COS 371: Programming Languages
Spring 2020
Exam 2 information
1. Notes and resources
You are permitted one letter-size handwritten notes sheet (both sides) for use as a reference during the exam.
You may only use electronic devices (computer, smart phone) to the extent of following exam logistics (below).2. How to study
Please see tips from first exam.
3. Exam content
The exam covers everything we have done, up to but not including recursive descent parsing (which was on the pop quiz and may be covered on the next exam). While the exam is cumulative, we will focus on what was not already tested.Students should be able to:
- distinguish clearly between tokenizing and parsing.
- write regular expressions to specify tokens.
- motivate what purpose CFG serves.
- precisely produce a CFG (in standard EBNF notation) for a language that I describe in words and/or examples, as well as use derivations in order to show if a particular "sentence" is valid in a particular language.
- draw parse trees, and be able to demonstrate if a grammar is ambiguous.
- discuss the merits of different parse trees that describe the same sentence from the perspective of which is more desirable.
- evaluate simple pieces of Scheme code.
As usual, please note that this document is not a contract. I may have inadvertently left something off that ends up on an exam question. Moreover, I will not be able to test all of this material given the time limitations of the exam. I will have to pick and choose some subset of it.
4. Logistics
Before class time:
- Read this document carefully. Ignorance is not an excuse.
- Prepare enough paper to write on.
- On the first sheet, write at the top an academic integrity statement of your own devising. You should say that you didn't consult any unauthorized resources (textbook, computers, other sources of help).
- Sign your name after the statement.
At class time:
- The exam will take place during our usual class time.
- Find a PDF of the exam questions on Moodle near the bottom; pull it up on your computer.
- Work things out on notebook/blank paper. You do not need to print out the questions.
- After you are done or the time is up, scan each part as a single PDF file and upload to Moodle near the bottom.
- Moodle submission will close 10 minutes after class ends. This affords:
- 50 minutes for the exam
- 10 minutes at the end devoted to scanning and uploading
- Moodle will still accept submissions after the cutoff time, but it will be marked "late."
- If this happens, you should email me ASAP and explain why you were late, and assert that you did not spend any more than 50 minutes working on the exam.
- Summary:
time description 09:00 CDT PDF of exam questions available on Moodle 09:50 50 minutes is up; you should stop working 10:00 deadline for submitting to Moodle
Proctoring:
- I will proctor you via Zoom.
- The link to join the meeting will be on Moodle near the bottom.
- I will start the meeting at least 5 minutes before class time.
- Please turn on your camera but mute your microphone.
- During the exam, don't unmute to talk to me: you will end up talking to everyone else as well.
- If you need to contact me, you can send me a message via the "chat" function in the Zoom meeting.
- Aim the camera at you, not your desk; don't hold up your work for others to see.
- Disconnect from the meeting after you've finished scanning and submitting to Moodle.
- If you cannot connect via Zoom during our class time, please contact me at least 2 class days before the exam with a brief explanation, and we'll work on finding an alternative arrangement.
- I will host an optional test Zoom meeting at the beginning of class time 1 class day before the exam.
Tips:
- Label your questions clearly, especially if you are doing things out of order (try not to).
- Do not write in columns.
- Even though you are under time pressure, try to write legibly; if I can't read your handwriting, I can't give you credit.
- Make sure your scan is legible. If I can't open your PDF or read your content, I can't give you credit.