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Computer Programming |
Computer programming can be defined as the creation a sequence of instructions to enable a computer to perform a task. There can be a gamut of operations that a computer can execute, including arithmetic calculations, formatting text, printing out a document, hard drive data recovery, or performing complex calculations to predict the next seismic activity. Therefore, for every specific computing job, there is a specific program or a specific suite of programs. The hardware is invoked for performing such tasks, but the hardware itself cannot perform these tasks without instructions from the programs. Computer programs are written in a number of programming languages which are divided into two main categories, namely, high level and low level languages. Low level languages are not easily understood by humans as they resemble machine languages. They came about because programmers of yesteryear wrote their programs directly in machine languages. As time progressed and programming evolved, assembly language was developed, which used alphabetic mnemonics instead of binary digits for writing programs, thus making the laborious job of writing a low level program much easier. Assembly language is still being used today, but it is restricted to manipulation of hardware activity. Gradually, advanced languages such as COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language), FORTRAN (Formula Translator), BASIC (Beginners' All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code), and C were developed. As these languages are more similar to human language than machine, they are termed as high level languages. A machine language, by the way, is composed of a series of 0s and 1s, which represent characters. For example, the number 2 is represented as 00000010, and the letter B is represented as 01000010 in machine language. Furthermore, each 1 or 0 is called a bit (binary digit), and a group of 8 bits is named a byte. Just as programming languages have two categories, programming too has two broad categories, which are system programming and application programming. While most system programs are written in low level language, application programs are written in high level language. System programs enable the computer to execute basic operations; examples include device drivers, utility programs, and operating systems. An operating system (OS) is virtually the backbone of a computer; it is a complex set of programs that perform functions such as running multiple jobs inside a computer, detecting hardware failure, and acting as the interface between the user and the computer. Linux, Windows, and Macintosh are three of the most well-known operating systems in use today. Applications programming, on the other hand, is generally used for specific applications. Examples of such applications include word processors, spreadsheets, database applications, and media players. In an application program, the typical components include a problem statement, algorithm development, program coding, and program documentation. At the end of the day, it is the quality of the computer program which determines the computer’s proficiency of performing a task. Performance, reliability, robustness, usability, and portability are some of the yardsticks which help to evaluate the effectiveness of a computer program. External Links Computer Programming Reference Free Computer Programming Books Basic Computer Programming Languages Online Computer Programming Colleges Computer Programming Algorithms Directory |
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