Topics in evaluation, design, and development of programming languages. Topics include type systems, variables and scope, functions, parameter passing, data hiding and abstractions, recursion, memory allocation, grammars and parsing, compilers architecture, programming paradigms, and comparison of programming languages and environments.
Prerequisites: Completion of Fundamental Skills and COMP 053
with a "C-" or better.
When enrolling in this course, you should be relatively proficient in
using at least the following object‐oriented programming languages: C++
and Java. It is recommended to use C++, Java or Python for course
projects. In addition to being a competent programmer, you should have a
working understanding of the following specific topics:
Website: Syllabus, Canvas LMS
Credits: 4 units
Course Catalog: https://catalog.pacific.edu/search/?search=comp+141&caturl=%2F
Instructor:
Sepehr Amir-Mohammadian
Email: 
Class time/location: MW 2:00PM - 3:15PM, CTC 114
F 2:00PM - 3:15PM, on Zoom (The link is shared on Canvas.)
Office hours: MW 8:00AM - 9:15AM, CTC 122
Teaching Assistant: Vanessa Kan
Email: v_kan2@u.pacific.edu
Office hours: Tuesdays 5:00PM-7:00PM
The vision for this course is: What do I, as a computer scientist, need to understand about the fundamental concepts in programming languages and what are the different features by which I can realize whether a given programming language is appropriate in a given project?
There are two main themes in this course:
You will have many different opportunities to gain this knowledge through:
After taking this course, you should be able to:
University of the Pacific Core Competencies: This course reflects the following university-wide core competenceies in the undergraduate program:
Outcomes for COMP program: The assessment plan for this course comprises the following outcomes identified by ABET:
Collection of Work for Assessment: Student work may be retained to assess how course learning objectives are being met and for accreditation purposes.
We will use the following textbooks along with additional resources that are referred through the semester.
The slides, assignments, supplementary material, etc. will be provided through Canvas LMS.
Major topics that will be covered in the course are:
Grades for the course are assigned on the scale below:
| A | A- | B+ | B | B- | C+ | C | C- | D+ | D | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [93,100] | [90,93) | [87,90) | [83,87) | [80,83) | [77,80) | [73,77) | [70,73) | [67,70) | [60,67) | [0,60) |
Final grades will be assigned based on several performance factors. These factors and their quantitative contribution to the final grade are as follows:
Attendance: Class attendance and participation is necessary and expected on Monday and Wednesday sessions. There will be numerous activities in class, and these activities cannot be made up outside of class. Participation requires that you are properly prepared for classroom discussions and activities, and have completed all required assignments before the start of relevant class session. You will only be allowed three excused or unexcused class misses during the semester. The only acceptable excuses for missing a class, an assignment due date, or an exam are serious illness, family emergency or important professional, academic or athletic activities. Illness or family emergency may require documentation. Excuses for professional, academic or athletic activities must be approved by the instructor in advance. Students missing a class are responsible for making up the material studied in that class on their own. Students are responsible for being aware of any announcements made during their absence.
Two exams will be conducted during the semester, a midterm and a final. The schedule will be announced in class and content and format will be discussed prior to the exams. Make up exams will only be scheduled in emergency situations.
Release and Submission
Solutions: Solutions to labs, quizzes, sample exam questions, and midterm exam may be submitted electronically via Canvas, or in class on pencil-and-paper when appropriate.
Late submission policy: Deliverables for course projects and the technical paper will be
accepted up
to three days late, with a 5% per day penalty.
All assignments will be considered individual efforts unless
otherwise specified, and
will be treated as such under the Academic
Honesty Policy.
The Honor Code at the University of the Pacific calls upon each student to exhibit a high degree of maturity, responsibility, and personal integrity. Students are expected to:
Violations will be referred to and investigated by the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. If a student is found responsible, it will be documented as part of her or his permanent academic record. A student may receive a range of penalties, including failure of an assignment, failure of the course, suspension, or dismissal from the University. The Academic Honesty Policy is located in Tiger Lore and online.
Course-specific Honor Code Policy: Engineering is generally a cooperative endeavor and collaborative learning can be a valuable experience for all involved. However, proper assessment (i.e., grading) requires that work be done by individuals. To balance these two requirements, the following policy will apply:
Marginal cases will be resolved by oral examination of the student(s) involved. If they each understand the material in the assignment, it will be considered honest collaboration. If they do not, then it will be considered academic dishonesty.
In many cases, it may be possible to identify reusable source code from textbooks, web sites or other resources that can help you with assignments. You are permitted to use such references provided that:
You are responsible for understanding the theory behind all algorithms or source code used, regardless of their source.
If you are a student with a disability who requires accommodations, please visit pacific.edu/disabilities to contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) for information on how to request accommodations while at Pacific.
The Office of Services for Students with Disabilities is located in the McCaffrey Center, Second Floor. Phone: 209-946-3221. Email: ssd@pacific.edu. Online: pacific.edu/disabilities
The University of the Pacific does not discriminate in the administration of any of its educational programs, admissions, scholarships, loans, athletics, or other University activities or programs on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, handicap, sexual orientation or preference, sex or age.