Course Code: CS 101

Course Title: IT For Managers

Lecture / Week No. 10th

Department of Computer Science

Contents The Evolution of Programming Languages

1. Debug
2. Testing
3. Interpreter
4. Compiler
5. Assembler
6. History of programing languages
Debugging
To debug a program or hardware device is to start with a problem, isolate the source
of the problem, and then fix it.
Process of identifying, isolating and correcting the errors Two
Categories –
Syntax errors -- Errors in spelling and grammar.
You can use the compiler or interpreter to uncover syntax errors.
You must have a good working knowledge of error messages to discover the cause
of the error.
Example: C line -> printf(“Hello!”)
Logical errors -- Errors that indicate the logic used when coding the program failed to
solve the problem.
You do not get error messages with logic errors.
Your only clue to the existence of logic errors is the production of wrong
solutions.
Testing
Checking of desired results
Generate Test cases
Objective is to find a case where program fails
Two Types –
Black Box (Functional) –
This is a method of software testing that examines the functionality
of an software or program (e.g. what the software does) without
peering into its internal structures or workings.
White Box (Glass Box) –
This a method of testing software that tests internal structures or
workings of an application
In white-box testing an internal perspective of the system, as
well as programming skills, are used to design test cases.
 System Software:
System Software includes the Operating System and all the
utilities that enable the computer to function.

System software is a term referring to any computer software

which manages and controls the hardware so that application
software can perform a task.

Example:
Operating Systems, Compiler, Loader, Linker, Interpreter.
System Software:
Operating System:
An operating system (OS) is software that manages computer
hardware and software resources and provides common
services for computer programs.
The operating system is an essential component of the system
software in a computer system. Application programs usually
require an operating system to function.
OS acts as an interface between the application programs
and the machine hardware.

Examples: Windows, Linux, Unix and Mac OS, etc.,

System Software (contd):
Compiler: A compiler is a computer program (or set of programs) that transforms
source code written in a programming language (the source language) into another
computer language (the target language, often having a binary form known as object
code).
The name "compiler" is primarily used for programs that translate source code from a
high-level programming language to a lower level language (e.g. assembly language or
machine code).
cross-compiler :If the compiled program can run on a computer whose CPU or
operating system is different from the one on which the compiler runs, the compiler is
known as a cross-compiler.
Decompiler : A program that translates from a low level language to a higher level one
is a decompiler.
Transpiler or Translator:A program that translates between high- level languages is
usually called a source-to-source compiler or transpiler.
System Software (contd):
Loader: A loader is the part of an operating system that is
responsible for loading programs into memory, preparing
them for execution and then executing them.

The loader is usually a part of the operating system's and

usually is loaded at system boot time and stays in memory
until the system is rebooted, shut down, or powered off.
System Software (contd):
• Linker: A linker or link editor is a program that takes one or more objects
generated by compilers and assembles them into a single executable program.
•Linker may be a part of compiler.
•
•Linkers can take objects from a collection called a library. The objects are
program modules• containing machine code and information for the linker.

Object File
Linker
Executable file
C library file
System Software (contd):
•
Interpreter: An interpreter is a computer program that translates and
executes instructions written in a computer programming language
line-by- line, unit by unit etc.,
• An interpreter needs to be able to analyze instructions written in the
source language.
• Assembler
• Converts assembly language programs into object files
Object file and Executable file
•An object file is a file containing object code, meaning relocatable format machine code
that is usually not directly executable.
•Object file has .o extension e.g. hello.o
•Object files are produced by an assembler, compiler, or other language translator, and used
as input to the linker, which in turn typically generates an executable file.
•An executable file is formed by linking the Object files and has .exe extension.
•Object file contains low level instructions which can be understood by the CPU. That is
why it is also called machine code.
Difference between Object file and Executable file :
Both are binary files but the differences between those are:-
1)we can execute an executable file while we cannot execute an object file.
2)An object file is a file where compiler has not yet linked to the libraries, so you get an
object file just before linking to the libraries, so still some of the symbols or function
definitions are not yet resolved which are actually present in the libraries, and that's why
we cannot execute it.
Difference between Interpreter and Compiler
Interpreter Compiler
1. Translates program one Scans the entire program and translates it
statement at a time. as a whole into machine code.

2. It takes less amount of time

It takes large amount of time to analyze
to analyze the source code
but the overall execution the source code but the overall execution
time is slower. time is comparatively faster.

3. No intermediate object code Generates intermediate object code

is generated, hence are which further requires linking, hence
memory efficient. requires more memory.

4. Continues translating the

program until the first error It generates the error message only after
is met, in which case it stops. scanning the whole program. Hence
Hence debugging is easy. debugging is comparatively hard.

5. Programming language like

Python, Ruby use Programming language like C, C++ use
11 interpreters. compilers.
Programming Language
What is Programming Language

•An artificial language used to write instructions that can

be translated into machine language and then executed
by a computer.

