About this course: This course is an introduction to the basic concepts of programming languages, with a strong emphasis on functional programming. The course uses the languages ML, Racket, and Ruby as vehicles for teaching the concepts, but the real intent is to teach enough about how any language “fits together” to make you more effective programming in any language -- and in learning new ones. This course is neither particularly theoretical nor just about programming specifics -- it will give you a framework for understanding how to use language constructs effectively and how to design correct and elegant programs. By using different languages, you will learn to think more deeply than in terms of the particular syntax of one language. The emphasis on functional programming is essential for learning how to write robust, reusable, composable, and elegant programs. Indeed, many of the most important ideas in modern languages have their roots in functional programming. Get ready to learn a fresh and beautiful way to look at software and how to have fun building it. The course assumes some prior experience with programming, as described in more detail in the first module. The course is divided into three Coursera courses: Part A, Part B, and Part C. As explained in more detail in the first module of Part A, the overall course is a substantial amount of challenging material, so the three-part format provides two intermediate milestones and opportunities for a pause before continuing. The three parts are designed to be completed in order and set up to motivate you to continue through to the end of Part C. The three parts are not quite equal in length: Part A is almost as substantial as Part B and Part C combined. Week 1 of Part A has a more detailed list of topics for all three parts of the course, but it is expected that most course participants will not (yet!) know what all these topics mean.
Who is this class for: The course assumes students are familiar with programming covered by most introductory courses, but it is explicitly designed not to be a particularly advanced course. Students should be comfortable with variables, conditionals, arrays, linked lists, stacks, and recursion (though recursion will be reviewed and expanded upon), and the difference between an interface and an implementation. Students should be eager to write programs in languages new to them. Part C of the course analyzes basic object-oriented concepts and contrast them with those of other languages, so familiarity with Java or a closely related language (e.g., C#) might be helpful for Part C, but it is not necessary for the assignments. This course is based on a course designed for second- and third-year undergraduates: not a first computer science course, but not an advanced course either. So it certainly will not cover everything in the beautiful world of programming languages, but it is a solid introduction. It is designed to be eye-opening and fascinating both for learners seeking a "third or fourth programming course" and for learners with more experience who are looking for a clear and precise foundation in programming languages. The assignments in the course are designed to be challenging, but with everything you need in the course content. An introductory video and another reading discuss assumed background in some more detail in Week 1 of the course.
Taught by: Dan Grossman, Professor
Computer Science & Engineering
| Level | Intermediate |
| Commitment | 8-16 hours/week |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
- Reading: Start here!
- Video: Welcome! (And Some Course Mechanics)
- Video: Optional: Who I Am / Acknowledgments
- Video: What the Course is About / Initial Motivation
- Video: Recommended Background
- Video: Why Part A, Part B, Part C
- Video: Grading Policy
- Video: Optional: Very High-Level Outline
- Reading: About the Course
- Reading: Some More Perspective on Recommended Background
- Reading: Why are there 3 courses (Part A, Part B, Part C)?
- Reading: Grading Policy Details
- Discussion Prompt: Discussion Forums: Why Are You Participating?
