COMPUTER PROGRAMMING - OVERVIEW
M Jawte
AGENDA
01 Introduction to computer programming
02 Programming Languages
03 How do computers understand code?
04 Generations of Programming Languages
05 List of some Programming Languages
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
o What is Computer Programming?
o Computers have two main components: Hardware and software.
o Hardware refers the physically tangible parts of the computer such as the
motherboard, mouse, CPU etc.
o Software, on the other hand, is an intangible set of instructions that tells the
hardware parts of a computer what to do.
o In simple terms, software gives the instructions and hardware makes them
happen.
o BUT WHERE DO THESE INSTRUCTIONS COME FROM?
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
o Can computers think? Or can they do work on their own? = NO
o REMEMBER, computers are programmable electronic devices.
o In order for computers to operate and do tasks, they need to be
programmed. In other words, they need to get instructions first.
o The process of giving instructions to a computer is called computer
programming.
o After computers are fed with instructions, they later act upon those
instructions and perform tasks easily and automatically.
o This is what is meant by computer programming and the people who do
such jobs are called computer programmers or simply programmers,
coders or software developers.
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
o History of Computer Programming
o When Charles Babbage started working on different engines in 1821, he got
interested in automatic calculation for the first time.
o In 1840, Babbage gave a speech about his machine (analytical engine) in
Italy.
o Ada Lovelace, collaborating with Babbage, wrote detailed notes that
included what is now considered the first computer algorithm, making her
the world's first programmer.
o Later in the 20th century (starting from 1903), Percy Ludgate further
contributed to computer programming concepts with his work on the design
of a mechanical differential analyzer, laying the foundation for modern
computing.
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
o Programming is the process computer programmers use to create computer
programs with help of programming languages.
o In other words, computer programming is the process of giving instructions
to a computer in a language it can understand to perform specific tasks or
solve problems.
o A computer program is a set of instructions that guide the computer on how
to complete a task.
o A programming language is a set of rules and symbols used to write
instructions for a computer to perform tasks or solve problems.
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
Computer Program Computer Programming
Programmer Language
Instructions that A person who writes The methods and
guide a computer’s the instructions that techniques used to
operation tell the computer accomplish
what to do programming tasks.
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER PROGRAMMING
oComputer Programming Careers
o Computer programming offers a vast array of job opportunities and careers
in the ever-expanding world of technology.
o Programmers can find employment in diverse sectors, including software
development, web development, mobile app development, data analysis,
cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.
o They may work as software developers, front-end or back-end developers,
database administrators, or even pursue specialized roles like game
developers, machine learning engineers, or DevOps engineers.
o As technology continues to advance, the demand for skilled programmers
remains strong, making it a field with excellent prospects for those with the
right skills and a willingness to adapt to evolving technologies.
INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
o What is a programming language?
o A programming language can be defined as set of commands, syntax and
symbols humans (programmers) use to communicate with computers.
o Computer applications, operating systems, websites and others are created
using programming languages.
TYPES OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
o Machine Language - Machine language is the language understood by
computers.
o It is very difficult to understand, but it is the only thing that the computer
can work with.
o All programs and programming languages eventually generate or run
programs in machine language.
o A Machine language is made up of instructions and data that are all binary
numbers – 0s and 1s
TYPES OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
o Here is an example of machine language equivalent to Z =X+Y
o How easy is it to learn and understand this? ☺
TYPES OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
o Assembly Language - An assembly language is a low-level
programming language for microprocessors and other programmable
devices.
o An assembly language allows a software developer to code using words and
expressions that can be easier to understand and interpret than the binary or
hexadecimal data the computer stores and reads.
o Although it is a bit easier than machine language, assembly languages can
still be difficult to understand by computer programmers.
o Its syntax is very complex and difficult to understand.
TYPES OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
o Here is an assembly language example that assigns two values to variables
and then adds the values together.
MOV eax, 3
MOV ebx, 4
ADD eax, ebx
TYPES OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
o High-level languages – These use many more English commands and
are significantly more readable than assembly or machine language.
o Many high-level languages have built-in commands that help the
programmer write loops, create variables of different data types, and
manipulate strings.
o It is worth noting that all of these are possible in assembly or machine
language, but high-level languages make them much easier for the
programmer to read, write, and debug.
o Examples of high-level programming languages include: Java, Python,
Ruby, C#, PHP, JavaScript and many more.
