Language Tools Essay (Computing)

Language Tools Essay (Computing)

  • Submitted By: majed
  • Date Submitted: 11/17/2008 10:11 AM
  • Category: Technology
  • Words: 962
  • Page: 4
  • Views: 882

LANGUAGE FEATURES

|Topic |Page |
|Levels of computer programming languages |2 |
|Translation |3 |
|Special purpose languages |4 |
|Program organisation |5 |
|Errors |6 |

Levels of computer programming languages

Translation

This is the process of making the code written in whatever language has been chosen into the binary, or machine code, that the computer can run.

You could come across three types of translator:
❖ An assembler

❖ A compiler

❖ An interpreter

In general:

While developing your VB program, VB uses the built-in interpreter. As you will have noticed, your program will run up to a point even if it contains errors. This would not be possible with a compiler.

However, there is also a built-in compiler, allowing you to compile your VB program once it’s ready (in File/Make …exe) and you can then run the program (without the VB language in the background) on any computer that runs Windows. If you have external files and pictures, these must accompany the exe file on the CD or whatever you transport it on.

In fact this is how software is always distributed. The purchaser would not wish to have access to the language the program was written in, nor even know what language that was. It also enables the writer to build in safety features and to preserve his copyright.

(Note: you can’t actually run exe files in college – it’s a security thing.)

Question - Does a first generation language need a translator?

Special purpose languages

Scientific
In the early days...

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