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1 Introduction to Language Processor

• A language processor is a software which bridges a

• Language processing activities arise due to:

– The difference between software designer’s idea

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 Introduction to Language Processor
• The designer expresses the ideas in terms related to the
application domain.
• To implement these ideas in terms related to execution
domain.
• The difference between the two domain termed as
semantic gap.

Semantic Gap

Application Execution
Domain Domain
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 Introduction to Language Processor
• The semantic gap has many difficulties, some of the
important ones being large development time and
efforts, and poor quality of software.
• These issues are tackled through the use of
programming language (PL).
• Software implementation using PL introduces a new
domain as PL domain.

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 Introduction to Language Processor
• Now the semantic gap is bridged by the software
engineering steps.
• The first step bridges gap between application domain
and PL domain known as specification gap.
• While the second step bridges the gap between PL
domain and execution domain as execution gap.

Specification Gap Execution Gap

Application PL Execution
Domain Domain Domain
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 Introduction to Language Processor
• The specification gap is bridge by the software
development team.
• While the execution gap is bridged by the designer of the
programming language processor. Like compiler or
interpreter.
• PL domain reduces the difficulties of semantic gap
mentioned earlier.
• The language processor also provides a diagnostics
capability which detects and indicates errors in its input.
This helps in improving the quality of the software.

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 Introduction to Language Processor
• Language processor is a software which bridges a
specification or execution gap.
• We use term language processing to describe the
activity performed by a language processor.
• We refer to the program form input to a language
processor as source program and its output as the target
program.
• The language in which these programs are written are
called source language and target language.

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 Introduction to Language Processor
• A range of LP is defined to meet practical requirements.
1. A language translator bridges an execution gap to the
machine language like assembler and compiler.
2. A detranslator bridges the same as the language
translator, but in the reverse manner.
3. A preprocessor is a language processor which bridges
an execution gap but not translator.
4. A language migrator bridges specification gap between
two PLs.

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 MCQ
• The designer expresses the ideas in terms related to the
__________ of the software.

A. Application Domain
B. Execution Domain
C. PL Domain
D. Program Generator Domain

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 MCQ
• The designer expresses the ideas in terms related to the
__________ of the software.

A. Application Domain
B. Execution Domain
C. PL Domain
D. Program Generator Domain

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 MCQ
• The gap between Application domain and PL domain is
called__________.

A. Execution Gap
B. Specification Gap
C. Application Gap
D. Semantic Gap

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 MCQ
• The gap between Application domain and PL domain is
called__________.

A. Execution Gap
B. Specification Gap
C. Application Gap
D. Semantic Gap

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 MCQ
• A __________ is software which bridges a specification or
execution gap.

A. Language Processor
B. Editor
C. Application
D. None

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 MCQ
• A __________ is software which bridges a specification or
execution gap.

A. Language Processor
B. Editor
C. Application
D. None

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 MCQ
• The gap between PL domain and Execution domain is
called__________.

A. Semantic Gap
B. Specification Gap
C. Application Gap
D. Execution Gap

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 MCQ
• The gap between PL domain and Execution domain is
called__________.

A. Semantic Gap
B. Specification Gap
C. Application Gap
D. Execution Gap

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 Short Questions
• Draw a diagram of a language processing system.
• What is meaning of Language Processing?
• Define : Application Domain & Execution Domain
• Define: Specification Gap & Execution Gap

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 Long Questions
• What is Language Processing? Explain Application, PL &
Execution domain.
• What is Language Processing? Explain spectrum of language
processor.
• Explain Language Processing Activity in detail.

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