4.2 Programming Languages, translators and IDE's Flashcards
Explain what is meant by the term “high level language”
- Written in a form that is close to our human language
- No knowledge of hardware/architecture required
- Portable - machine independent
- Examples: C#, Python etc.
Explain what is meant by the term “low level language”
- Written in a form that is close to the processor instruction set
- Knowledge of hardware/architecture is required
- Not portable - machine dependent
- Examples: assembly language and machine code
State 3 advantages of a high level language
- Easier to understand for programmers
- Portable - not machine specific
- No need to understand the architecture of a computer
- One instruction equals many processor instructions
- Much easier to debug and test
- Only need to learn a single language
- Has built in libraries and functions that can be reused
State 3 advantages of a low level language
- Program often requires less memory/RAM
- Can make use of special hardware
- Can use memory addresses directly
- Can be written to run faster (optimised)
Explain two reasons why a computer programmer may choose to write a program in a high- level language, rather than a low-level language.
- Closer to human language/English …
- …so it is easier/quicker to read/write/understand/debug
- The program can be used on many different platforms…
- …because it is compiled into object code
- They have built-in functions/libraries…
- …this saves time when writing the program
- Do not need to manipulate memory addresses directly…
- …therefore, specialist knowledge of this is not required
- Only need to learn a single language…
- …as this can be used on many different computers
Explain two reasons why a computer programmer may choose to write a program in a low-level language, rather than a high-level language.
- allows direct access to computer processor / special hardware //
- machine dependent instructions uses up less memory
- can increase the speed of processing a program // executes instructions faster
State 3 different translators
- Assembler
- Compiler
- Interpreter
State a translator that can be used to translate a low level language into machine code
- Assembler
State 2 different translators that can be used to translate a high level language into machine code
- Compiler
- Interpreter
Describe how an interpreter translates a computer program
- Translates high-level language into machine code
- Translates (the source code) line by line/statement by statement
- The interpeter is used each time the code is executed
- Stops if it finds an error and will only continue when error is fixed
Describe how a compiler translates a computer program
- Translates high-level language into machine code (object code)
- Translates (the source code) all at once
- Produces an executable file
- Produces an error report / list of errors
- Optimises the source code (to run efficiently)
Describe how an assembler translates a low level language
- Translates (the source code) all at once
- Produces an executable file
- Produces an error report / list of errors
- Optimises the source code (to run efficiently)
Assembly language: True or False?
- Assembly language uses mnemonic codes.
- Assembly language programs do not need a translator to be executed.
- Assembly language is a low-level programming language.
- Assembly language is specific to the computer hardware.
- Assembly language is machine code.
- Assembly language is often used to create drivers for hardware.
- Assembly language uses mnemonic codes. TRUE
- Assembly language programs do not need a translator to be executed. FALSE
- Assembly language is a low-level programming language. TRUE
- Assembly language is specific to the computer hardware. TRUE
- Assembly language is machine code. FALSE
- Assembly language is often used to create drivers for hardware. TRUE
Translator or Compiler?
- Translates the source code into machine code all at once
- Produces an executable file in machine code
- Executes a high-level language program one instruction at a time
- Once translated, the translator does not need to be present for the program to run
- An executable file is produced
Translator or Compiler?
- Translates the source code into machine code all at once Compiler
- Produces an executable file in machine code Compiler
- Executes a high-level language program one instruction at a time Interpreter
- Once translated, the translator does not need to be present for the program to run Compiler
- An executable file is produced Compiler
Translator or Compiler?
- A report of errors is produced at the end of translation
- The program is translated one line at a time
- The program is translated from high-level language into machine code
- An executable file is produced
- The program will not run at all if an error is detected
Translator or Compiler?
- A report of errors is produced at the end of translation Compiler
- The program is translated one line at a time Interpreter
- The program is translated from high-level language into machine code Compiler & Interpreter
- An executable file is produced Compiler
- The program will not run at all if an error is detected Compiler
Why might you use a compiler rather than an intrepreter?
- Compiled program can be executed without a translator
- Faster execution as it is not translated line by line
- Provides an executable file therefore you cannot see the code
Why might you use an interpreter rather than an compiler?
- Faster for developing software and debugging …
- all of the code does not need to be translated
- can execute code quickly (line by line)
What is an IDE?
- Integrated Development environment
- A software application used by programmers that …
- … provides a range of features to support program development
Name 3 features of an IDE
- Code Editor
- Translator
- Runtime environment with a debugger
- Error Diagnostics
- Auto-completion
- Auto-correction
- Auto-documenter and prettyprinting
What is the purpose of a code editor in an IDE?
- Allows the program to be written without a separate text editor
- Speeds up the development process
What is the purpose of a translator in an IDE?
This could be an interpreter or compiler and enables the code to be translated to machine code and executed
What is the purpose of a runtime environment in an IDE?
- Often contains a debugger
- Allows the programmer to step through the code line by line
- Can set breakpoints to stop execution
- A report window shows the values of variables to check logic errors
What is meant by error diagnostics in an IDE?
Dynamic error checking finds possible errors whilst writing
Shows a list of syntax errors after compilation
What is meant by auto-correction in an IDE?
Underlines errors and dynamically suggests corrections as code is being typed
What is meant by auto-completion in an IDE?
Code editors can offer to complete instructions and key words as they are being typed
What is meant by an auto-documentor in an IDE?
An auto-documentor explains the functions and purpose of built in code
What is meant by prettyprinting in an IDE?
Key words are colour coded and code is indented and structured meaningfully
