Programming languages and IDEs (Paper 2)

Question 2

how did the invention of high-level languages come about

Answer 2

-early computers were complex and instructions would have to be written in binary code
-this process was slow, taking days to program simple tasks
-over time, new generations of programming languages have enabled people to become faster and more efficient at writing programs as they resemble human language

Question 3

what is a low level language

Answer 3

-a programming language that directly translates to machine code understood by the processor
-they allow direct control over hardware components such as memory and registers
-these languages are written for specific processors to ensure they embed the correct machine architecture

Question 4

what generations are low level languages

Answer 4

first gen
second gen

Question 5

what are first generation languages

Answer 5

machine code is a first generation language
instructions are directly executable by the processor
written in binary code

Question 6

what are second generation languages

Answer 6

assembly-code is a second generation language
code is written using mnemonics, abbreviated text commands
using this language programmers can write human-readable programs that correspond almost exactly to machine code

Question 7

advantages of low-level languages

Answer 7

-complete control over the system components
-occupy less memory and execute faster
-direct manipulation of hardware

Question 8

disadvantages of low-level languages

Answer 8

-difficult to write and understand
-machine dependant
-more prone to errors
-knowledge of computer architecture is key to program efficiently

Question 9

what is a high level programming language

Answer 9

-uses English-like statements to allow users to program with easy to use code
-high-level languages allow for clear debugging and once programs are created they are easier to maintain
-high level languages were needed due to the development of processor speeds and the increase in memory capacity

Question 10

in a high level programming language, what does one instruction translate to

Answer 10

many machine code instructions

Question 11

examples of high level languages

Answer 11

python
java
basic
C+

Question 12

advantages of high level languages

Answer 12

easier to read and write
easier to debug
portable so can be used on any computer
one line of code can perform multiple commands

Question 13

disadvantages of high level languages

Answer 13

user is not able to directly manipulate the hardware
needs to be translated to machine code before running
program may be less efficient

Question 14

what is a translator

Answer 14

a program that translates program source code into machine code so it can be executed by a processor

low level languages such as assembly code are translated using an assembler
high level languages such as python are translated using a compiler or interpreter

Question 15

what is a compiler

Answer 15

-translates high-level languages into machine code all in one go
-generally used when a program is finished and has been checked for syntax errors
-can be distributed without the need for translation software

Question 16

advantages of compilers

Answer 16

speed of execution
optimises the code
original source code will not be seen

Question 17

disadvantages of compliers

Answer 17

can be memory intensive
difficult to debug
changes mean it must be recompiled
designed solely for one specific processor

Question 18

what is an interpreter

Answer 18

-translates high level languages into machine code one line at a time
-each line is executed after translation and if any errors are found, the process stops
-interpreters are generally used when a program is being written in the development stage
-interpreted code is more difficult to distribute as translation software is needed for it to run

Question 19

advantages of an interpreter

Answer 19

-stops when it finds a specific syntax error in the code
-easier to debug
-requires less RAM to process the code

Question 20

disadvantages of an interpreter

Answer 20

-slower execution
-every time the program is run it has to be translated
-executed as is, no optimisation

Question 21

what is an IDE

Answer 21

a software designed to make writing high-level languages more efficient

Question 22

how do IDE’s make the process of creating/maintaining code easier

Answer 22

editor
error diagnostics
run-time environment
translators

Question 23

what is an editor

Answer 23

gives users an environment to write, edit and maintain high level code

Question 24

what can editors provide

Answer 24

-basic code formatting tools (changing the font, size of the font et)
-coloured keywords (uses colour to make it easier to identify key words)
-code editing (auto-completion and auto-correction of code)

Question 25

what are error diagnostics

Answer 25

-tools that help to identify, understand, and fix errors in code

Question 26

what can error diagnostics provide

Answer 26

identifying errors (highlight particular areas of code or provide direct error messages) debugger (provides a 'step through command which provides step by step instructions and shows what is happening to the code line by line)

Question 27

what is a run-time environment

Answer 27

gives users the ability to run and see the corresponding output of a high-level language

Question 28

do IDEs have translators

Answer 28

yes, they are built in to comply or interpret code

Question 29

what is casting in programming

Answer 29

when you convert one data type into another e.g. string to integer