Chapter 7 - High and Low-level Languages Flashcards
What is a computer program?
a list of instructions that enable a computer to perform a specific task
What is a translator?
convert a program into binary instructions that a computer can understand
What do high-level languages allow a programmer to do?
focus on the problem to be sold with no knowledge of the hardware and the instruction set of the computer that will use the program
What type of language is portable and can be used on different types of computer?
high-level languages
What do low-level languages relate to?
the specific architecture and hardware of a particular type of computer
What are assembly languages?
low-level programming language
needs to be translated into machine code by an assembler
What is machine code?
binary instructions that a computer understands - no translation is required
What are the three types of translators?
compilers
interpreters
assemblers
What are compilers?
a computer program that translates a program written in high-level language into machine code
so it can be directly used by a computer to perform a required task
What are interpreters?
a computer program that reads a statement from a program written in a high-level language, performs the action specified and then does the same with the next statement
What are assemblers?
a computer programs that translates a program written in an assembly language into machine code
so that it can be directly used by a computer to perform a required task
What do compilers do?
translates a high level language program into machine code
executable file of machine code produced
one HLL statement –> several machine code statements
compiled programs used without compilers
distributed for general use
What do interpreters do?
executes a HLL one statement at a time
no executable file of machine code produced
one HLL statement –> needs several machine code instructions
interpreted programs need interpreters
used when a program is being developed
What do assemblers do?
translates a low level language into machine code
executable file of machine code produced
one low level language statement –> one machine code instruction
assembled programs used without assemblers
distributed for general purpose
