Action Semantics is a comprehensive introduction to the semantics of programming languages. It will be of use to graduates of computer science and mathematics.

Action Semantics is a novel approach to the formal description of programming languages. Its abstractness is at an intermediate level, between that of denotational and operational semantics. Action Semantics has considerable pragmatic advantages over all previous approaches, in its comprehensibility and accessibility, and especially in the usefulness of its semantic descriptions of realistic programming languages. In this volume, Dr Peter Mosses gives a thorough introduction to action semantics, and provides substantial illustrations of its use. Graduates of computer science or maths who have an interest in the semantics of programming languages will find Action Semantics a most helpful book.

Part I. Language Descriptions: 1. Motivation
2. Concepts
3. Formalities
Part II. Action Notation: 4. Basic
5. Data
6. Functional
7. Declarative
8. Imperative
9. Reflective
10. Communicative
Part III. Action Semantic Descriptions: 11. Statements
12. Literals
13. Expressions
14. Declarations
15. Variables
16. Subprogramming
17. Tasks
Part IV. Conclusion: 18. Other frameworks
19. Development
Appendices
Bibliography
Symbol Index
Concept Index.