Theories of Programming Languages (Broché)

First published in 1998, this textbook is a broad but rigorous survey of the theoretical basis for the design, definition, and implementation of programming languages, and of systems for specifying and proving program behavior. Both imperative and functional programming are covered, as well as the ways of integrating these aspects into more general languages. Recognizing a unity of technique beneath the diversity of research in programming languages, the author presents an integrated treatment of the basic principles of the subject.
He identifies the relatively small number of concepts, such as compositional semantics, binding structure, domains, transition systems, and inference rules, that serve as the foundation of the field. The basic concepts and their properties are described with mathematical rigor, but the mathematical development is balanced by numerous examples of applications, particularly of program specification and proof, concurrent programming, functional programming (including the use of continuations and lazy evaluation), and type systems (including subtyping, polymorphism, and modularization).