Chapter 13 : Programming Languages and Program Development

Chapter 13 : Programming Languages and Program Development

Assignment from Tri Djoko Wahjono, Ir., M.Sc.

1.     How Are Machine Languages Different from Assembly Languages?

A programming language is a set of words, abbreviations, and symbols that enables a programmer, often called a developer, to communicate instructions to a computer. A machine language uses a series of binary digits, or combinations of numbers and letters that represent binary digits, and is the only language a computer directly recognizes. With an assembly language, a programmer writes instructions using symbolic instruction codes, which are meaningful abbreviations.

2.     What Is the Purpose of Procedural Programming Languages, and What Are the Features of C and COBOL?

In a procedural language, or thirdgeneration language (3GL), a programmer writes instructions that tell a computer what to accomplish and how to do it. Programmers use English-like words to write instructions, which simplifi es the program development process for the programmer.

A compiler or an interpreter translates the 3GL source program into machine language object code or object program that a computer can execute. Standard procedural languages include C and COBOL.

C is a powerful language that requires professional programming skills and is used for business and scientific problems. It runs on almost any type of computer or operating system.

COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language) is a programming language designed for business applications that uses English-like statements that are easy to read, write, and maintain.

3.     What Are the Characteristics of Object-Oriented Programming Languages and Program Development Tools?

Programmers use an object-oriented programming (OOP) language or object-oriented program development tool to implement object-oriented design. A program that provides a user-friendly environment for building programs often is called a program development tool. An object is an item that can contain both data and the procedures that read or manipulate the data. A major benefit of OOP is the ability to reuse and modify existing objects, allowing programmers to create applications faster. Often used in conjunction with OOP, RAD (rapid application development) is a method of developing software in which a programmer writes and implements a program in segments instead of waiting until the entire program is completed. OOP languages include Java, C11, and C#.

Java uses a just-in-time ( JIT) compiler to convert bytecode into machine-dependent code that is executed immediately. The Microsoft .NET framework, or .NET, allows almost any type of program to run on the Internet or an internal business network, as well as stand-alone computers and mobile devices. C11 is an object-oriented extension of the C programming language. C# is based on C11 and has been accepted as a standard for Web applications and XMLbased Web services.

F# is a new programming language that combines the benefits of an object-oriented language with the benefits of a functional language.

Visual Studio is Microsoft’s suite of program development tools that assists programmers in building programs for Windows, Windows Mobile, or operating systems that support .NET. Visual Studio includes the programming languages Visual Basic, Visual C11, and Visual C#. A visual programming language uses a visual or graphical interface, called a visual programming environment (VPE), for creating all source code. Two other program development tools include Delphi and PowerBuilder.

4.     What Are the Uses of Other Programming Languages and Other Program Development Tools?

A 4GL (fourth-generation language) is a nonprocedural language that enables users to access data in a database. A popular 4GL is SQL, a query language for relational databases.

An application generator creates source code or machine code from a specifi cation of the required functionality.

A macro, which is a series of statements that instructs an application how to complete a task, allows users to automate routine, repetitive tasks.

5.     What Are Web Page Program Development Techniques Such as HTML and XHTML, XML and WML, Scripting Languages, DHTML, Ruby on Rails, Web 2.0 Development, and Web Page Authoring Software?

Web developers use a variety of techniques to create Web pages. HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is a special formatting language that programmers use to format documents for display on the Web. XHTML (extensible HTML) is a markup language that includes features of HTML and XML. XML and

WML are popular formats used by Web developers. A scripting language is an interpreted language that programmers use to add dynamic content and interactive elements to Web pages. Popular scripting languages include JavaScript, Perl, PHP, Rexx, Tcl, and VBScript. Dynamic HTML (DHTML) is a type of HTML that allows developers to include more graphical interest and interactivity in a Web page.

Ruby on Rails (RoR or Rails) is an open source framework that provides technologies for developing object-oriented, databasedriven Web sites. Web 2.0 Web sites often use RSS 2.0 and Ajax. Developers use Web page authoring software to create sophisticated Web pages. Four popular Web page authoring programs are Dreamweaver, Expression Web, Flash, and SharePoint Designer.

6.     How Are Popular Multimedia Authoring Programs Used?

Multimedia authoring software allows developers to combine text, graphics, animation, audio, and video into an interactive presentation. Popular authoring software includes ToolBook and Director.

ToolBook has a graphical user interface and uses an object-oriented approach so that programmers can design multimedia applications using basic objects.

Director has powerful features that allow programmers to create highly interactive multimedia applications.

7.     What Are the Six Steps in the Program Development Life Cycle?

The program development life cycle (PDLC) is a series of steps programmers use to build computer programs. The program development life cycle consists of six steps:

(1) analyze requirements,

(2) design solution,

(3) validate design,

(4) implement design,

(5) test solution, and

(6) document solution.

8.     How Is Structured Design Different from Object-OrientedDesign? In structured design, a programmer typically begins with a general design and moves toward a more detailed design. A programmer starts with the program’s major function, called the main routine or main module, and breaks it down into smaller sections, called subroutines or modules. Structured design results in programs that are reliable and easy to read and maintain, but it does not provide a way to keep the data and the program together and can result in redundant programming code. With object-oriented (OO) design, the programmer packages the data and the program (or procedure) into a single unit, an object. Objects are grouped into classes. A detailed class diagram represents each object, its attributes (data), and its methods (procedures). The programmer translates the methods into program instructions.

9.     What Are the Basic Control Structures and Design Tools Used in Designing Solutions to Programming Problems?

A control structure, also known as a construct, depicts the logical order of program instructions. A sequence control structure shows one or more actions following each other in order. A selection control structure tells the program which action to take, based on a certain condition.

Two types of selection control structures are the if-then-else control structure, which yields one of two possibilities (true or false), and the case control structure, which can yield one of three or more possibilities. The repetition control structure enables a program to perform one or more actions repeatedly as long as a certain condition is met. The two forms of the repetition control structure are: the do-while control structure, which tests a condition at the beginning of the loop, in a process called a pretest, and continues looping as long as a condition is true; and the do-until control structure, which tests a condition at the end of the loop, in a process called a posttest, and continues looping until the condition is true. Some design tools include a program flowchart, or simply flowchart; pseudocode; and the UML (Unifi ed Modeling Language).