Unit 2.5 - Translators and Facilities of Programs

Unit 2.5 - Translators and Facilities of Programs

1. There are 2 different types of Programming Languages

   • Low - Level Programming Languages
     • 1st Generation (Machine Code) is directly executable and yet it is hard to debug. It needs no translators but is very hard for a human to read.
     • 2nd Generation (Assembly Language) uses mnemonics and one instruction translates to one instruction. Computers cant read it and so it is back tracked via an assembler. It is often used in device drivers.
   • High - Level Programming Languages which are portable but can be OS specific
     • 3rd Generation Programming Languages are easier for humans to understand, however computers cant read them and each instruction turns into a great many. We can use either compilers or interpreters to turn it back into machine code. Examples include Java, Python and C++
     • 4th Generation Declarative Languages describe what should be performed and not how to do it. Facts and Rules are stated. An example could be SQL.

2. Translators are programs that convert source code (High Level) into m code (Low Level)

   • An assembler is a translator that converts 2nd Generation Assembly Language into Machine Code for the computer to read.
   • Compilers translate high level source code into machine code. It is compiled upon the end of development. Compiled (.exe) files can be run over and over again without recompiling
   • Interpreters do this line by line however they don't produce compiled files.
   • Compiled run faster but the interpreted is more flexible

3. Integrated Development Environment (IDEs)

   • Software tools that provide many of the utilities required to develop a program in one place.
   • Common features may include an editor (software used to write source code), debugging tools and systematic progression through a program and a linker.
     • A linker is a program used with a compiler or assembler to provide links to the libraries needed for an executable program.

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