02 - Section 6 - Translators and IDES

Question 1

What are the two types of computer languages?

Answer 1

High level

low level

Question 2

What are examples of high-level languages?

Answer 2

Python
C++
JavaScript

Question 3

What is an example of machine code?

Answer 3

Binary

Question 4

What is an example of assembly code?

Answer 4

Little man computer

Question 5

What do low-level languages consist of?

Answer 5

Machine code and binary code

Question 6

What are the features of high-level languages?

Answer 6

• one high level instruction represents many instructions of machine code
• same code works for many machines and processors
• programmer can store data without knowing the memory structure

Question 7

What are the advantages of high level languages?

Answer 7

Code is easy to read, understand and modify

Question 8

What are the disadvantages of high-level languages?

Answer 8

• must be translated into machine code before a computer can understand it
• less memory efficient and slower (don’t have much control over what the CPU actually does)

Question 9

What are the features of low-level languages?

Answer 9

• one instruction of assembly code usually represents one instruction of machine code
• usually written for one type of machine or processor
• the programmer needs to know about the internal structure of the CPU and how it manages its memory

Question 10

What are the disadvantages of low-level languages?

Answer 10

-code is difficult to read, understand and modify

Question 11

What are the advantages of low-level languages?

Answer 11

• commands in machine code don’t need to be translated, they can be executed directly
• you control exactly what the CPU does, so programs are more memory efficient and faster

Question 12

What are the three types of translators?

Answer 12

Assemblers
Compilers
Interpreters

Question 13

What are assemblers used to translate?

Answer 13

Assembly language into machine code

-there are many assembly languages and each one needs its own unique assembler

Question 14

What are compilers and interpreters used to translate?

Answer 14

High-level code into machine code

Question 15

What does a compiler do?

Answer 15

• translates all of the source code at the same time and creates one executable file
• only needed once to create the executable file
• returns a list of errors once compiling is complete
• once compiled the program runs quickly but compiling can take a long time

Question 16

What does a interpreter do?

Answer 16

• translates and runs the source code one instruction at a time, doesn’t create an executable file
• needed every time you run a program
• will return the first error and stop (useful for debugging)
• programs will run more slowly

Question 17

What is used to join separate compiled codes into one executable program?

Answer 17

A linker

Question 18

What determines the type of translator?

Answer 18

The programming language and the IDE

Question 19

What does IDE stand for?

Answer 19

Integrated development environment

Question 20

What is an IDE?

Answer 20

A piece of software that provides features to help a programmer to develop their program

Question 21

What is the code editor in an IDE?

Answer 21

• the main part of an IDE
• where the code is written
• most have line numbering and auto-colour coding
• good code editors will also have autocorrect, auto-indentation, auto-complete

Question 22

What is the run-time environment in an IDE?

Answer 22

• allows the code to run quickly in an IDE
• this is done by using a start or run button
• can help identify logic errors in the program

Question 23

What will an explorer window do in an IDE?

Answer 23

-help navigate through programs

Question 24

What will an output window do in an IDE?

Answer 24

-show the output from when a program is run

Question 25

What will error diagnostics and debugging tools do in an IDE?

Answer 25

• help to find and fix errors

- tell you a location of an error and often suggest ways to fix it

Question 26

What do breakpoints do in an IDE?

Answer 26

-stop the program on certain lines, so you can gather information like the value of variables as the program is running

Question 27

What are some common features of an IDE?

Answer 27

• a translator (source code into machine code)
• auto documentation, helps with the maintenance of programs (stored in a separate document to give a summary of what the code does)
• GUI builder, lets you design a user interface up by building it graphically rather than designing it with source code

Question 28

What does GUI stand for?

Answer 28

Graphical user interface