Programming Languages

Programming Languages

1. High level / Machine Code

   • Machine Code
     • Also called object-code, this is low-level code that represents how computer hardware and CPUs understand instructions. It is represented by binary numbers.
   • High Level Code
     • A computer programming language used to write programs. They need to be translated into machine code through a compiler, interpreter or assembler.

2. Assembler

   • 'An assembler translates assembly language into machine code. Assembly language is a low-level language written in mnemonics that closely reflects the operations of the CPU. Diagram showing how the assembler translates assembly language into machine-code

3. Interpreter

   • An interpreter translates code into machine code, instruction by instruction - the CPU executes each instruction before the interpreter moves on to translate the next instruction. Interpreted code will show an error as soon as it hits a problem, so it is easier to debug than compiled code. An interpreter does not create an independent final set of source code - source code is created each time it runs. Interpreted code is slower to execute than compiled code. Interpreted languages include JavaScript, PHP, Python and Ruby. Interpreted languages are also called scripting languages. These are ideal for using within dynamic web applications. They are used for client-side and server-side coding, as they are small programs that are executed within the browser.

4. Compiler

   • A compiler translates the whole program into machine code before the program is run. It can be difficult to test individual lines of compiled code compared to interpreted languages as all bugs are reported after the program has been compiled. The machine code is saved and stored separately to the high-level code. Compilation is slow but machine code can be executed quickly. Java and C++ are compiled programming languages. Java is a high-level programming language which is compiled to produce bytecode which is then interpreted by a virtual machine (VM). Bytecode is code which is compiled and can then be interpreted.

5. IDE

   • An integrated development environment (IDE) is an application used to create software. An IDE can often support different languages. IDEs have a number of different tools and functions that assist a developer in the creation of software.
     • Build automation. These tools save time by automatically doing the processes that would otherwise be done by hand. These could include testing or compiling. These tools are extremely useful when a program has many thousands of lines of code. They improve the quality of the software, minimising bad software builds as well as saving time and money.
     • Translator. This compiles or interprets the code
     • Auto documentation. This explains the function and purpose of the code, eg by noting the modules and variables used, and its expected behaviour, and collates this into a text file that can be used by other developers to understand how and why the code was created.
     • Libraries. These provide functions that are not included in the core part of the programming language. These functions can be imported and used at the start of the program code. For example, in Python the Turtle Graphics library provides access to some simple drawing and graphics tools.
     • Debugger. This is a program within the IDE

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