2.5   Programming languages and Integrated Development Environments  

• characteristics and purpose of different levels of programming language, including low level languages

• • high level languages closer to English 

    • • • easier for humans to read and understand and to write programs in

  • low level languages are assembly languages (special codes like ADD, SUM etc) or are machine code - ie binary code

• • • • Difficult for humans to read but computer instructions have to be in Binary

• the purpose of translators

The purpose of translators is to turn a computer program into machine code ie binary data

• characteristics of  a compiler and an interpreter

• • Compiler 

    • converts a whole program written in a high level language (source code) into machine code (object code)

    • Will fail in the act of compiling if errors are found

    • produces exe files

  • Interpreter

    • converts a high level language one line at a time

    • slower than compilers

    • easier to identify errors

• common tools and facilities available in an integrated development environment (IDE):

• • •  editors

      • • write code

        • line numbering

        • automatic colour coding

        • auto correct

        • auto indentation

        • auto complete

        • highlight some errors

    • error diagnostics

      • • Tell you the location of an error and suggest ways to fix it

    • run-time environment

      • • allows code to run inside IDE

    • translators

      • • translates program into machine code