The Design and Implementation of a Table Driven, Interactive Diagnostic Programming System CAPS is a highly interactive diagnostic compiler/interpreter that allows beginning programmers to prepare, debug, and execute fairly simple programs at a graphics display terminal. Complete syntax checking and most semantic analysis is performed as the program is entered and as it is subsequently edited. Analysis is performed character by character. The most remarkable feature of CAPS is its ability to automatically diagnose errors both at compile time and at run time. Errors are not automatically corrected. Instead, CAPS interacts with the student to help him find the cause of his error. Most components of CAPS are table driven, both to reduce the space needed for implementation and to increase the flexibility of the multilingual system. Over 500 students have used CAPS to learn Fortran, PL/I, or Cobolin conjunction with a computer assisted course on introductory computer science. CACM November, 1976 Wilcox, T. R. Davis, A. M. Tindall, M. H. interactive programming, table driven compilers, error correction, interpreters, debugging, computer assisted instruction, computer science education 1.5 4.12 4.13 4.42 8.2 CA761103 JB January 3, 1978 3:37 PM 1323 4 2820 1358 4 2820 1380 4 2820 1665 4 2820 1781 4 2820 1787 4 2820 1989 4 2820 2112 4 2820 2534 4 2820 2541 4 2820 2698 4 2820 2708 4 2820 2733 4 2820 2820 4 2820 2820 4 2820 2971 4 2820 3045 4 2820 3073 4 2820 3155 4 2820 2534 5 2820 2820 5 2820 2820 5 2820 2820 5 2820 799 5 2820