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Hall of FameP. J. Landin196655 min readpaperadvanced

The Next 700 Programming Languages

Read on cmu.eduHN 6·0 comments

Summary

Landin proposes ISWIM as a family of programming languages, separating physical syntax, logical syntax, abstract structure, and applicative expressions. The paper argues that language design should focus on primitive abstractions and expressive ‘where‑clauses’ rather than surface syntax.

  • Language design is split into physical representation (characters) and abstract entities (numbers, lists, functions).
  • ISWIM introduces a four‑level model: physical, logical, abstract, and applicative expression layers.
  • ‘Where‑clauses’ allow embedding definitions directly in expressions, decoupling naming rules from semantics.
  • Emphasizes expressions over statements, promoting a functional core within a general‑purpose language family.

Language designers and language theory researchers should care because it formalizes how to construct families of languages and separates syntax from semantics, influencing many later language designs.

8/10
architecturecompilersiswimfunctional

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