INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING

Continuing with our agenda of articles, today we want to start with the basics of programming

What is Programming?

Let's start from the fact that it is not just writing lines of code for a computer to execute through software, it is also a process where step instructions are created sequentially to be executed [1].

Computer programming creates programs or applications that are developed from source code, that is, it is responsible for creating, designing, coding, and cleaning this code.

In conclusion, programming is what allows a computer to function by executing tasks that are assigned to it by the programmer.

What is a programming language?

It is the set of signs, words, and symbols what a programmer chooses in a way that allows one to communicate with a computer and give it instructions [1]. In other words, it is a formal language used by a programmer to design and organize algorithms and logical processes to be executed in a logical way in a computer.

Computer programs use different types of programming languages to write the source code of certain software, such as HTML, C++, Java, Delphi and others.

The translation and save the result so the code can be executed directly without re-compiling the source code.

What is Source Code?

It corresponds to the principal instructions of an algorithm written by one or more programmers in a specific language with an extension defined by a limit number of text lines which will must carry out by a computer.

This source code is created in some files that are used to subsequently compile a program or programs what an end user can use directly.

A classic example with HTML language which to use it, we only must build a hyperlink. This code can be read and edited by anyone without a specific program installed on your system.

Kinds of programming languages

Programming languages are divided into 3 different groups depending on how they process the code before executing it on the computer:

Compiled languages

The word “Compile” means to translate language programming commands contained in source code files to machine language code. This machine language is a language made of only 1's and 0's because those numbers are the only 2 things a computer can understand. Compiled languages make the translation and save the result so the code can be executed directly without re-compiling the source code.

Some programming languages that belong to this kind are the following:

Name	Logo	Description
C		Multi-platform general-purpose programming language widely used from the smallest microcontrollers to the largest super-computers. It is also a very popular language and has been used in very large projects such as the Unix kernel.
C++		General-purpose programming language created as an extension for C language. The main difference is this language introduces the concept of classes and objects. It is a little slower than C but classes and objects make this language way simpler to write and understand.

Interpreted languages

These languages have a modus operandi different from compiled languages. Every line of the source code is translated and run on the machine, and no machine code is generated to save. This means that every time the program is run, the code will be translated and executed, or interpreted, which makes the execution slower than compiling languages.

Some interpreted programming languages are listed below:

Name	Logo	Description
Python		It is one of the most popular and simplest programming languages. It is multi-platform and is widely used in web designing, machine learning and data science. Also, it is the preferred language when it comes to Quantum Computing.
JavScript		A language whose main use is web development. It is used in many web browsers to improve the user interface and make dynamic web pages.
M		A language for MATLAB software, dedicated to linear algebra and matrix operations. Widely used in data science and artificial intelligence fields.

Hybrid languages

These languages are a combination of compiled and interpreted languages. The source code is compiled into a low-level code, and then this low-level code can be stored in the computer and interpreted in run-time.

Here are some examples of Hybrid programming languages:

Name	Logo	Description
Java		Java is a programming language that runs on multiple devices like computers, cellphones and even on fridges and microwaves. The compiled code is interpreted by the Java Virtual Machine, and any device able to use JVM can run Java code.
C#		A programming language created by Microsoft and derived from C/C++. It is mainly used to develop Microsoft Windows applications.
Visual Basic		This language was created for the Microsoft Operative System, Windows, and is used to create applications and plugins for other Windows applications like Microsoft Office.

Bibliography

• Codecademy News. 2022. What is a programming language? [online] Available at: <https://www.codecademy.com/resources/blog/programming-languages/> [Accessed 19 July 2022].
• 2022. What Are the Different Types of Programming Language? [online] Available at: <https://www.makeuseof.com/programming-language-different-types/> [Accessed 19 July 2022].

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