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Topic 1. Overview of Programming Languages

The document discusses elements of programming languages including the position of programming in the system development life cycle, reasons for studying different programming languages, programming domains, and criteria for evaluating languages. It notes that programming languages provide a medium of communication between humans and machines. Key reasons for studying multiple languages include increased ability to express ideas, choose appropriate languages, learn new languages, and understand language design and implementation tradeoffs. Programming domains include scientific, business, AI, systems programming, scripting, and special purpose languages. Language evaluation criteria encompass readability, writability, reliability, and cost.

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Siena Duerme Gutierrez
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78 views

Topic 1. Overview of Programming Languages

The document discusses elements of programming languages including the position of programming in the system development life cycle, reasons for studying different programming languages, programming domains, and criteria for evaluating languages. It notes that programming languages provide a medium of communication between humans and machines. Key reasons for studying multiple languages include increased ability to express ideas, choose appropriate languages, learn new languages, and understand language design and implementation tradeoffs. Programming domains include scientific, business, AI, systems programming, scripting, and special purpose languages. Language evaluation criteria encompass readability, writability, reliability, and cost.

Uploaded by

Siena Duerme Gutierrez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MODULE 1

ELEMENTS OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

TIME FRAME: PRELIM

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES:

At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:

1. name and use the programming functions in system development.


2. explain the importance of studying different programming
languages.
3. identify abstraction and structure similarities and differences.

INTRODUCTION:

In this lesson you will determine the position of the programming


function within the scope of the system-development life cycle.
Programming language is a medium of communication between human and
the machine and often between one human being to another.

SUBJECT MATTER:

A. Programming function in Systems Development


B. Reasons for Studying Concepts Programming Languages
C. Programming Domain
D. Language Evaluation Criteria
E. Influences on Language Design

CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT

The system development life cycle

Requirements specification
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 This step includes a problem definition as well as analyses of the
current system and of the firm’s goal in developing the new
computer system.

Evaluating Alternative
 The number of alternative systems are designed that satisfy the
requirements specified in the previous step. These alternatives are
tested for feasibility, including technological feasibility, economic
feasibility and behavioral feasibility.

Purchase and Construct


 Once management decides on the appropriate system, I must be
“built”. For hardware this almost always means “purchase”, since
few firms go to the trouble of building their own computers. The
software component of the system however, can be either
purchased or constructed.

Implementation and Testing


 The system is tested for errors, and these errors are corrected.

Maintenance
 Maintenance operation takes place throughout the lifetime of the
computer system. A good system will allow for evolution as the
firm’s needs change over time. Eventually, though the firm may
perceive the need for a new system, the cycle begins again.
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REASONS FOR STUDYING CONCEPTS OF PROGRAMMING
LANGUAGES

Increased capacity to express ideas  it is widely believe that the depth at


which we can think is influenced by the expressive power of language in
which we communicate our thoughts. Awareness of a wider variety of
programming language features can reduce such limitations in software
development. Programming can increase the range of their software-
development process by learning new language constructs.
Improved background for choosing appropriate languages  Many
professional programmers have had little education in computer science;
rather they have learned programming on their own thought in-house
training programs. Such training programs often teach one or two languages
that are directly relevant to the current work of the organization. Many other
programmers received their formal training in the distant past.
Increased ability to learn new languages  Computer programming is a
young discipline, and design methodologies, software development tools,
and programming languages are still in the state of continuous evolution.
This makes systems development exciting profession, but it also means that
continuous learning is essential.
Better understanding of the significance of implementation  In learning
the concepts of programming languages, it is both interesting and necessary
to touch on the implementation issues that affect those concepts. In some
cases, understanding of implementation issues leads to understanding of
why languages are designed the way they are. This in turn leads to the
ability to use a language more intelligently, as it was designed to be used.
We can become better programmers by understanding the choices among
programming languages construct and the consequences of those choice.
Increased ability to design new languages  to a student, the possibility
of being required at some future time to design a new programming
language may seem remote. However, most professional programmers
occasionally do design languages of one sort or another.
Overall advancement of computing  Finally, there is a global view of
computing that can justify the study of programming language concept.
Although it is usually possible to determine why a particular programming
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language become popular, it is not always clear, at least in retrospect that
the most popular programming languages are the best available.

PROGRAMMING DOMAIN

A. Scientific Application
The first digital computers, which appeared in the 1940's, were
used in the fact invented for scientific applications. Typically,
scientific applications have simple data structures but require
large number of floating-point arithmetic computations. Thew
most common data structures are arrays and matrices; the most
common control structures are counting and loops and
selections. The high-level programming languages are invented
for scientific applications were designed to provide those needs.

A. Business Applications

The use computer for business applications begin in the 1950s.


Special computers were developed for this purpose, along with
special languages. The first successful high-level language for
business was COBOL (ANSI 1985), which appeared in 1960. It is
still the most commonly used language for these applications.

Two specific tools that can be used on small computers,


spreadsheet systems and database systems were developed for
business and now are widely used.

C. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence is a broad area of computer applications
characterized by the use of symbolic rather than numeric
computations. Symbolic computations means that symbols,
consisting of names rather than numbers, are manipulated.

D. Systems Programming
The operating system and all the programming support tools
of a computer system are collectively known as its systems software.
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system software is used almost continuously and therefore must have
execution efficiently. Therefore, a language for this domain must
provide fast execution.

E. Scripting Languages
Scripting languages evolved slowly over the past 25 years. A
scripting language is used by putting a list of commands, called
a script, in a file to be executed. The first of these language,
name sh (for shell), began as a small collection of commands
that were interpreted as calls to system subprograms that are
performed utility functions such as file management and simple
file filtering

F. Special-Purpose Languages
A host of special-purpose languages have appeared over the
past 40 years. They range from RPG, which is used to produce
business reports, to APT, which is used for instructing
programmable machine tools, to GPSS, which is used for
systems simulation.

LANGUAGE EVALUATION CRITERIA

A. Readability
One of the most important criteria for judging a programming
language is the ease with which the programs can be read and
understood. Readability must be considered in the context of the
problem domain. For example, if a program that describe a
computation was written in a language not desired for use, the
program may be unnatural and convoluted, making it unusually
difficult to read.

A.1 Overall Simplicity


A.2 Orthogonality
A.3 Control Statements
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A.4 Data Types and Structures
A.5 Syntax Considerations

B. Writability. Is a measure of how easily a language can be used to


create programs for a chosen problem domain.

C. Reliability. A program is said to be reliable if it performs to its


specifications under all conditions.

C.1 Type Checking


C.2 Exception Handling
C.3 Aliasing

D. Cost
The ultimate total cost of a programming language is a
function of many of this characteristics. First, there is the cost
of training programmers to use the language. Second is the cost
of writing programs in language. Third is the cost of compiling
programs in the language. Fourth, the cost of executing
programs written in language is greatly influenced by that
language's design.

REFERENCES:

Robert W. Sebesta, Concepts of Programming Languages (Fourth Edition),


1999.
Linda Weiser Freidman, Comparative Programming Languages, 1991.

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