Formal Syntax and Semantics of Programming Languages: A Laboratory Based Approach presents a panorama of techniques in formal syntax, operational semantics and formal semantics. Using a teaching/learning perspective rather than a research-oriented approach, an understanding of the meta-languages is accessible to anyone with a basic grounding in discrete mathematics and programming language concepts. Throughout the book, valuable hands-on laboratory exercises provide the opportunity for practical application of difficult concepts. Various exercises and examples, implementing syntactic and semantic specifications on real systems, give students hands-on practice. Supplemental software is available on disk or via file transfer protocol. This book is suitable for an advanced undergraduate or introductory graduate level course on the formal syntax and semantics of programming languages.