1.7. Glossary¶
- problem-solving:
The process of formulating a problem, finding a solution, and expressing the solution.
- high-level language:
A programming language like C++ that is designed to be easy for humans to read and write.
- low-level language:
A programming language that is designed to be easy for a computer to execute. Also called “machine language” or “assembly language.”
- portability:
A property of a program that can run on more than one kind of computer.
- formal language:
Any of the languages people have designed for specific purposes, like representing mathematical ideas or computer programs. All programming languages are formal languages.
- natural language:
Any of the languages people speak that have evolved naturally.
- interpret:
To execute a program in a high-level language by translating it one line at a time.
- compile:
To translate a program in a high-level language into a low-level language, all at once, in preparation for later execution.
- source code:
A program in a high-level language, before being compiled.
- object code:
The output of the compiler, after translating the program.
- executable:
Another name for object code that is ready to be executed.
- algorithm:
A general process for solving a category of problems.
- bug:
An error in a program.
- syntax:
The structure of a program.
- semantics:
The meaning of a program.
- parse:
To examine a program and analyze the syntactic structure.
- syntax error:
An error in a program that makes it impossible to parse (and therefore impossible to compile).
- run-time error:
An error in a program that makes it fail at run-time.
- logical error:
An error in a program that makes it do something other than what the programmer intended.
- debugging:
The process of finding and removing any of the three kinds of errors.
-
Q-1:
Try again!
- natural language
- Any of the languages people speak that have evolved naturally.
- high-level language
- A programming language like C++ that is easy for humans to read and write.
- low-level language
- A programming language that is easy for a computer to execute.
- formal language
- Any of the languages people have designed for specific purposes.
-
Q-2:
Try again!
- interpret
- To execute a program in a high-level language by translating it one line at a time.
- compile
- To execute a program in a high-level language by translating it all at once.
- source code
- A program in a high-level language, before being compiled.
- object code
- The output of the compiler, after translating the program.
-
Q-3:
Try again!
- portability
- A property of a program that can run on more than one kind of computer.
- executable
- Another name for object code that is ready to be executed.
- algorithm
- A general process for solving a category of problems.
- bug
- An error in a program.
-
Q-4:
Try again!
- problem-solving
- The process of formulating a problem, finding a solution, and expressing the solution.
- syntax
- The structure of a program.
- semantics
- The meaning of a program.
- parse
- To examine a program and analyze the syntactic structure.
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-
Q-5:
- syntax error
- An error in a program that makes it impossible to parse and compile.
- run-time error
- An error in a program that makes it fail upon execution.
- logical error
- An error in a program that makes it do something other than what the programmer intended.
- debugging
- The process of finding and removing any of the three kinds of errors.