2.5 Programming Languages & IDEs Flashcards
What are the instructions that tell a computer what to do written in ?
Machine code
What is machine code ?
A series of numbers written in binary or hexadecimal.
What are high-level languages ?
languages that are close to the spoken and written language of the programmer.
What are the cons of machine code ?
- Difficult to learn
- Program in
- Debug
What is source code ?
Any program written in a high level language
What must happen to source code first ?
Translated to machine code before understanding and executing
What are low level languages ?
A computer programming language which closely represents machine language
What are the two types of low level languages ?
- Machine code
- Assembly
What are the pros of machine code ?
- Greater control
- More complex commands
Where does assembly language sit ?
Between machine code and high level language.
What do high level languages use to form instructions ?
Statements
What does assembly use to form instructions ?
Mnemonics
What are the pros of using mnemonics ?
- Easier to understand and debug than machine code
What is opcode ?
- Operation code
- Specifies instructions that can executed by a CPU
What is operand ?
Data that is manipulated by the CPU/processor according to the given opcode
What must source code first be changed to ?
Object code
What are the three types of translators ?
- Compilers
- Interpreters
- Assemblers
What is the feature of a compiler ?
- Translates source code as a whole in one go.
What are pros of a compiler ?
- Run quickly
- Supplied as an executable file
- Optimise code (Use less memory)
What are cons of compilers ?
- Don’t usually spot errors
- Source code must be recompiled
- Source code compiled on one platform won’t run on another
What are features of an interpreter ?
translates source code into object code one
instruction at a time - Interpretation
What are the pros of Interpreters ?
- Executed as soon as translated
- Require less available memory
- Spot errors quickly
What are cons of of Interpreters ?
- Run more slowly
- Don’t produce an executable file
- Don’t optimise code
- Translated every time it’s run
What are features of an IDE ?
- Editors
- Run-time environments
- Auto line numbering
- Colour coding
- Variable tracing
- Auto-correct/suggest/indent
- Interpreters
- Breakpoints
What is a Virtual Machine ?
An emulation of a computer system.
