Programming Languages

Programming Languages

1. Low Level

   • Machine code
     • e.g Binary 10100101010100011
     • only thing that machines can understand.
   • Assembly Language
     • Advantages
       • Does not require a translator
       • Assembly languages have the same structure and set of commands as machine languages, but they enable a programmer to use names instead of numbers.
       • Assembly language is designed to be easily translated into machine language.
   • Disadvatages
     • complex, takes lots of steps to do a task

2. High Level

   • Examples
     • Python
     • Java
   • Advantages
     • Debugging is easier
     • make complex programming simpler
     • Easy for humans to understand
   • disadvantages
     • requires translator to run

3. Translators

   • assembler
     • converts assembly language into machine language
     • converts high-level into binary
   • compiler
     • translates source code into executable commands for the computer
     • compiles the code and produces a new format
     • takes along time the first time the program is run, but only needs to be translated once
     • lists all the errors after it has translated all the code
   • interpreter
     • executes programming code directly
     • translates line by line as the code is running
     • less time to analyse code
     • must have an interpreter to run
     • stops running when it meets an error