INTRODUCTION OF
COMPUTING AND
PROGRAMMING
APPROACHES
MODULE 3
EARLY COMPUTING MACHINES:
• The history of computing begins with early machines
designed to automate calculations. Charles Babbage's
Analytical Engine concept, for instance, was based on
mechanical components and punch cards for programming.
These machines required a physical reconfiguration to
change programs.
PROGRAMMING PIONEERS:
• The introduction of computing was closely tied to the
development of programming languages and methodologies.
Ada Lovelace, often considered the world's first programmer,
wrote instructions for Babbage's Analytical Engine. Her work
laid the foundation for modern programming.
ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE:
• As electronic computers like ENIAC emerged, programming
shifted from physical wiring to symbolic languages. Assembly
language, which uses mnemonics to represent machine
instructions, became the earliest form of human-readable
programming.
HIGH-LEVEL PROGRAMMING
LANGUAGES:
• The mid-20th century saw the development of high-level
programming languages like Fortran, COBOL, and LISP. These
languages allowed programmers to write code that was more
abstract and closer to natural language, making it more
accessible.
THE C PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE
(1972):
• C, developed by Dennis Ritchie, was a groundbreaking
programming language that offered a balance between high-
level and low-level capabilities. It played a pivotal role in the
development of operating systems, including Unix.
OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING
(OOP):
• OOP, popularized by languages like Smalltalk and C++,
introduced the concept of objects and classes. OOP promotes
modularity and reusability, enabling more organized and
efficient programming.
STRUCTURED PROGRAMMING:
• Structured programming, with constructs like loops and
conditionals, provided a more organized approach to coding.
It made programs easier to understand and maintain.
PROCEDURAL PROGRAMMING:
• Procedural programming languages like Pascal and C focused
on defining procedures or functions. These languages
emphasized code reusability and maintainability.
FUNCTIONAL PROGRAMMING:
• Functional programming languages like Lisp and Haskell treat
computation as the evaluation of mathematical functions.
They emphasize immutability and pure functions.
THE RISE OF OBJECT-ORIENTED
PROGRAMMING (OOP):
• OOP became the dominant paradigm with languages like Java
and Python, making it easier to model real-world concepts
and build complex software systems.
MODERN PROGRAMMING
PARADIGMS:
• Today, programming includes a wide range of paradigms,
including concurrent programming, web development, mobile
app development, and data science. Modern languages and
frameworks like JavaScript, Python, and Ruby enable
developers to tackle diverse challenges.
SIGNIFICANCE OF PROGRAMMING
APPROACHES:
• Abstraction: Programming approaches provide varying levels of
abstraction, allowing developers to focus on solving problems without
worrying about low-level details.
• Modularity: Approaches like OOP and procedural programming
promote modularity, making code easier to understand and maintain.
• Efficiency: Different approaches have varying levels of efficiency in
terms of execution speed and memory usage, which can be critical
for specific applications.
SIGNIFICANCE OF PROGRAMMING
APPROACHES:
• Scalability: Modern programming approaches enable the development
of scalable and maintainable software systems, critical for large-scale
applications.
• Flexibility: The choice of programming approach depends on the
problem at hand. Functional programming, for example, excels in certain
mathematical and scientific domains.
• Interactivity: Web development and scripting languages provide
interactivity and rapid development, making them suitable for creating
dynamic websites and prototypes.
• Community and Ecosystem: The popularity of programming languages
and approaches often leads to vibrant communities, extensive libraries,
and a wealth of resources for developers.
