Q1) Define a programming language and explain its role in computer programming. Explain different programming languages. ANS1) Programming languages allow us to communicate with computers through computer code. Programming language is simply a means to tell a computer what it should do. It’s a language your computer understands and knows how to process. Computer is a machine and we are human beings. Human wants to talk to Computer. Both must know a common language. These languages which are understandable by both Human and Computer are called Programming languages. C, C++, JAVA, FORTRAN, COBOL, Python etc. are the Programming languages. There are three major categories of computer programming languages namely: i! Low level (Assembly, Machine code). ¢ Low level languages (LLL) are languages which are machine/processor dependent e.g machine code (binary) and assembly code. e They are mostly used to write programs which will work on a specific processor architecture and computer hardware. Mid-level (C, Assembly). ¢ This is a better version of machine language whereby instead of using raw binary sequences to writeinstructions, we use mnemonics. ¢ These mnemonics are then translated to machine language specific to a processor architecture by an assembler. e Assembly code has the best of both worlds, it is fast and can be read and understood and also communicates with the hardware directly. 8 High level (Java, Haskell, Prolog, FORTRAN) The HL- languages are machine independent meaning a program written in one system can be executed on any other system. e These languages are human readable, e some are close to written English e.g python and hence easily understandable so much so that code written by a different programmer can be changed to perform a different task, they are also easier to debug and maintain e They provide a high level of abstraction from machine languages. Q2) Differentiate between a compiler and an interpreter. When might you prefer one over the other? ANS2) > Compiler >» Acompiler is a software tool that translates high- level programming code written in languages like C,C++, Java into machine code or executable code. >» Compilers create efficient and optimized machine code, making them suitable for performance-critical applications. Once the code is compiled, it produces a standalone executable file that can be run on the target platform. » Compilers provide benefits like improved execution speed and the ability to catch errors before runtime. However, the compilation process can be time- consuming, and developers need to recompile the code after making changes. » Interpreter: > An interpreter is a software tool that reads and executes high-level programming code directly, line by line. Instead of translating the entire code before execution, interpreters process the code in real-time. » They interpret and execute each statement as it is encountered, making them suitable for scripting languages like Python, Ruby, and JavaScript. » Interpreters offer advantages such as quicker development cycles, dynamic typing, and ease of debugging, as errors are caught immediately during execution. However, interpreted code generally tends to run slower than compiled code.When to Prefer Which: + Compiler: Compilers are preferred when you want to create a executable file. They are more suitable for larger programs or projects where execution speed is crucial. Once compiled, the program can run faster since it's directly in machine code. « Interpreter: Interpreters are beneficial during development and testing stages. They provide quicker feedback as errors are caught and displayed one line at a time. Interpreted languages are often used in scripting, prototyping, or scenarios where you want more interactive control over the program's execution Q3) Describe the sequence, selection, and iteration programming structures. Provide examples of each. ANS3) 1. Sequence: In the sequence structure, statements are placed one after the other and the execution takes place starting from up to down. 2. Selections: In Selections structure there is a condition and according to a condition, a decision of either TRUE or FALSE is achieved. In the case of TRUE, one of the two branches is explored; but in the case of FALSE condition, the other alternative is taken. Generally, the ‘IF-THEN’ is used to represent branch control 3. Iteration (Loop): The Loop or Repetition allows astatement(s) to be executed repeatedly based on certain loop condition e.g. WHILE, FOR loops Q4)Identify the following symbols of a Flowchart Cc) | oe O 1. Oval: Used to represent start and end of flowchart 2. Rectangle: Processing: Used for arithmetic operations and data-manipulations 3. Arrows : Flow line Used to indicate the flow of logic by connecting symbols 4. Parallelogram: Used for input and output operation 5. Diamond: Decision making. Used to represent the operation in which there are two/three alternatives, true and false etc. 6. Circle : Page ConnectorQ5) Define an algorithm. What are the key characteristics of a good algorithm? ANS) The word “algorithm” means a procedure or a technique. Software Engineer commonly uses an algorithm for planning and solving the problems. An algorithm is a sequence of steps to solve a particular problem or algorithm is an ordered set of unambiguous steps that produces a result and terminates in a finite time. 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