Introduction to Programming
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Resource Team
R.P Ranjan-Lecturer, SPICTEC, Galle. W.M.A.S . Wijesekara-Centre manager,CRC Hali-Ela H.P.U.S Indra Kumara-Instructor,CRC Hanguranketha R.M.P Bandara-Lecturer,CPICTEC Gurudeniya K.M.P.U Wimalaweera-Instructor,CRC Polonnaruwa
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What is a computer program?
A computer program is a set of instructions or commands, which tell the computer what to do. A computer language is a set of symbols and rules used in constructing programs. Computer languages are used to develop application programs
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Cont.
The machine can understand only the machine language. Assembly and other high level languages are not machine language. To transform these languages into machine language, translators are needed.
Source Code
Translator
Object Code
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Classification of Programming Languages
1st Generation Low Level Language Computer Language
2nd Generation
3rd Generation
High Level Language
4th Generation
5th Generation
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Generation of programming languages
1st Generation language ( 1GL )
2nd
3rd
Generation languages( 2GL )
Generation languages ( 3GL )
4th
5th
Generation languages ( 4GL )
Generation languages ( 5GL )
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1st Generation language ( 1GL )
Machine level programming language Machine code is the binary digit language
It consists of 1s and 0s.
The machine can directly execute the machine code Execution is speedy because no translators are used.
It is very difficult to write and modify programs.
It is machine dependant, because machine-language instructions vary according to computer architecture.
It is a low level language
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2nd Generation languages( 2GL )
Assembly language is used
Assembler is used to convert assembly language to machine language Mnemonics and variables are used to write codes It is a machine dependant language Difficult to write and modify programs
It is a low level language
Execution is fast
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3rd Generation languages ( 3GL )
It is easy to understand, because it is similar to human languages
Translators are used to convert high level language to machine language
Compilers or interpreters are used as translators.
Some of the 3rd generation languages are unstructured languages such as Basic
It is easy write and modify programs
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3rd Generation languages ( 3GL )
many of the third generation languages are procedural languages because the program instructions comprise a list of steps or procedures They are not machine dependent languages One instruction in a third generation language can replace many assembly language instructions programmer has to describe how it should be done. Ex : Basic, Fortran, Cobol, Pascal
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4th Generation languages ( 4GL )
Introduced in the late 1980s They are designed to reduce programming effort It consumes less time to write a program They are non procedural languages Very easy to write and modify
One instruction in 4GL can replace a number of 3GL instructions
Programmer has to describe what is to be done. 4GL languages reduce software development cost. They are described as application development without programmers Ex : FOCUS, IDEAL, dbase III plus
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5th Generation languages ( 5GL )
Introduced in the early 1990s User-friendly Graphical User Interfaces are facilitated. Very easy to write and modify program Execution speed is low
Event driven programs were introduced
Ex: Visual basic, Visual C++, Small Talk
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Low Level Languages
First and second generation languages are considered low level languages. They are machine dependant languages These languages are close to the hardware The programmer should have hardware knowledge to write a program Productivity is low
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High Level Languages
3GL,4GL and 5GL are considered high level languages They are machine independent languages It is easy to write and modify The programmer does not need knowledge of hardware to write programs Productivity is high Consume less time to write programs 5GL allow user-friendly facilities Translators need to be used to convert to machine language
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Translators
Translator is used to convert source code into object code. these are of three types 1. 2. 3. Assembler Interpreter Compiler
Source Code
Translator
Object Code
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Assembler
is a low-level language Translator. is a software program that converts assembly language into machine language. converts mnemonics into machine code
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Interpreter
is a translator that goes through the process of translation every time the program is run. is found running some versions of BASIC, where it translates one line of the program at a time.
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Compiler
is a translator of high level languages converts a whole program into machine language at once translates source code into Object Code. This Object code is used to execute whenever it is run
Recompiling required if any changes of source code
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