•English and other natural languages are not used as programming

languages because they
cannot be easily translated into machine language.
•Examples: C, C++,Java, Pascal,Python etc
Classification of Programming Languages
The Evolution of Programming Languages
First Generation(Low Level Language):
The first generation program language is pure machine code,
that is just ones and zeros e.g. 010110101110,
Machine Language is the only language that is directly understood by the
computer.
Programmers have to design their code by hand then transfer it
to a computer by using a punch card.
There is no need to translate the code and it will run straight away.
There are benefits:
Codecan be fast and efficient because no translator needed.
Codecan make use of specific processor features such as
special registers
Drawbacks:
Code cannot be ported to other systems and has to be rewritten
Code is difficult to edit and update
Itis difficult to debug the program.
The Evolution of Programming Languages

Second Generation (Low Level Language):

•As you can imagine, writing in 1s and 0s all day will leave you prone to
mistakes. Second-generation programming languages are a way of describing
Assembly code which uses mnemonic codes like ADD,SUB,MUL,Div,MOV etc.
•By using codes resembling English programming becomes much easier. The use of
these mnemonic codes such as LDA for load and STA for store means the code is
easier to read and write.
•To convert an assembly code program into object code to run on a computer
requires an Assembler and each line of assembly can be replaced by the equivalent
one line of object (machine) code:
Advantages of Assembly Language:
Code can •be fast and efficient
Code can •make use of specific processor features such as

special registers.
•As it is closer to plain English, it is easier to read and write when
compared to machine code.

Drawbacks:
•Code cannot be ported to other systems and has to be rewritten
because each processor has their own mnemonics.
•No Symbolic names for memory locations. You need to keep track
of the exact memory location that a piece of data is stored. That is,
you must manipulate memory locations directly.
Third generation (High Level Languages)
•Even though Assembly code is easier to read than machine code, it is still
not straightforward to perform loops and conditionals .

•Third-generation programming languages brought many programmer-

friendly features to code such as loops, conditionals, classes etc.

•This means that one line of third generation code can produce many lines of
object (machine) code, saving a lot of time when writing programs.

•Third generation languages can be platform independent, meaning that code

written for one system will work on another. To convert a 3rd generation
program into object code requires a Compiler or an Interpreter.
Third generation (High Level Languages)

FORTRAN –
•Stands for FORmula TRANslator is developed in 1957 by John Backus
•Very easy to handle complex numbers
•Syntax was very difficult to remember
BASIC –
• Stands for Beginner’s All purpose Symbolic Instruction Code developed in 1960
• This language use interpreter during execution of program
• Execution slower than FORTRAN programs
COBOL –
•Stands for COmmon Business Oriented Language developed in 1960
•Revised version in 1974 and then 1984 etc.
•First language to use English like statement in programming syntax
PASCAL –
• Named after Blaise Pascal (Philosopher) in 1970
• Specially designed as teaching language
• Structured programming language
• Platform independent language
Third generation (High Level Languages)
C
•Developed in 1972 at AT & T’s Bell Laboratory by Dennis Ritchie called
POP
• Reliable and Simple language
• Powerful language which is used for system programming
• Handling of Data types, pointers, variables and file etc. is provided
C++
•Developed in 1979 by Bjarne Stroustrup called as C with Class and C++ in
1983
• Extension of C, supports object oriented features and Case sensitive
•Specially works on Classes and Objects
JAVA –
•Developed in 1991 by Sun Microsystem called as Oak
• In 1995, changes to JAVA
• Supports object oriented features
• Simple and Easy to learn
• Safe and Secure
2 language
• Portable and Platform Independent
Third generation (High Level Languages)
Examples: C, C++,Java.
BASIC (Beginners All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code),
FORTRAN (Formula Translation).
PL/I (Programming Language, Version 1).
ALGOL (Algorithmic Language).
APL (A Programming Language).

•Advantages:
1.Hardware independence, can be easily ported to other systems and
processors
2.Time saving, programmer friendly, one line of 3rd gen is the equivalent of
many lines of 1st and 2nd gen.
•Disadvantages:
Code produced might not make the best use of processor specific
features unlike 1st and 2nd gen
Fourth generation
•The fourth generation programming language or non-procedural language,
often abbreviated as 4GL, enables users to access data in a database.
•These are very high-level programming languages are often referred to as
goal-oriented programming languages because they are usually limited to a
very specific application and it might use syntax that is never used in other
programming languages.
•SQL, NOMAD and FOCUS are examples of fourth generation programming
languages.
Fifth generation

•The fifth generation programming language or visual programming language,

is also known as natural language.
•Provides a visual or graphical interface, called a visual programming
environment, for creating source codes.
•Fifth generation programming allows people to interact with computers
without needing any specialized knowledge. People can talk to computers and
the voice recognition systems can convert spoken sounds into written words.
•The difficulty is the computer still only understands zeros and ones, so a
compiler and interpreter must convert the source code into the machine code
that the computer can understand.
•Fifth-generation languages characteristically consist of English-like words and
phrases, thus uses an English like syntax to simplify software development.
•Prolog (PROgramming In LOGic )and Mercury are the best known fifth-
generation languages.
Fifth generation
Advantages:
1. Have friendly interfaces
2.Easier to use than older high level languages
3.Linked to the English language

Disadvantages:

Programs run slower than those of earlier language generations because their
machine code is longer and more complex
References / Resources

• All material is taken from text/reference books mentioned in course outline

Introduction to Computers By Perter Norton