PLanCompS: Programming Language Components and Specifications
Lead Research Organisation:
City, University of London
Department Name: Centre for HCI Design
Abstract
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People |
ORCID iD |
| George Buchanan (Principal Investigator) |
| Description | Thie project discovered that the range of design activities undertaken by programming language designers vary with the norms that one might expect. Rather than simply use formal or informal methods, programming language designers borrow from existing patterns and deploy formality when faced with higher levels of uncertainty. While well-established language features are assumed to be well understood,this often becomes visibly not the case when they are used in new contexts. |
| Exploitation Route | Those developing tools for programming language design could exploit our insights in creating tools that combine formal and informal approaches, and enable the designer to remind themselves of those areas that they believe need attention or are subject to particular doubt. It also now appears (2018) that other research groups can utilise the overall approach of PLanComPS for other projects that aim to create a systematic corpus of formal specifications in a domain field - e.g. Monash are starting to use this method when looking at a corpus of computability specifications and proofs. |
| Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) |
| Description | Our insights into programming language development are being developed further with two industrial programming teams. Having a concrete understanding of working practice is helping identify areas where explicit agreement needs to be made, and also reveals some of the key decisions can be made explicitly, rather than simply from previous practise or experience. Starting in 2018, a third group in Australia (Monash University) is also starting to adapt the approach of PlanComPS for formal specification work there. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2016 |
| Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) |
| Impact Types | Economic |
| Description | Programming Language Technology Meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | A summary of the project was presented to a meeting of programming language designers at an event at the University of Melbourne, comprising primarily of industrial researchers from across Australia, but particularly from Melbourne, Sydney, and Canberra. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |