IDE
Integrated Development Environment
Examples of IDE
IDLE, Eclipse, Netbeans
Functions of IDEs
- To provide debugging tools for finding logic errors.
- Preventing and illustrating logic errors
- Providing a run time environment
- Providing usability functions.
Debugging Tools
- Breakpoints
- Stepping through lines of code individually to check which are executing.
- Tracing through a program to output the values of variables.
Preventing and identifying logic errors
- Illustrating keyword syntax and auto-completing command entry.
- Error highlighting
- Compiler produces output of error message.
Providing a Run-time Environment
- Output window
- Simulating different devices the program can run on.
Usability Functions
- Navigation, showing/hiding bits of code
- Formatting source code
- Find and replace
- Comment or indent regions.
High Level Languages
A computer programming language used to write programs. They need to be translated into machine code through a compiler, interpreter or assembler.
Examples of High Level Languages
Python, Java, C++, JavaScript, Visual Basic
Low Level Languages
A computer programming language which closely represents machine language
Machine Code
Code that represents how CPUs understand instructions, represented by binary or hexadecimal numbers.
Advantages of Machine Code
- Programmers have more freedom with what to do with the program as they aren’t limited by words.
Disadvantages of Machine Code
- Difficult to write in, read and debug.
Assembly Language
Uses mnemonics to form instructions.
Translated by an assembler into machine code.
The Purpose of Translators
To convert code written in a high level language or assembly language, into binary machine code for execution.
Types of Translators
- Compilers
- Interpreters
- Assemblers
Compilers
A type of translator that translates the whole code before running it.
Advantages of Compilers
- No need for translation software at runtime
- Speed of execution is faster
- Code is usually optimised
- Original source code kept secret
Disadvantages of Compilers
- Program won’t run with syntax errors, more difficult to write code.
- Code must be recompiled when code is changed.
- Designed for specific processor
Interpreters
A type of translator that translates code line by line.
Advantages of Interpreters
- Code will run and stop when syntax error occurs, easy to write
- Code does not need to be recompiled
- Easy for beginners
Disadvantages of Interpreters
- Translation software needed at run time
- Speed of execution is slower
- Code is not optimised
- Source code is needed
