Teaching 'concepts of programming languages' with Ada

Abstract

In many universities programming is taught using the current mainstream languages C, C++, C#, or Java. For Universities of Applied Sciences (Fachhochschulen) in Germany this is almost mandatory, as the contents of their curricula are always scrutinized with respect to (immediate) practical applicability. This contribution presents the concepts behind an elective course on 'Concepts of programming Languages' in the master's degree program of the computer science department of the Fachhochschule Rosenheim. The course has been taught over the years, using the programming language Ada as a central subject throughout the course. In spite of the contrast to mainstream languages the use of Ada in this course has received positive feedback from the students and the colleagues and may well be designated as successful. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.