INTRODUCTION TO PRORAMMING

LANGUAGE

CHAPTER 1.1
Evolution of Programming Language

DFC1023 PROBLEM SOLVING & PROGRAM DESIGN

1.1 EVOLUTION OF PROGRAMMING
LANGUAGE
 Programming language :
 In computer technology, a set of conventions in which
instructions for the machine are written. There are many
languages that allow humans to communicate with
computers
 Programming languages can be used to create
programs to control the behavior of a machine
 Coded language used by progammers to write
instructions that a computer can understand to do what
the programmer (or the computer user) wants.
EXAMPLE OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE

Example of
the output
PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE
TIMELINE
 (attached PLTimeline.PNG)
CATEGORIES OF PROGRAMMING
LANGUAGES
 Machine Language / Machine Code
a set of instructions executed directly by a computer’s
central processing unit(CPU).
 Numerical machine code may be regarded as the
lowest-level representation of computer program or as
a primitive and hardware-dependent programming
language
 Almost all practical programs today are written in
higher-level languages or assembly language, and
translated to executable machine code
CATEGORIES OF PROGRAMMING
LANGUAGES
 Machine Language / Machine Code
 Machine Language is the only language that is directly
understood by the computer.
 When sequence of codes is fed to the computer, it
recognizes the codes and converts it in to electrical
signals needed to run it.
 Example :
CATEGORIES OF PROGRAMMING
LANGUAGES
 Machine Language / Machine Code
 Advantage :
 program of machine language run very fast because no
translation program is required for the CPU.
 Disadvantage :
 It is very difficult to program in machine language. The
programmer has to know details of hardware to write
program
 The programmer has to remember a lot of codes to write a
program which results in program errors.
 It is difficult to debug the program.
CATEGORIES OF PROGRAMMING
LANGUAGES
 Assembly Language
a low-level symbolic code converted by an assembler.
 Assembly language uses a mnemonic to represent each
low-level machine instruction or operation.
 Assembly languages (symbolic language) are only
somewhat simpler to work with than machine languages.
 Low-level language.
CATEGORIES OF PROGRAMMING
LANGUAGES
 Assembly Language
 Advantage :
 easier to understand and saves a lot of time and effort of
the programmer.
 It is easier to correct errors and modify program instructions.
 Assembly Language has the same efficiency of execution as
the machine level language. Because this is one-to-one
translator between assembly language program and its
corresponding machine language program.
CATEGORIES OF PROGRAMMING
LANGUAGES
 Assembly Language
 Disadvantage :
 One of the major disadvantages is that assembly language
is machine dependent. A program written for one computer
might not run in other computers with different hardware
configuration.
 Example :
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LANGUAGES
 3rd Generation Programming Language
 Thethird generation brought refinements to make the
languages more programmer-friendly
 machine independent and could run on different
machines
 The comparative ease of use and learning,
improved portability and simplified debugging,
modifications and maintenance led to reliability
and lower software costs.
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LANGUAGES
 3rd Generation Programming Language
 Advantage :
 User-friendly
 Similar to English using words and symbols
 Easier to learn.
 Require less time to write
 Easier to maintain.
 Can be converted into many machine language and thus can
run on any computer for which there exists a suitable
translator.
 Independent of the machine on which it is used.
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LANGUAGES
 3rd Generation Programming Language
 Disadvantage :
 Needs to be translated into the machine language by a translator.
 The object code
generated by a
translator may be
ineffective.
 Example :
 ALGOL 58,
COBOL, FORTRAN IV
and C
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LANGUAGES
 4th Generation Programming Language
a grouping of programming languages that attempt to
get closer than 3GLs to human language, form of
thinking and conceptualization.
 4GLs are designed to reduce the overall time, effort
and cost of software development
 Advantage :
 Have friendly interfaces
 Easier to use than older high level languages
 Linked to the English language
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LANGUAGES
 4th Generation Programming Language
 Disadvantage :
 Programsrun slower than those of earlier language
generations because their machine code is longer and more
complex
 Example : IBM's ADRS2, CSP and AS, SQL, Access
CATEGORIES OF PROGRAMMING
LANGUAGES
 5th Generation Programming Language
 Fifth generation languages are normally associated with the
field of artificial intelligence.
 Artificial intelligence, built up through logic programming,
models a real world environment or situation. Artificial
intelligence aims to support flexible and informed patterns
of behavior within a computer.
 Users did not need any programming knowledge.

 Little or no coding and computer aided design with graphics

provides an easy to use product that can generate new
applications.
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LANGUAGES
 5th Generation Programming Language
 Advantage :
 Theuse of system automation, which reduces the work load
on the programmer.
 Disadvantage :
 Programs continue to get more complicated and the
automated system is unable to sort through the design of an
original algorithm.
 Example : PROLOG, OPS5 and Mercury