Date of Award

2000

Level of Access Assigned by Author

Open-Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Computer Science

Advisor

Larry Latour

Abstract

Abstract

The programmable brick constitutes a domain for simple, autonomous robotics geared towards novice programmers in a constructionist setting. A large number of languages have been adapted from other domains to serve as a programming platform for this brick. However, there has yet to be an in-depth analysis of how these languages fit this domain. This work provides such an analysis of the existing brick languages in order to identify how they deal with the issue of concurrency as it relates to the brick. First, the brick domain is characterized and the languages involved are described. Second, the different approaches to concurrency are analyzed and a new approach is introduced (mode-based programming) that was specifically designed taking into account the features of concurrency being analyzed.

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