Chapter 1: What is Programming?

What was the first successful programming language?

FORTRAN.

Assembly Language

First introduced by British with EDSAC. A lot more efficient than Machine Code. Initial Orders used single-letter mnemonic symbols to represent different series of bits

What does LAN stand for?

Local Area Networks.

Lego Mindstorm NXT

2006) Very high-level. Programmers click different blocks, each block performs a different task. By creating a sequence of these blocks, you can program a computer.

What computer first introduced Assembly Language?

A computer by the British called, EDSAC.

LISP is known for being one of the languages specifically designed to help develop _______ _______.

Artificial intelligence.

Low-Level Languages

Languages that function at, or very close to 1s and 0s. Powerful, but very difficult. Ex: Machine Language, Assembly Language.

High Level Languages

Languages that use English-like words as instructions. Easier, but less powerful. Ex: BASIC, Pascal, COBOL, FORTRAN, PL/I, Java

Very High Level Languages

Languages that use clickable pictures as instructions. Ex: Lego Mindstorms NXT

Niklaus Wirth created the language Pascal specifically for the purpose of ____________ ___________.

Teaching Programming.

Grace Hopper's immeasurable contributions to computer science have earned her the nickname "_______________ _______________".

Amazing Grace

Clients

Computers that are served in the network.

What was required to program the ENIAC?

ENIAC required rewiring the machine.

PL/I was created by combining all of the features of which 2 languages?

FORTRAN and COBOL.

Peer-to-Peer Networks

First practical networks for personal computers, these were a small group of computers with a common purpose all connected to each other. These are frequently called Local Area Networks or LANs. All the computers on the network were equal.

Why did Tom Kurtz and John Kemeny create BASIC?

To make a simple, basic, easy-to-learn language.

What is another word for Machine Language?

Machine Code

List 2 Low-Level Languages.

Machine Language and Assembly Language

FORTRAN was designed for which groups of people?

Mathematicians, scientists, and engineers.

Machine Code

Means you're directly manipulating the 1s and 0s of the computer's binary language.

Wireless connections are convenient, but there are some problems. List 2 of them.

Signals are not always reliable and information that travels wireless is much easier to pick up by a hackers.

After IBM standardized hardware with _____________, they set out to standardize software as well by creating _____________.

System/360, PL/I.

The Internet came about during what period in our history?

The Cold War

COBOL was designed for which group of people?

The business community.

LISP

(1958) (LISt Processing) was designed by John McCarthy at MIT. Known for being one of the languages specifically designed to help develop artificial intelligence. LISP introduced several important programming concepts which are used in modern programming languages today.

COBOL

(1959) (Common Business Oriented Language by Grace Hopper) for business and armed forces. It became extremely successful when the Department of Defense adopted COBOL as its official programming language.

FORTRAN vs COLBOL

(1960) FORTRAN programmed wanted computer that were suited for number crunching. COBOL programmers wanted computer that were suited for record handling. Companies like IBM would have different models for "FORTRAN programmers" and "COBOL Programmers". In 1964, the IBM System/360 family of computers standardized hardware and was suitable for both.

PL/1

(1964) (Programming Language 1) This language combined all of the number crunching features of FORTRAN with all the record handing features of COBOL.

BASIC

(1964)(Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code by Tom Kurtz and John Kemeny) a simple language would give non-math and non-science majors the ability to use computers. The use of BASIC became widespread when PC hit the markets. The first was the Altair in 1976. It required little memory and it was the only language that could be handled by the first PC.

C

(1972)Originally known as BCPL and intended for writing compilers. Ken Thompson created a slimmer version of BCPL and called it B. 1972 an improved version of B was invented and C was created. C was used to rewrite the kernel for the UNIX operating system.

C++

(1983)Object Oriented Programming (OOP), C was taken and called OOP but this was a new language. He then made it into the popular language and called it C++ which replaced Pascal as the official language.

ISP

(Internet Service Provider) Who provides you internet, you pay monthly

FORTRAN

1957) first successful high-level programming language. ( FORmula TRANslation) Developed by a team of IBM programming for mathematicians, scientists and engineers. FORRAN could not handle the record processing required for the business world, but was good for number crunching.

PASCAL

1969)BASIC did not teach proper programming structure. It taught quick-and-dirty programming. Niklaus Wirth created a language specifically for the purpose of teaching programming. Pascal was named after Blaise Pascal, it was a very lean language.

