Denotational Semantics:
Course Slides

Wolfgang Schreiner

Literature: David A. Schmidt. Denotational Semantics - A Methodology for Language Development. Allyn and Bacon, Boston, Massachusetts, 1986.

The following slides do not contain the figures printed in Schmidt's book. Any course using these slides must therefore be based on local copies of the book.

1. Introduction (Introduction and Chapter 4).

   Methods for semantics specifications, preview on basic structure of denotational definitions.

2. Syntax (Chapter 1).

   Abstract syntax definitions, mathematical and structural induction.

3. Semantic Domains (Chapter 2).

   Sets, functions, semantic domains.

4. Domain Theory I (Chapter 3).

   Semantic algebras, examples of primitive domains, compound domains, recursive function and domain definitions.

5. Basic Structure of Denotational Definitions (Chapter 4).

   A calculator language.

6. Imperative Languages I (Section 5.1).

   A language with assignment.

7. Imperative Languages II (Sections 5.2-5.4).

   An interactive file editor, input and output, altering the properties of stores, delayed evaluation, multiple stores, noncommunicating commands.

8. Domain Theory II (Chapter 6).

   Recursively defined functions, partial orderings, continuous functions, least fixed points, domains are cpos, examples.

9. Languages with Contexts I (Section 7.1).

   A block-structured language, stack-managed storage, the meaning of identifiers.

10. Languages with Contexts II (Section 7.2).

    An applicative language, scoping rules, self-application, recursive definitions.

11. Languages with Contexts III (Section 7.3).

    Compound data structures.

12. Language Design Principles I (Section 8.1).

    Abstraction, recursive bindings.

13. Language Design Principles II (Section 8.2).

    Parameterization, polymorphism and typing.

14. Language Design Principles III (Sections 8.3-8.5).

    Correspondence, qualification, orthagonality.

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