B Tech Study Material

Important Questions

1) What are the reasons of studying programming languages?
2) What are the significant characteristics of programming languages?
3) What makes a language portable?
4) Explain language evaluation criteria and characteristics that affect them?
5) Explain about Von-Neumann computer architecture?
6) Explain different aspects of the cost of a programming language?
7) Compare procedure oriented and object oriented programming. Explain the object oriented features supported by C++?
8) Explain fundamental features of object oriented programming language with examples?
9) What do you mean by imperative programming language?
10) What are the differences between special purpose and general purpose programming languages?
11) A programming language can be compiled or interpreted. Give relative advantages and disadvantages of compilation and interpretation. Give examples of compiled and interpreted languages?

Influences on Language Design
• Computer Architecture
– Languages are developed around the prevalent computer architecture, known as the von Neumann architecture
• Programming Methodologies
– New software development methodologies (e.g., object-oriented software development) led to new programming paradigms and by extension, new programming languages

Computer Architecture Influence
• Well-known computer architecture: Von Neumann
• Imperative languages, most dominant, because of von Neumann computers
– Data and programs stored in memory
– Memory is separate from CPU
– Instructions and data are piped from memory to CPU
– Basis for imperative languages
• Variables model memory cells
• Assignment statements model piping
• Iteration is efficient

Programming Methodologies Influences
• 1950s and early 1960s: Simple applications; worry about machine efficiency
• Late 1960s: People efficiency became important; readability, better control structures
– structured programming
– top-down design and step-wise refinement
• Late 1970s: Process-oriented to data-oriented
– data abstraction
• Middle 1980s: Object-oriented programming
– Data abstraction + inheritance + polymorphism