Teaching declarative programming
J. M. Adams · 1975
At the Conference on Programming Methodology in January 1974 at Albuquerque, New Mexico Prof. Edsger Dijkstra described a method of program development in which the imperative form of a program is developed from the assertions which form the correctness proof. In other words the declarative (or non-procedural) aspect of an algorithm guides its implementation into an imperative (or procedural) form. While extremely exciting, this methodology is rather alien to those with traditional training in the imperative method of program development. Since this encompasses almost everyone including most instructors and students, a problem arises in introducing the methodology into the standard computer science curriculum. This paper describes our approach to the problem at New Mexico State and the results.