TYPES OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
o Here is a C++ (middle-level language) code that adds two numbers.
READING ASSIGNMENT
o Advantages and disadvantages of:
1. Machine Language
2. Assembly Language
3. High-level Languages
HOW DO COMPUTERS UNDERSTAND CODE?
o Why do computers understand only 0s and 1s?
o This is because the CPU of a computer contains hundreds of millions of a
semi-conductor material called transistor.
o A transistor can either be switched ON or OFF.
o When the transistor is ON, it means 1 and it means 0 when it is OFF.
o CPU which is the brain of a computer is made up of integrated transistor
circuits. These transistors have two values ON and OFF which are
equivalent to 1 and 0 respectively.
o Therefore, computers understand only binary numbers which are 0s & 1s.
HOW DO COMPUTERS UNDERSTAND CODE?
o Transistors:
HOW DO COMPUTERS UNDERSTAND CODE?
o Computers understand code with the help of compilers and interpreters.
o Once the code is written in a high-level language, compilers and interpreters
convert that code into binary language (machine language) which can be
understood by computers.
GENERATIONS OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
o First Generation (1950 – 1960) – This is the first programming language
used to instruct the system hardware (Machine language).
o Programs written in this language operate at very high speed in the CPU
and efficiently utilize memory.
o Second Generation (1961 – 1975) – This is assembly language which
employs phonetic symbols to write programs.
o Third Generation (1976 – 1992) – The third-generation programming
languages were designed to eliminate various limitations of the second-
generation languages. Examples are Fortran, Algol, Cobol, C++ and so on.
o This kind of languages is easy to develop and learn, has fewer errors and
takes less time to write.
GENERATIONS OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
o Fourth Generation (1993 – 2005) – It refers to high-level programming
languages designed for specific applications, emphasizing ease of use and
abstracting complexities.
o These languages are often used in database programming and report
generation.
o Examples include SQL (Structured Query Language) for database
management and domain-specific languages for tasks like data
manipulation and business analytics, PARLOR, CSS etc.
o
GENERATIONS OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
o Fifth Generation (2006 – present) – It refers to a category of programming
languages that are associated with advances in computer science and
technology.
o These languages are characterized by their focus on solving problems using
constraints and logic programming, as well as their association with
artificial intelligence and parallel computing.
GENERATIONS OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
LIST OF SOME PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
o JavaScript - JavaScript (JS) is a scripting language, primarily used on the
Web. It is used to enhance HTML pages and is commonly found embedded
in HTML code. It makes websites interactive and brings them to life.
o Python - Python is a general-purpose, interpreted, high-level
programming language popularly used for website development, data
analytics and automation.
o HTML - Hypertext markup language (HTML) is the major markup
language used to display Web pages on the Internet.
o In other words, Web pages are composed of HTML, which is used to display
text, images or other resources through a Web browser.
o HTML is used to write the content of a website.
LIST OF SOME PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
o C - The C programming language is a procedural and general-purpose
language that provides low-level access to system memory.
o C++ - C plus-plus is a C extension best suited to developing the systems that
run applications rather the applications themselves.
o SQL – Structured Query Language is a programming language used to query
and manipulate databases.
o C# - C# is a general object-oriented programming (OOP) language for
networking, desktop applications and Web development. C# is specified as a
common language infrastructure (CLI) language.
o Java - Java is an object-oriented programming language that produces
software for multiple platforms.
o Java programs are found in desktops, servers, mobile devices, smart cards and
Blu-ray Discs (BD).
LIST OF SOME PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
o Perl – Perl is a programming language used web development GUI
(Graphical User Interface) development and system administration.
o PHP – Hypertext Preprocessor is programming language used in server
side of web development.
o R – R is a programming language used in statistical analytics and machine
learning applications.
o Swift – Swift is a programming language used to develop software for
apple products.
o Golang – Golang is programming language developed by Google that is
used for developing software for distributed systems.
Code is like humor. When
you have to explain it, it's
bad. ☺
THANK YOU