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Types and Programming Languages (Mit Press) 1st Edition

by Benjamin C. Pierce (Author)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 82 ratings
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A comprehensive introduction to type systems and programming languages.

A type system is a syntactic method for automatically checking the absence of certain erroneous behaviors by classifying program phrases according to the kinds of values they compute. The study of type systems—and of programming languages from a type-theoretic perspective—has important applications in software engineering, language design, high-performance compilers, and security.

This text provides a comprehensive introduction both to type systems in computer science and to the basic theory of programming languages. The approach is pragmatic and operational; each new concept is motivated by programming examples and the more theoretical sections are driven by the needs of implementations. Each chapter is accompanied by numerous exercises and solutions, as well as a running implementation, available via the Web. Dependencies between chapters are explicitly identified, allowing readers to choose a variety of paths through the material.

The core topics include the untyped lambda-calculus, simple type systems, type reconstruction, universal and existential polymorphism, subtyping, bounded quantification, recursive types, kinds, and type operators. Extended case studies develop a variety of approaches to modeling the features of object-oriented languages.

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  1. ISBN-10
    0262162091
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0262162098
  3. Edition
    1st
  4. Publisher
    MIT Press
  5. Publication date
    February 1, 2002
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    9.4 x 8.12 x 1.42 inches
  8. Print length
    648 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

--Robin Milner, Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge

" Types are the leaven of computer programming; they make it digestible. This excellent book uses types to navigate the rich variety of programming languages, bringing a new kind of unity to their usage, theory, and implementation. Its author writes with the authority of experience in all three of these aspects." --Robin Milner, Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge

& quot; Types are the leaven of computer programming; they make it digestible. This excellent book uses types to navigate the rich variety of programming languages, bringing a new kind of unity to their usage, theory, and implementation. Its author writes with the authority of experience in all three of these aspects.& quot; --Robin Milner, Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge

"Types are the leaven of computer programming; they make it digestible. This excellent book uses types to navigate the rich variety of programming languages, bringing a new kind of unity to their usage, theory, and implementation. Its author writes with the authority of experience in all three of these aspects."--Robin Milner, Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge

About the Author

Benjamin C. Pierce is Professor of Computer and Information Science at the University of Pennsylvania.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ MIT Press; 1st edition (February 1, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 648 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0262162091
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0262162098
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 12 and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.85 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.4 x 8.12 x 1.42 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 82 ratings

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Benjamin C. Pierce

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Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
82 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Zac Slade
5.0 out of 5 stars PL enthusiasts should start here
Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2013
Verified Purchase
This is a great book. Benjamin's style is fairly conversational keeping this very dry and logical topic fresh and inviting. The notation used can seem a little esoteric for the uninitiated, however there is enough detail early on to get you over this hurdle quickly. Soon you will be writing your own substitutions, elimination rules and type judgements needed for any programming language you might want to design.
14 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for writing new programing languages.
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2019
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Had to buy the book for a college class. Definitely one of the better written textbooks.
4 people found this helpful
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John Nash
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent step-by-step guide from simple types and languages to advanced concepts
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2013
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In my opinion the best written and most effective introduction to type theory and programming languages. I am having fun implementing a practical functional programming language with dependent types and this book is always next to me when I code.
14 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Programmers will be proud to have one
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2015
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Fantastic, very well-written book on exciting topic. It's too big to carry for in-transport reading, so I'll use it at home, and continue reading from phone in parallel.
2 people found this helpful
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wiredweird
4.0 out of 5 stars Not quite what I was looking for
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2005
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I need basic information on type safety, theory of object oriented typing, and how to axiomatize nonstandard kind of typing systems. I need it now, in a form that I can put to use without too many side trips

This book is almost what I was looking for. It builds up a semantic logic based on lambda calculus, then creates typed versions. Pierce really does work very methodically up through the levels, ending at about the place where C++ templates and recursive type definitions start. Along the way, he's careful to match the typing axioms to semantics, covering unusual topics like exceptions and type inference while he's at it.

Almost what I was looking for, but not quite. As I said, I have immediate needs, and I'm not into theory for its own sweet sake. That means I had little appreciation for all the chapters that created arithmetic all over again, starting from Peano axioms (or something like), via the lambda calculus. I know that low-level axiomatizations and lambda calculus are much beloved of the theoreticians, but I encounter them only rarely, and when I was trying to get something else done, like now. For me, they created a diversion blocked by an impediment. Also, however convenient it may be for theory, functional programming is mostly a journal-page peculiarity in industrial practice. I admit, analysis of functional programs pushed me into insight I might have missed, but I would probably have been quite happy dealing with assignment formalisms instead.

I almost gave this three stars, because its unnecessary notational baggage and off-main-stream topics weren't doing my job. Bruce's book (ISBN 026202523X) was a much more profitable use of my time. Still, Pierce's goals weren't mine, and the mansion of type analysis has many rooms. Not all of those rooms are furnished to my taste, and don't need to be. I rounded up to four stars for what it meant to do.

//wiredweird
59 people found this helpful
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ShNh
5.0 out of 5 stars Very clear
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2013
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This book explains what you would expect from title in a clear, understandable way for those who are not familiar with programming language theory. It doesn't make assumptions on previous knowledge of the reader.
3 people found this helpful
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xlnagla
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most comprehensive and accessible texts available. ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2014
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One of the most comprehensive and accessible texts available. If you want to start learning Programming Language and semantics, this is the place to do it.
9 people found this helpful
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Jacob Barber
5.0 out of 5 stars Do not get the kindle version if you want a pleasant experience reading this.
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2017
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This is a great book, but the kindle version is absolutely awful.
2 people found this helpful
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Ivan Migalev
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, good delivery
Reviewed in the Netherlands on February 17, 2024
Verified Purchase
The tracking code was indeed not available right from the start (as some other commenters noted), but eventually I received the tracking info on the order page in Amazon.

The printing quality is good. The book itself — well, maybe you already know about it if you are here :)
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nono
5.0 out of 5 stars Livre en bon état et livré à temps
Reviewed in France on October 14, 2023
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Le livre est arrivé en bon état et à la date butoir. Pas déçu du contenu de ce livre !
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davor kljucevic
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on May 4, 2018
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Donovan
3.0 out of 5 stars Spine was worn, and arrived on the very last day of expected delivery date.
Reviewed in Australia on October 5, 2023
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I did not like that no tracking info was provided.
The spine was slightly worn when I received the book.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great readings.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2017
Verified Purchase
Great book.
Be sure to understand that this book is not to teach you how to program.
2 people found this helpful
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