Introduction to Programming Languages:

Introduction:

A programming language is a set of instructions and syntax used to create

software programs. Some of the key features of programming languages
include:
1. Syntax: The specific rules and structure used to write code in a

programming language.

2. Data Types: The type of values that can be stored in a program,

such as numbers, strings, and booleans.

3. Variables: Named memory locations that can store values.

4. Operators: Symbols used to perform operations on values, such as

addition, subtraction, and comparison.

5. Control Structures: Statements used to control the flow of a

program, such as if-else statements, loops, and function calls.

6. Libraries and Frameworks: Collections of pre-written code that can

be used to perform common tasks and speed up development.

7. Paradigms: The programming style or philosophy used in the

language, such as procedural, object-oriented, or functional.

Examples of popular programming languages include Python, Java, C++,

JavaScript, and Ruby. Each language has its own strengths and weaknesses
and is suited for different types of projects.
A programming language is a formal language that specifies a set of
instructions for a computer to perform specific tasks. It’s used to write software
programs and applications, and to control and manipulate computer systems.
There are many different programming languages, each with its own syntax,
structure, and set of commands. Some of the most commonly used
programming languages include Java, Python, C++, JavaScript, and C#. The
choice of programming language depends on the specific requirements of a
project, including the platform being used, the intended audience, and the
desired outcome. Programming languages continue to evolve and change
over time, with new languages being developed and older ones being updated
to meet changing needs.

Getting a brief introduction to programming. Now before we understand what

programming is, you must know what a computer is. A computer is a device
that can accept human instruction, processes it, and responds to it or a
computer is a computational device that is used to process the data under the
control of a computer program. Program is a sequence of instructions along
with data.

The basic components of a computer are:

1. Input unit

2. Central Processing Unit(CPU)

3. Output unit

The CPU is further divided into three parts-

● Memory unit
 ● Control unit

● Arithmetic Logic unit

Most of us have heard that the CPU is called the brain of our computer

because it accepts data, provides temporary memory space to it until it is

stored(saved) on the hard disk, performs logical operations on it and hence

processes(here also converts) data into information. We all know that a

computer consists of hardware and software. Software is a set of programs

that performs multiple tasks together. An operating system is also software

(system software) that helps humans to interact with the computer system.

A program is a set of instructions given to a computer to perform a specific

operation. a computer is a computational device that is used to process the

data under the control of a computer program. While executing the program,

raw data is processed into the desired output format. These computer

programs are written in a programming language which are high-level

languages. High level languages are nearly human languages that are more

complex than the computer understandable language which are called

machine language, or low level language. So after knowing the basics, we

are ready to create a very simple and basic program. Like we have different

languages to communicate with each other, likewise, we have different

languages like C, C++, C#, Java, python, etc to communicate with the

computers. The computer only understands binary language (the language of

0’s and 1’s) also called machine-understandable language or low-level

language but the programs we are going to write are in a high-level

language which is almost similar to human language.

The piece of code given below performs a basic task of printing “hello world!

I am learning programming” on the console screen. We must know that

keyboard, scanner, mouse, microphone, etc are various examples of input

devices, and monitor(console screen), printer, speaker, etc are examples of

output devices.

At this stage, you might not be able to understand in-depth how this code

prints something on the screen. The main() is a standard function that you

will always include in any program that you are going to create from now

onwards. Note that the execution of the program starts from the main()

function. The clrscr() function is used to see only the current output on the

screen while the printf() function helps us to print the desired output on the

screen. Also, getch() is a function that accepts any character input from the

keyboard. In simple words, we need to press any key to continue(some

people may say that getch() helps in holding the screen to see the output).

Between high-level language and machine language, there are assembly

languages also called symbolic machine code. Assembly languages are

particularly computer architecture specific. Utility program (Assembler) is

used to convert assembly code into executable machine code. High Level

Programming Language is portable but requires Interpretation or compiling

to convert it into a machine language that is computer understood.

Hierarchy of Computer language –

High level language

Assembly language

Machine language

Computer Hardware

There have been many programming languages some of them are listed

below:
 C Python C++

C# R Ruby

COBOL ADA Java

Fortran BASIC Altair BASIC

Visual BASIC
True BASIC GW BASIC

QBASIC PureBASIC PASCAL

Turbo Pascal GO ALGOL

Swift
LISP SCALA

Rust Prolog Reia

Racket Scheme Simula

Perl PHP Java Script

CoffeeScript VisualFoxPro Babel

 Logo Lua
Smalltalk

Matlab F F#

Dart Datalog dbase

Haskell dylan Julia

ksh metro Mumps

Nim OCaml pick

 TCL D CPL

Curry ActionScript Erlang

Clojure DarkBASCIC Assembly

Most Popular Programming Languages –

● C

● Python

● C++

● Java

● SCALA

● C#

● R

● Ruby

● Go

● Swift
 ● JavaScript

Characteristics of a programming Language –

● A programming language must be simple, easy to learn and use,

have good readability, and be human recognizable.

