Analyzing a programming language
- by Matt Fenwick
In SICP, the authors state (Section 1.1) that there are three basic "mechanisms" of programming languages:
primitive expressions, which represent the simplest entities the language is concerned with
means of combination, by which compound elements are built from simpler ones
means of abstraction, by which compound elements can be named and manipulated as units
How can I analyze a mainstream programming language (Java, for example) in terms of these elements or mechanisms?