Programming Languages

PROG0101 Fundamentals of Programming
PROG0101
FUNDAMENTALS OF PROGRAMMING
Chapter 2
Programming Languages
1
Topics
• Definition of Program, Computer Programming, and
Computer Programmer.
• Generations of Programming Language
• Types of Programming Language
2
Computer Program
• A program is a set of instructions following the rules
of the chosen language.
• Without programs, computers are useless.
• A program is like a recipe.
• It contains a list of ingredients (called variables) and
a list of directions (called statements) that tell the
computer what to do with the variables.
3
Programming Language
• A vocabulary and set of grammatical rules (syntax)
for instructing a computer to perform specific tasks.
• Programming languages can be used to create
computer programs.
• The term programming language usually refers to
high-level languages, such as BASIC, C, C++,
COBOL, FORTRAN, Ada, and Pascal.
4
• You eventually need to convert your program into
machine language so that the computer can
understand it.
• There are two ways to do this:
– Compile the program
– Interpret the program
5
• Compile is to transform a program written in a high-
level programming language from source code into
object code.
• This can be done by using a tool called compiler.
• A compiler reads the whole source code and
translates it into a complete machine code program
to perform the required tasks which is output as a
new file.
6
• Interpreter is a program that executes instructions
written in a high-level language.
• An interpreter reads the source code one instruction
or line at a time, converts this line into machine code
and executes it.
7
Computer Programming
• Computer programming is the process of writing,
testing, debugging/troubleshooting, and maintaining
the source code of computer programs.
• This source code is written in a programming
language like C++, JAVA, Perl etc.
8
Computer Programmer
• A programmer is someone who writes computer
program.
• Computer programmers write, test, and maintain
programs or software that tell the computer what to
do.
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What Skills are Required to Become a

Programmer?
• Programming - Writing computer programs for
various purposes.
• Writing - Communicating effectively with others in
writing as indicated by the needs of the audience.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written
sentences and paragraphs in work-related
documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and analysis to
identify the strengths and weaknesses of different
approaches.
10

Programmer?
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of electric
circuit boards, processors, chips, and computer
hardware and software, including applications and
programming.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of numbers, their
operations, and interrelationships including
arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and
their applications.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate
information and ideas in speaking so others will
understand.
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Programmer?
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and
understand information and ideas presented through
spoken words and sentences.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate
information and ideas in writing so others will
understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and
understand information and ideas presented in
writing.
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Programmer?
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general
rules to specific problems to come up with logical
answers. It involves deciding if an answer makes
sense.
• Information Organization - Finding ways to
structure or classify multiple pieces of information.
13
Generations of Programming Language

• The first generation languages, or 1GL, are low-
level languages that are machine language.
• The second generation languages, or 2GL, are
also low-level languages that generally consist of
assembly languages.
• The third generation languages, or 3GL, are high-
level languages such as C.
14
Generations of Programming Language

• The fourth generation languages, or 4GL, are
languages that consist of statements similar to
statements in a human language. Fourth generation
languages are commonly used in database
programming and scripts.
• The fifth generation languages, or 5GL, are
programming languages that contain visual tools to
help develop a program. A good example of a fifth
generation language is Visual Basic.
15
Types of Programming Language

• There are three types of programming language:
– Machine language (Low-level language)
– Assembly language (Low-level language)
– High-level language
• Low-level languages are closer to the language used
by a computer, while high-level languages are closer
to human languages.
16
Machine Language
• Machine language is a collection of binary digits or
bits that the computer reads and interprets.
• Machine languages are the only languages
understood by computers.
• While easily understood by computers, machine
languages are almost impossible for humans to use
because they consist entirely of numbers.
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Machine Language
Machine Language
169 1 160 0 153 0 128 153 0 129 153 130 153 0 131
200 208 241 96
High level language

5 FOR I=1 TO 1000: PRINT "A";: NEXT I
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Machine Language
Example:
• Let us say that an electric toothbrush has a processor
and main memory.
• The processor can rotate the bristles left and right,
and can check the on/off switch.
• The machine instructions are one byte long, and
correspond to the following machine operations:
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Machine Language
Machine Instruction Machine Operation

