CIS 554 Language Proposal
Fall 2016, David Matuszek

Purposes of this assignment

To get you thinking about the range of programming languages available.

General

Choose a programming language to present at the end of the semester.

Details

Explore the various programming languages available. Choose one. Write up a proposal for presenting that language. That is, tell why you think that language is interesting, and give some details about that language (possibly including a bit of sample code). Your proposal should not be longer than one page.

The language must not be a commonly known one (for example, in the top 10 in the TIOBE index, or taught in the CIS department),
The language must not be a "joke" language (for example, Intercal or Whitespace),
You must give a reason for choosing that particular language, and
Each presentation must be about a different language.

I may or may not accept your proposal. If I reject it, you will have to choose another (but I'll try to be generous).

If two or more people propose the same language, I will accept only one of them. In this case I might choose the more convincing proposal, or I might just choose the first one submitted. This doesn't mean you have to find out what language everyone else is proposing, but it does suggest that you might be better off finding a language that others are unlikely to choose.

I won't entirely rule out the possibility of having a partner, but you would have to justify it, and both partners would be expected to speak.

TIOBE Index is one place to look for some of the more common programming languages. RedMonk is another, but it lists even fewer languages. 99 Bottles of Beer is an excellent resource, with over 600 languages; unfortunately, the author doesn't have much time to maintain the site, and says that there are 1400 languages awaiting inclusion. And of course, Google will let you search for things like "XXX programming languages," where XXX might be "new," "novel," "unusual," "fledgling," etc.

If you decide at a later date that you chose a language badly, you will have a chance to propose another.

Due date

Turn your proposal in to Canvas by Tuesday, September 20, before 11:59 pm. I have a slight preference for plain text, but anything easily readable (.rtf, .doc, .html, etc.) will be fine. No formal grade will be given.