1/1986
• Year: 1986
• Book Topics/Themes: DTIC Archive, Flowers, Roy A, AIR FORCE INST OF TECH WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, *CONTEXT FREE GRAMMARS, PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES, SEMANTICS, THESES, TARGETS, PROGRAMMERS, STATICS, COMPILERS, COMPUTER PERSONNEL, SYNTAX, SCIENTISTS

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