Java

1995) Platform Independent Language means that the language does not cause problems as programs are transported between different hardware and software platforms. Java requires you to use OOP which caused many universities to adopt it. Java replaced C++ as the official language.

Programmer

A person who writes a program for a computer.

What is a programmer?

A person who writes a program for a computer.

Program

A sequence of instructions that makes a computer perform a desired task.

What is a program?

A sequence of instructions.

What is a peer-to-peer network?

A small group of computers with a single printer to be used by any computer on the network and computer could also share info.

Server

A special computer that is connected to the LAN for one or more purposes. It services the other computers in the network which are clients. They are used for printing, logon authentications, permanent data storage, and communication.

What is a server?

A specialty computer that is connected to the LAN for one or more purposes.

Intranet

Businesses and schools have a serious of LANs that all connect into a large network. Intranet behaves like the Internet on a local business level. It promotes security, speed, and saves cost. If you wanted to connect to the internet you had to pay costs to the ISP.

Medium-Level Languages

C and C++ are sometimes considered to be medium-level languages. This is because they have English commands of the high-level as well as the power of low-level. This made C and later C++ very popular with professional programmers.

In 1983, Bjarne Stroustrup created a new language by combining C with OOP. What was that language called?

C++

What is the major difference between Java and C++?

C++ was designed to be backwardly compatible with C, which means you have a choice to use OOP or not to. In Java you did not have that choice. You must use OOP.

In 1969, a slimmed down version of BCPL was released. It was simply called B. In 1972, an improved version of B was released. What was that language called?

C.

SneakerNet

Early personal computers were not networked at all, every computer was a stand-alone computer. If you needed to print something, you were to save your work to a floppy disk, put on your sneakers, and walk to a printing computer.

Internet

Existed in the 60's and it originated in the "Cold War", it was a means of communication that kept working regardless of damaged created anywhere. It has no central location, any part of the internet can be damaged and all info will then travel around the damaged area.

The intention was that PL/I would be "everything for everyone". The reality was this language was not popular. Explain why.

FORTRAN programmers did not like the COBOL features, COBOL programmers did not like the FORTRAN features. Programmers found the language too complex and overwhelming to learn.

Who is credited with making the term debugging popular and also wrote the first compiler?

Grace Hopper

Who was the primary designer of COBOL?

Grace Hopper.

Refer to your answer to the previous question. What was the name of the assembler in that computer?

Initial Orders

What does ISP stand for?

Internet Service Provider.

Normally, businesses and schools have a series of LANs that all connect into a large network called what?

Intranet.

Why did a number of college professors did not like BASIC?

It did not teach proper programming structure.

How is Pascal different from PL/I?

It is a very lean language.

What does "Platform Independence" mean?

It means that a program created on one computer will work and have the exact same output on any computer.

What does programming in Machine Language mean?

It means you're directly manipulating the 1s and 0s of the computer's binary language.

What was required to simply enter numbers into the Mark-I calculator?

It required manipulating its 1,440 switches.

What is the first Platform Independent language?

Java.

In 1998, the Lego Corporation created their first point-and-click language for use with their Lego Mindstorms robots. In 2006, they released their next language. What was that language called?

NXT.

Were early personal computers networked?

No, not at all.

What does OOP stand for?

Object Oriented Programming.

The first practical networks for personal computers were called what?

Peer-to-Peer Networks.

Traditionally, the introductory courses in computer science focus on _______________.

Programming.

What is Sneaker Net?

Running around to share computer info, because sharing files or printing files requires you to put on your sneakers and walk to another computer.

Explain why the use of BASIC become widespread when personal computers came out in 1976.

The early PC's had very little memory and could not handle the big language like FORTRAN or COBOL. They were able to handle a small language like BASIC.

How does a compiler translate?

The entire program into an executable file before execution.

Describe a Very-High-Level Language.

The programmers can click on different blocks, each performs a different task.

Where in the Internet is the central location where all the control computers are located?

There is no central location.

Refer to your answer to the previous question. Why are these languages considered "low-level?"

They function at, or very close to, the level of 1s and 0s.

Translators

Translates a high-level languages into low-level machine code.

How does an interpreter translate?

Translates one program statement at a time during execution.

Interpreter

Translates one program statement at a time during execution.

Compiler

Translates the entire program into an executable file before execution.

What does a computer translator do?

Translates words into the machine language of the computer.

Describe a High-Level Language.

Uses English words as instructions, consists of a set of specific commands

What was BCPL originally intended for?

Writing compilers.

Grace Hopper

Wrote the first program to compile.