0000 0000 Stop
0000 0001 Rotate bristles left
0000 0010 Rotate bristles right
0000 0100 Go back to start of program
0000 1000 Skip next instruction if switch is off
20
Assembly Language
• A program written in assembly language consists of a
series of instructions mnemonics that correspond to a
stream of executable instructions, when translated by
an assembler, that can be loaded into memory and
executed.
• Assembly languages use keywords and symbols,
much like English, to form a programming language
but at the same time introduce a new problem.
21
Assembly Language
• The problem is that the computer doesn't understand
the assembly code, so we need a way to convert it to
machine code, which the computer does understand.
• Assembly language programs are translated into
machine language by a program called an
assembler.
22
Assembly Language
• Example:
– Machine language :
10110000 01100001
– Assembly language :
mov a1, #061h
– Meaning:
Move the hexadecimal value 61 (97 decimal) into
the processor register named "a1".
23
High Level Language

• High-level languages allow us to write computer
code using instructions resembling everyday spoken
language (for example: print, if, while) which are
then translated into machine language to be
executed.
• Programs written in a high-level language need to
be translated into machine language before they
can be executed.
• Some programming languages use a compiler to
perform this translation and others use an
interpreter.
24
High-Level Language
• Examples of High-level Language:
• ADA
• C
• C++
• JAVA
• BASIC
• COBOL
• PASCAL
• PHYTON
25
Comparisson
Machine Language Assembly Language High-level Languages
Time to execute Since it is the basic A program called an A program called a
language of the ‘assembler’ is required compiler or interpreter
computer, it does not to convert the program is required to convert
require any translation, into machine language. the program into
and hence ensures Thus, it takes longer to machine language.
better machine execute than a Thus, it takes more
efficiency. This means machine language time for a computer to
the programs run program. execute.
faster.
Time to develop Needs a lot of skill, as Simpler to use than Easiest to use. Takes
instructions are very machine language, less time to develop
lengthy and complex. though instruction programs and, hence,
Thus, it takes more codes must be ensures better program
time to program. memorized. It takes efficiency.
less time to develop
programs as compared
to machine language.
26
BASIC
• Short for Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic
Instruction Code.
• Developed in the 1950s for teaching University
students to program and provided with every self-
respecting personal computer in the 1980s,
• BASIC has been the first programming language for
many programmers.
• It is also the foundation for Visual Basic.
27
BASIC
Example:
PRINT "Hello world!"
28
Visual Basic
• A programming language and environment
developed by Microsoft.
• Based on the BASIC language, Visual Basic was one
of the first products to provide a graphical
programming environment and a paint metaphor for
developing user interfaces.
29
Visual Basic
Example:
MsgBox "Hello, World!“
30
C
• Developed by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs in the mid
1970s.
• C is much closer to assembly language than are
most other high-level languages.
• The first major program written in C was the UNIX
operating system.
• The low-level nature of C, however, can make the
language difficult to use for some types of
applications.
31
C
Example:
#include <stdio.h>
int main(void)
{
printf("hello, world\n");
return 0;
}
32
C++
• A high-level programming language developed by
Bjarne Stroustrup at Bell Labs.
• C++ adds object-oriented features to its predecessor,
C.
• C++ is one of the most popular programming
language for graphical applications, such as those
that run in Windows and Macintosh environments.
33
C++
Example:
#include <iostream>
int main()
{
std::cout << "Hello World!" << std::endl;
return 0;
}
34
Pascal
Niklaus Wirth in the late 1960s.
• The language is named after Blaise Pascal, a
seventeenth-century French mathematician who
constructed one of the first mechanical adding
machines.
• It is a popular teaching language.
35
Pascal
Example:
Program HelloWorld(output);
begin
writeLn('Hello, World!')
end.
36
Java
Sun Microsystems.
• Java was originally called OAK, and was designed for
handheld devices and set-top boxes.
• Oak was unsuccessful so in 1995 Sun changed the
name to Java and modified the language to take
advantage of the burgeoning World Wide Web.
• Java is a general purpose programming language
with a number of features that make the language
well suited for use on the World Wide Web.
37
Java
Example:
/* * Outputs "Hello, World!" and then exits */
public class HelloWorld {

public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println("Hello, World!");
}
}
38
Choosing a Programming Language
Before you decide on what language to use, you should

consider the following:
• your server platform
• the server software you run
• your budget
• previous experience in programming
• the database you have chosen for your backend
39

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PROG0101 Fundamentals of Programming

What Skills are Required to Become a

What Skills are Required to Become a

What Skills are Required to Become a

What Skills are Required to Become a

Generations of Programming Language

Generations of Programming Language

Types of Programming Language

High level language

Machine Instruction Machine Operation

High Level Language

PRINT "Hello world!"

MsgBox "Hello, World!“

/* * Outputs "Hello, World!" and then exits */

public class HelloWorld {

Choosing a Programming Language

Before you decide on what language to use, you should

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