Language evolution

Question 1

What is machine code?

Answer 1

Binary code that corresponds to the machine basic instruction set

Question 2

What is assembly language?

Answer 2

One-to-one mapping of human readable mnemonics to the machine instructions.(1940-1953)

Question 3

What does Fortran stand for?

Answer 3

FORmula TRANslation

Question 4

What were the 2 benefits of fortran?

Answer 4

1.Highly optimizing compilers :types and storage of all variables are fixed before run time
2.Permanently changed the way computers are used

Question 5

What is LISP?

Answer 5

LISt Processing language(1958)
Recursively process data in lists, rather than arrays
Symbolic computation, rather than numeric
It only has 2 data types : atoms and lists

Question 6

Functional style

Answer 6

• DEFUN: define new function
• COND: function taking set of test-then-do pairs
• ATOM is a single element
• CAR: head of list, CDR: the rest of list
• Uses recursion for looping
• (T NIL) : return NIL (or false) if no matches found

Question 7

What are the 2 benefits of LISP?

Answer 7

No need for variables or assignment statements
Control via recursion and conditional expressions