1.3 Languages & 1.4 Idea to Execution

1.3 Languages & 1.4 Idea to Execution

natural language

a complex, but structured language, both written and spoken, that has evolved naturally in humans through use, repetition, and adaptation.

ambiguity

uncertainty or being open to more than one interpretation.

abstraction

the process of removing or suppressing details to create a manageable level of complexity.

high-level language

a programming language that is easier for humans to read, write, and parse. Guaranteed to be unambiguous.

binary

machine code that is a direct, low-level translation from the high-level source code, and is a pattern of 0s and 1s.

low-level language

a programming language that has little or no abstraction and communicates closely to the hardware using machine language. Less natural for humans.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the MOST important reason computers use artificial languages over natural language?

• The meaning of different characters and words in an artificial languages is explicit and unambiguous

• The syntax of natural languages is easy to translate by computers

• The meaning of different characters and words in an artificial languages is too complicated

• The syntax of artificial languages is explicit and unambiguous

Multiple Choice

Which of the following best describes high-level computing languages?

• They are very easy for machines to understand and parse

• They are not very ambiguous

• They evolve naturally over time

• They are extremely difficult for humans to read and understand

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the MOST important reason computers use artificial languages over natural language?

• The meaning of different characters and words in an artificial languages is explicit and unambiguous

• The syntax of natural languages is easy to translate by computers

• The meaning of different characters and words in an artificial languages is too complicated

• The syntax of artificial languages is explicit and unambiguous

compilation

the process of source code being translated into machine code.

source code

programs written in high-level languages. 

bit

binary digit - a 0 or 1. 

machine code

machine-level instructions that are uniquely read by computer processors using patterns of 1s and 0s. 

Multiple Choice

machine code that is a direct, low-level translation from the high-level source code, and is a pattern of 0s and 1s.

• binary

• ambiguity

• compilation

Multiple Choice

the process of source code being translated into machine code.

• binary

• abstraction

• compilation