What is a programming language?
Programming languages are used to control a computer. You have probably heard of a few.. Java, C, C#, Python ( although strictly python is a scripting language). There are many that you wont necessarily know. Here is a comprehensive list from Wikipedia to give you an idea.
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High Level Languages
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Low Level Languages
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Compilers and Intepreters
- Processors can not run your high level language. Processors can only understand machine code.
- High level programming langages ( such as C# or Python) use compilers to convert code and compile ( build) the program into something called object code. Objects are then translated into machine code. This happens in one go when you compile your program.
- An interpreter translates each line of code and runs it before moving on to the next.
- When a program is compiled or interpreted, it picks up syntax errors. These are grammar style errors in the code which will prevent it from working.
How are programs produced?
Using a Compiler to produce the program.
Using an interpeter to produce the program. |
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- Converts code line by line and executes immediately. So no final executable is necessary.
- It will stop when it finds an error rather than wait until the end. It will then show the location of the error.
- So it is quicker than the compiler to re-interpret rather than re-compile the whole program. A compiler takes longer to analyse the source code.
Open Source - it's a caring, sharing kind of world.
Open source is about sharing your ideas with the world. Open source code can be used, edited and refined. Why would anyone want to be so nice after all the effort that they have invested? Check out these videos to understand more. Don't worry if you don't understand every term just get the gist!
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