Programming Languages a Tour of Concepts and Paradigms
Programming Languages a Tour of Concepts and Paradigms
by Walid Chaib
Imperative Languages: Step-by-Step Instructions
Concept Characteristics Example: C
Execute commands in a specific order. Focus on control flow, variables, and Allows direct memory manipulation. Used
This modifies the program's state step by assignments. in system programming.
step.
C powers over 70% of embedded systems worldwide, making it a cornerstone of modern technology.
Object-Oriented Languages:
Modeling with Objects
Concept: Encapsulation Concept: Inheritance
Bundle data and methods that Allows new objects to take on
operate on the data into a the properties of existing
single unit. objects.
Concept: Polymorphism
Enables objects to take on many forms.
Concept
1
Evaluate expressions.
2 Immutability
3 Recursion
Haskell reduces code defects by up to 40%. Strong typing ensures mathematical reasoning.
Scripting Languages: Glueing Systems Together
Concept
1
Automate tasks with dynamic typing and interpreters.
Characteristics
2
Rapid development, ease of use, interpreted.
Example: Python
3
Data science, web development, scripting.
Python is used by 80% of data scientists for machine learning and data analysis.
Language Comparison: C vs. Java vs. Python
C
Performance-critical systems, low-level control.
Java
Enterprise applications, platform independence.
Python
Rapid development, data science.
C is often 10x faster than Python. While Java offers robust platform independence.
Key Concepts: Variables and Data Types
Data Types
Variables
Define the kind of values a variable can
Named storage locations holding values. 1 2 store.
4 3
Memory Example
C offers fine-grained memory control. Static vs. Dynamic typing (Java vs. Python).
Control Structures: Directing
Program Flow
Conditional Statements Loops
if, else if, else. for, while, do-while.
Syntax
Differences in syntax across languages.
Nested loops can increase time complexity exponentially. Optimize loops for
better performance.
Functions and Modularity: Building Reusable Code
1 Functions
2 Modularity
3 Code Reuse
Choosing
Choosing depends on project requirements.
Learning
Continuous learning is crucial.
Languages
The number of programming languages exceeds 700.