Question 1. Steps of Programming
The programming process starts with defining a problem. This is done depending on the output one intends to get. Secondly, one needs to come up with a solution which mainly entails coming up with a program and details of how it is going to run. Third, the program should be coded using programming languages. These languages allow machines and users to communicate effectively (Rawen, 2016). The fourth step is compilation. Compilation ensures the correct use of the programming language to produce codes that can be understood after translation (Trivedi, 2017). After this, the program is tested and debugging is done. Here, errors are fixed and the general effectiveness of the program is tested. Lastly, the program is documented. This step occurs as the program runs to help in maintenance and interaction with other programs.
Question 2. CASE tools and OOP
Most software programs are created to ensure communication between users and the machines they are using. The Computer-aided Software Engineering (CASE) tools and the Object-oriented Programming (OOP) are applications used in developing software for organizations. CASE tools are often used in coding to improve programming languages. OOP allows data and codes to work together. This helps to modify applications being used without interrupting activities in an organization.
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CASE tools work very well with fourth-generation programming language applications. They are most preferred as they help in the improvement of programming designs and have proper configuration techniques (Muller, 1994). Today, most organizations are integrating CASE tools and OOP for better and effective applications (Muller, 1994).
Question 3. Low and High-Level Languages
Programming languages have developed with time. This development is classified into generations which run from the first to the fifth. Each generation has a different improvement. For example, the third generation has high-level languages such as Java (Trivedi, 2017). Low-level languages of programming are those understood by a machine. They run fast and have little abstraction (Trivedi, 2017). They include binary and machine languages. High-level languages are easy to use and are very similar to English. They have high abstraction to control the complexity of software systems. This makes coding easy to execute and simple to understand. (Trivedi, 2017). High-level languages include Python, BASICs, and Pascal.
Question 4. Compiler and Interpreter
A compiler and an interpreter are translators used to convert high-level programming languages to other languages that assist in giving understandable output. A compiler converts high-level language into machine language. It reads a program, finds any errors that could have occurred, and generates a target code from an intermediate code (Trivedi, 2017). These codes are simplified through compilation with a two-step process of analyses and synthesis (Trivedi, 2017). A compiler takes up more memory but is faster than an interpreter as it scans a program as a whole. An interpreter executes source codes of a program in lines. As the program runs, each line is modified into machine code that a computer will be able to understand (Rawen, 2016). An interpreter is, therefore, slower than a compiler.
Question 5. Logical Structures
There are three logical structures in programming: sequence, selection, and repetition. First, a sequence structure follows order. One action logically leads to another. The action that follows is usually predetermined with no options for branching along the way. Secondly, a selection structure depends on a certain answer which leads to another. Here, there are options and conditions that determine the end. Finally, in a loop or a repetition structure, actions are repeated depending on what an answer to a question demands. Actions can be repeated and the end or exit is arrived at when no action is required to be taken after a given answer.
- Muller, N. J. (1994). Applications development tools client/server, OOP, and CASE. Information Systems Management, 11(3), 23-27.
- Rawen, M. (2016). Programming: Learn the fundamentals of computer programming languages (2d ed.). Scotts Valley, CA: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
- Trivedi, T. (2017). Life cycle of source program – compiler design. International Journal of Innovative Research in Computer and Communication Engineering, 5(12). Retrieved from www.rroij.com
