Changeset 433e2c3 for doc/theses/jiada_liang_MMath/uw-ethesis-frontpgs.tex

Timestamp:

Aug 3, 2024, 9:40:56 AM (10 hours ago)

Author:

Peter A. Buhr <pabuhr@…>

Branches:

master

Parents:

8789ae4

Message:

proofread thesis frontpgs and intro

File:

• doc/theses/jiada_liang_MMath/uw-ethesis-frontpgs.tex (modified) (2 diffs)

doc/theses/jiada_liang_MMath/uw-ethesis-frontpgs.tex

@@ -131 +131 @@
 \begin{center}\textbf{Abstract}\end{center}
 
-% An enumeration is a type defining an ordered set of named constant values, where a name abstracts a value, \eg @PI@ versus @3.145159@.
-% C restrict an enumeration type to the integral type @signed int@, which \CC support, meaning enumeration names bind to integer constants.
-% \CFA extends C enumerations to allow all basic and custom types for the enumeration type, like other modern programming languages.
-% Furthermore, \CFA adds other useful features for enumerations to support better software-engineering practices and simplify program development.
-The \CFA (C-for-all) programming language is an evolutionary refinement of C programing language. One of its distinctive feature is the generic 
-types. But legacy data type from C, such as enumerations, does not adapt well into the \CFA generic type system.
-
-This thesis presents an adaptation of enumerated types, in a way that integrates naturallly with the generic type feature of \CFA while being 
-backward-compatiable to C. This thesis also presents a number of smaller refinement to the \CFA overload resolution rules for enumerated types, 
-each of which improves the intuitive nature of enumerations. 
-The enumeration types improvement has been implemented into \CFA compiler and run-time environment. The root ideas behinds the change of 
-enumeration is to discover the approach of C data types working with \CFA generic types in order to improve the language expressiveity and safety.
+An \emph{enumeration} is a type defining a (ordered) set of named constant values.
+\begin{cfa}
+enum Week { Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun };
+enum Math { PI = 3.14159, Tau = 6.28318, Phi = 1.61803 };
+enum RGB { Red = 100b, Green = 010b, Blue = 001b };
+\end{cfa}
+Its purpose is for readability: replacing constant values in a program with symbolic names that are more meaningful to programmers in the context of the application.
+Thereafter, associating a name to a different value automatically distributes this rebinding, preventing errors.
+One of the key properties of an enumeration is the ability to enumerate (iterate) through the constants, and hence, access their values, if present.
+C restricts an enumeration to the integral type @signed int@, while \CC extends enumerations to all integral types, meaning enumeration names must bind to integer constants.
+Other modern programming languages provide bindings to any type and additional features to extend enumeration capabilities for better software-engineering practices.
+
+The \CFA (C-for-all) programming language is an evolutionary refinement of the C programing language.
+One of its distinctive feature is a parametric-polymorphic generic type.
+However, legacy data types from C, such as enumerations, do not adapt well into the \CFA generic type-system.
+
+This thesis extends the simple and unsafe enumeration type in the C programming language into a complex and safe enumeration type in the \CFA programming-language, while maintaining backwards compatibility with C.
+The major contribution is an adaptation of enumerated types with the \CFA type-system in a way that integrates naturally with the generic types.
+This thesis also presents a number of smaller refinement to the \CFA overload resolution rules for enumerated types, each of which improves the intuitive nature of enumeration name resolution by the compiler.
+Finally, this work adds other useful features to enumerations that better support software-engineering practices and simplify program development.
+
 \cleardoublepage
 \phantomsection    % allows hyperref to link to the correct page
@@ -151 +160 @@
 \begin{center}\textbf{Acknowledgements}\end{center}
 
-To begin, I would like to thank my supervisor Proferssor Peter Buhr. Thank you for your guidance and 
-support throughout my study and research. I would not be here without you.
-
-Thanks Gregor Richards and Yzihou Zhang for reading my thesis.
+To begin, I would like to thank my supervisor Professor Peter Buhr.
+Thank you for your guidance and support throughout my study and research.
+I would not be here without you.
+
+Thanks to Gregor Richards and Yzihou Zhang for reading my thesis.
 
 Special thanks to Andrew James Beach for your insight on the theory development on the thesis.
 
 Thanks to Michael Brooks, Fangran Yu, Colby Parsons, Thierry Delisle, Mubeen Zulifiqar,
- and entire Cforall team for development of the \CFA language, making it the best language it can be.
+and the entire \CFA team for development of the \CFA language, making it the best language it can be.
 
 Finally, a special thank you to Huawei Canada for funding this work.