- Reading: Part A Software Installation and Use: SML and Emacs
- Reading: Why Emacs? (Optional)
- Video: Software Installation Introduction
- Video: Emacs installation
- Video: SML installation
- Video: SML Mode installation
- Ungraded Programming: Homework 0 (Auto-Grader)
- Reading: Homework 0 Detailed Peer-Assessment Instructions
- Peer Review: Homework 0 (Peer Assessment)
- Reading: Section 1 Welcome Message
- Reading: Section 1 Reading Notes
- Reading: Code Files for All Section 1 Videos
- Video: ML Variable Bindings and Expressions
- Video: Rules for Expressions
- Video: The REPL and Errors
- Video: Shadowing
- Video: Functions Informally
- Video: Functions Formally
- Video: Pairs and Other Tuples
- Video: Introducing Lists
- Video: List Functions
- Video: Let Expressions
- Video: Nested Functions
- Video: Let and Efficiency
- Video: Options
- Video: Booleans and Comparison Operations
- Video: Benefits of No Mutation
- Video: Optional: Java Mutation
- Video: Pieces of a Language
- Reading: Homework 1 Detailed Guidelines for Peer Assessment
- Reading: Hints and Gotchas for Homework 1
- Reading: Extra Practice Problems
- Reading: Section 2 Welcome Message
- Reading: Section 2 Reading Notes
- Reading: Code Files for All Section 2 Videos
- Video: Building Compound Types
- Video: Records
- Video: Tuples as Syntactic Sugar
- Video: Datatype Bindings
- Video: Case Expressions
- Video: Useful Datatypes
- Video: Pattern Matching So Far
- Video: Another Expression Example
- Video: Type Synonyms
- Video: Lists and Options are Datatypes
- Video: Polymorphic Datatypes
- Video: Each of Pattern Matching / Truth About Functions
- Video: A Little Type Inference
- Video: Polymorphic and Equality Types
- Video: Nested Patterns
- Video: More Nested Patterns
- Video: Nested Patterns Precisely
- Video: Optional: Function Patterns
- Video: Exceptions
- Video: Tail Recursion
- Video: Accumulators for Tail Recursion
- Video: Perspective on Tail Recursion
- Reading: Homework 2 Detailed Guidelines for Peer Assessment
- Reading: Hints and Gotchas for Homework 2
- Reading: Extra Practice Problems
- Reading: Section 3 Welcome Message
- Reading: Section 3 Reading Notes
- Reading: Code Files for All Section 3 Videos
- Video: Introduction to First-Class Functions
- Video: Functions as Arguments
- Video: Polymorphic Types and Functions as Arguments
- Video: Anonymous Functions
- Video: Unnecessary Function Wrapping
- Video: Map and Filter
- Video: Generalizing Prior Topics
- Video: Lexical Scope
- Video: Lexical Scope and Higher-Order Functions
- Video: Why Lexical Scope
- Video: Closures and Recomputation
- Video: Fold and More Closures
- Video: Closure Idiom: Combining Functions
- Video: Closure Idiom: Currying
- Video: Partial Application
- Video: Currying Wrapup
- Video: Mutable References
- Video: Closure Idiom: Callbacks
- Video: Standard-Library Documentation
- Video: Optional: Abstract Data Types With Closures
- Video: Optional: Closure Idioms Without Closures
- Video: Optional: Java Without Closures
- Video: Optional: C Without Closures
- Video: Course-Motivation Introduction
- Video: Why Study General PL Concepts?
- Video: Are All PLs the Same?
- Video: Why Functional Languages?
- Video: Why ML, Racket, and Ruby?
- Reading: Homework 3 Detailed Guidelines for Peer Assessment
- Reading: Hints and Gotchas for Section 3
- Reading: Extra Practice Problems
- Reading: Section 4 Welcome Message
- Reading: Section 4 Reading Notes
- Reading: Code Files for All Section 4 Videos
- Video: Section Introduction
- Video: What is Type Inference
- Video: ML Type Inference
- Video: Type Inference Examples
- Video: Polymorphic Examples
- Video: Optional: The Value Restriction and Other Type-Inference Challenges
- Video: Mutual Recursion
- Video: Modules for Namespace Management
- Video: Signatures and Hiding Things
- Video: A Module Example
- Video: Signatures for Our Example
- Video: Signature Matching
- Video: An Equivalent Structure
- Video: Another Equivalent Structure
- Video: Different Modules Define Different Types
- Video: Equivalent Functions
- Video: Standard Equivalences
- Video: Equivalence Versus Performance
- Reading: Nothing (yet) (explanation)
- Reading: Information About the Exam (Required Reading)
- Practice Quiz: Practice Exam for Part A
- Video: Part A Wrap-Up & Parts B&C Preview
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With this course I realised that functional programming is not just a hype or a trend. I really became invested in this way of thinking. The course is great, Dan is a great instructor and even more important is that the mentors are doing an excellent job!
Great course, hoping the next one will top it
Exceptional experience, learnt a lot! Will recommend whole heartedly to others. I am onto part B now! Excited to see how racket contrasts with ML.
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One of the best Courses I have taken so far: Fantastic and interesting content, highly engaging instructor, and great assignments. The course has a lot of content, and you really get to learn the basic ideas of functional programming and not just the syntax of a new programming language. Looking forward for Part B!