● Abstraction is a must-have characteristic for a programming

language in which the ability to define the complex structure and

then its degree of usability comes.

● A portable programming language is always preferred.

● Programming language’s efficiency must be high so that it can be

easily converted into machine code and its execution consumes little

space in memory.

● A programming language should be well structured and

documented so that it is suitable for application development.

● Necessary tools for the development, debugging, testing,

maintenance of a program must be provided by a programming

language.

● A programming language should provide a single environment

known as Integrated Development Environment(IDE).

● A programming language must be consistent in terms of syntax and

semantics.
Basic Terminologies in Programming Languages:
● Algorithm: A step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or

performing a task.

● Variable: A named storage location in memory that holds a value or

data.

● Data Type: A classification that specifies what type of data a

variable can hold, such as integer, string, or boolean.

● Function: A self-contained block of code that performs a specific

task and can be called from other parts of the program.

● Control Flow: The order in which statements are executed in a

program, including loops and conditional statements.

● Syntax: The set of rules that govern the structure and format of a

programming language.

● Comment: A piece of text in a program that is ignored by the

compiler or interpreter, used to add notes or explanations to the

code.

● Debugging: The process of finding and fixing errors or bugs in a

program.

● IDE: Integrated Development Environment, a software application

that provides a comprehensive development environment for

coding, debugging, and testing.

 ● Operator: A symbol or keyword that represents an action or

operation to be performed on one or more values or variables, such

as + (addition), – (subtraction), * (multiplication), and / (division).

● Statement: A single line or instruction in a program that performs a

specific action or operation.

Basic Example Of Most Popular Programming

Languages:
Here the basic code for addition of two numbers are given in some popular

languages (like C, C++,Java, Python, C#, JavaScript etc.).

// C++ program for sum of 2 numbers

#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

int main()
{

int a, b, sum;

a = 10;

b = 15;

sum = a + b;

cout << "Sum of " << a << " and " << b

<< " is: " << sum; // perform addition

operation

return 0;

// This code is contributed by Susobhan Akhuli

Advantages of programming languages:

 1. Increased Productivity: Programming languages provide a set of

abstractions that allow developers to write code more quickly and

efficiently.

2. Portability: Programs written in a high-level programming language

can run on many different operating systems and platforms.

3. Readability: Well-designed programming languages can make code

more readable and easier to understand for both the original author

and other developers.

4. Large Community: Many programming languages have large

communities of users and developers, which can provide support,

libraries, and tools.

Disadvantages of programming languages:

1. Complexity: Some programming languages can be complex and

difficult to learn, especially for beginners.

2. Performance: Programs written in high-level programming

languages can run slower than programs written in lower-level

languages.

3. Limited Functionality: Some programming languages may not have

built-in support for certain types of tasks or may require additional

libraries to perform certain functions.

 4. Fragmentation: There are many different programming languages,

which can lead to fragmentation and make it difficult to share code

and collaborate with other developers.

Tips for learning new programming language:

1. Start with the fundamentals: Begin by learning the basics of the

language, such as syntax, data types, variables, and simple

statements. This will give you a strong foundation to build upon.

2. Code daily: Like any skill, the only way to get good at programming

is by practicing regularly. Try to write code every day, even if it’s just

a few lines.

3. Work on projects: One of the best ways to learn a new language is

to work on a project that interests you. It could be a simple game, a

web application, or anything that allows you to apply what you’ve

learned that is the most important part.

4. Read the documentation: Every programming language has

documentation that explains its features, syntax, and best practices.

Make sure to read it thoroughly to get a better understanding of the

language.

5. Join online communities: There are many online communities

dedicated to programming languages, where you can ask questions,

 share your code, and get feedback. Joining these communities can

help you learn faster and make connections with other developers.

6. Learn from others: Find a mentor or someone who is experienced in

the language you’re trying to learn. Ask them questions, review their

code, and try to understand how they solve problems.

7. Practice debugging: Debugging is an essential skill for any

programmer, and you’ll need to do a lot of it when learning a new

language. Make sure to practice identifying and fixing errors in your

code