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Back to Programming Languages, Part A

Learner Reviews & Feedback for Programming Languages, Part A by University of Washington

4.9
stars
1,437 ratings
•
420 reviews

About the Course

This course is an introduction to the basic concepts of programming languages, with a strong emphasis on functional programming. The course uses the languages ML, Racket, and Ruby as vehicles for teaching the concepts, but the real intent is to teach enough about how any language “fits together” to make you more effective programming in any language -- and in learning new ones. This course is neither particularly theoretical nor just about programming specifics -- it will give you a framework for understanding how to use language constructs effectively and how to design correct and elegant programs. By using different languages, you will learn to think more deeply than in terms of the particular syntax of one language. The emphasis on functional programming is essential for learning how to write robust, reusable, composable, and elegant programs. Indeed, many of the most important ideas in modern languages have their roots in functional programming. Get ready to learn a fresh and beautiful way to look at software and how to have fun building it. The course assumes some prior experience with programming, as described in more detail in the first module. The course is divided into three Coursera courses: Part A, Part B, and Part C. As explained in more detail in the first module of Part A, the overall course is a substantial amount of challenging material, so the three-part format provides two intermediate milestones and opportunities for a pause before continuing. The three parts are designed to be completed in order and set up to motivate you to continue through to the end of Part C. The three parts are not quite equal in length: Part A is almost as substantial as Part B and Part C combined. Week 1 of Part A has a more detailed list of topics for all three parts of the course, but it is expected that most course participants will not (yet!) know what all these topics mean....

Top reviews

YZ
Dec 2, 2016

I'm just a beginner for CS or SE classes, and find this course really concise and challenging. It opens a door for me to get deeper into programming language. No wonder it got so high average score.

AL
Mar 21, 2017

Great course!\n\nI think this course has just the right balance of theoretical background, formal definitions, and actual examples to make "just right".\n\nThanks Dan, and everybody else involved!

Filter by:

176 - 200 of 415 Reviews for Programming Languages, Part A

By Tan S X A

•
Oct 17, 2017

Dan Grossman is a lovely person, and a good lecturer. His materials are good, and the homework is challenging.

By Raquel K

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Sep 17, 2019

Wonderful course! Really expanded the way I think about programming and I'm looking forward to parts B and C.

By Chinmay

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Oct 12, 2016

Awesome course. Learned a lot on the way. Concepts were presented very well. Looking forward to part B and C.

By Luiz C

•
Jul 22, 2018

A fantastic Course. Before this Course I thought I knew how to Code. Now I know I still have to learn a lot

By Yusong S

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Feb 11, 2017

Learn many fundamental concepts about functional programming! Course material is challenging but rewarding.

By John G

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Feb 1, 2017

This is a really fun course. I'm glad that it was split into A-B-C because I just don't have time for B.

By Mustaqim M

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Sep 26, 2020

Really tough and engaging but none the less very helpful in understanding the intricacies of programming

By hanrai

•
Dec 13, 2018

This is a wonderful lesson. Bring a lot of new concepts to me. Functional programming is a big surprise.

By Shen C

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Apr 6, 2018

I should say thanks Dan's work on this MOOC. I have learned many knowledge about functional programming

By Deleted A

•
Oct 30, 2017

Very insightful and logical presentation of ideas that I now see everywhere when I learn new languages.

By Pritesh S

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Aug 6, 2020

Arguably the best MOOC on Coursera. I wish professor Dan Grossman would upload more such MOOCs soon !!

By Caleb

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Apr 25, 2020

Great intro to ideas behind programs and also a fun way to learn some functional programming concepts.

By Robert M

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Sep 2, 2016

Excellent coverage of the topic. Must see if you want to grasp the functional programming paradigm.

By Akash B P

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Sep 22, 2018

The professor's enthusiasm for programming languages rubbed off on me. Can't wait to start Part B

By Rizwan Q

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Jun 12, 2020

i thoroughly enjoyed the course, the instructor was very good and made the whole experience fun

By Ervin L

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Jan 30, 2017

Fantastic course from Prof. Grossman. Would recommend to anyone interested in Computer Science.

By Jeff T

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Feb 22, 2018

Course materials and videos very good. A wonderful experience for this old coder! Thank you!

By sai

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Oct 15, 2016

Great course. You can learn the most import concepts about the functional programming language

By Bianca G

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Nov 17, 2020

Excellent course! Dan is a brilliant teacher. It's amazing how much you learn from this mooc.

By shaahin k

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Apr 12, 2019

the idea of start by sml is briliant and very helpful about the base of programming languages

By Sixiang C

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Aug 30, 2017

This is good first course in Funtional programming.

The materials and exercises are excellent.

By Ahmed E

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Mar 18, 2020

Very good and organized course material, with really amazing teaching by prof. Dan Grossman

By Orlando S

•
Feb 13, 2017

Good course to improve software development undestanding functional programming languages

By Vinicius S

•
Sep 2, 2019

A challenging rewarding course, a must-have for aspiring programmers. I learned a lot.

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