Programming Language Based Machine Independence And Generation

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

1. Introduction

Procedural programming is the programming which had been designed for specific programs so it needs to be taken into account when a particular program is being used. It can also be symbolized in a way by listing certain instructions, where the computer is used for the purpose of programs and the instructions that need to be listed and must write in a step by step method, For E.g. Open a file, read a number, multiply by 4, display something so that all the details written can be followed one by one. Program units include the main or program block, subroutines, functions, procedures; file scoping; includes/modules; libraries.

Procedural programming is excellent for small projects. It is the most natural way to tell a computer what to do, and the computer processor’s own language, machine code translate the procedural high-level language into machine code in straightforward and efficient way. Examples of computer procedural languages are BASIC, C, FORTRAN, and Pascal.

Typically the procedural programming should concern with the act of different programs but with the help of certain instructions the program can be tested and used by chasing different procedures. This sort of programming is used in computer applications, where the act of using it is related with the purpose of running and testing a program by certain loops and branches.

Advantages of Procedural Programming

It is relatively simple and no difficulty in implementation by using compilers and interpreters.

Same code can be use at different places in the program without copying it.

It is easier to keep track of the program flow.

It needs less memory.

Disadvantages of Procedural Programming

Data is exposed to entire program, so there is no security for data.

Difficult to communicate with real world objects.

Difficult in creating new data types which reduces extensibility.

Importance is given to operation on data rather than the data.

2. Programming language based on machine independence and generation

The term computer language includes a wide variety of languages which are used to communicate with computers. They have a unique set of keywords that the program understands. Coded languages are used by the programmers to write instruction that a computer can understand to do what the programmer or the computer user wants. So to communicate with the computers different languages are developed to perform various types of task and those languages are

Low Level Languages

High Level Languages

2.1 Low Level Languages

Low level languages are machine oriented and require extensive knowledge of computer hardware and its configuration. It is designed to operate or handle the entire hardware and instruction set architecture of a computer directly. Programs and applications written in low-level language are directly executable on the computing hardware without any interpretation or translation by using the language 0 and 1 only.

There are two types of low level languages:

Machine Language (1st Generation)

Assembly Language (2nd Generation)

2.1.1 Machine Language (1st Generation)

Machine Language is the only language that is directly understood by the computer. It does not need any translator program. It is also called machine code and it is written as strings of 1′s (one) and 0’s (zero).When this sequence of codes is fed to the computer, it recognizes the codes and converts it in to electrical signals needed to run it. It is not an easy language to learn as well as it’s difficult to understand. It is efficient for the computer but very inefficient to the programmers.

2.1.2 Assembly Language (2nd Generation)

It is the first step to improve the programming structure. Computer can handle both numbers and letter. Therefore some combination of letters can be used to substitute for number of machine codes. The set of symbols and letters forms the Assembly Language and a translator program is required to translate the Assembly Language to machine language and the translator program is called `Assembler’.

2.2 High Level Languages (3rd Generation)

Assembly language and machine level language require deep knowledge of computer hardware where as in higher language programmer only have to know the instructions in English words and logic of the problem and the type of computer which the programmer are using. Higher level languages are simple languages that use English and mathematical symbols like +, -, %, / etc. for the construction of program. Higher level language has to be converted to machine language for the computer to understand.

Types of High level language are given below:

2.2.1 Algebraic Formula-Type Processing

An expression is algebraic if it involves a finite combination of numbers and algebraic operations (addition, subtraction, and multiplication, division, raising to a power, and extracting a root). Two important types of such equations are linear equations and quadratic equations.

BASIC (Beginners All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code)

FORTRAN (Formula Translation)

APL (A Programming Language)

PL/I (Programming Language, Version 1) 

2.2.2 Business Data Processing

It is a processing of information like accounting or business management by the means of computers. Some examples of business data processing are COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language), RPG (Report Program Generator.

2.2.3 String and List Processing

These are used for handling strings of characters in computer and including search for pattern, deleting and inserting storage as though they were single units of data. Some examples of List processing are Prolog (Program in Logic), LISP (List Processing).

2.2.4 Object Oriented Programming Language

A set of forms contain a particular element for computer programming in which the linear concepts of procedures and tasks are replaced by the concepts of objects and messages. An object includes a package of data and a description of the operations that can be performed on that data. A message specifies one of the operations but does not describe how the operation should be carried out. Some examples of object oriented programming language are: C++, Java

2.2.5 Visual programming language (VPL)

Visual programming language (VPL) is a programming language which is a windows based application that uses graphical elements and figures to develop a program. It is a technique to design a software program in two or more dimensions, and includes graphical elements, text, symbols and icons within its programming context. Some examples of VPL are Visual Basic, Visual Java, and Visual C.

2.3 Computer programming language (4GL)

Fourth generation language is also known as computer programming language. 4GLs is closer to human language than other high-level languages and are handier to people without formal instruction as programmers. They allow multiple common operations to be performed with a single programmer-entered command. They are intended to be easier for users than machine languages (first-generation), assembly languages (second-generation), and older high-level languages (third-generation).. Some successful 4th generation languages are: database query languages, e.g.: SQL; Focus, PostScript, and RPGII.

2.4 Fifth Generation language (5GL)

Fifth-generation language is programming that uses a visual or graphical interface to create source code that is usually compile with a 3GL or 4GL language compiler., Borland, Microsoft IBM, and other company makes 5GL visual programming products for developing applications in Java. Fifth generation language is a group of programming languages build on the basis of a problem that can be solved, and an application built to solve it. For example Visual programming allows us to simply visualize object-oriented programming and drag icons to assemble program components. It is used to indicate the properties, or logic, of a solution, rather than how it is reached. Most constraint-based and logic programming languages are 5GLs

3. Programming languages based on mobile and web application

Nowadays there is a very different tendency between mobile applications and mobile web applications or web apps. Mobile applications code depends on the platform which they are focused and the terminals where these applications may be made to function. In iOS (the Apple platform), the native applications’ framework (group of programming libraries) is based on Objective C as a programming language. Android has/have Java as its/their development language and Windows Phone has chosen .NET, with which it is theoretically a Multilanguage.

Clearly, each development language only determines the syntax and the code structure, with the libraries which form each one of the different frameworks being the ones that will condition the different native applications’ final structure.

A totally different world is that of the web apps or mobile web applications. With the arrival of HTML5, CSS3 and taking advantage of the actual power of some JavaScript frameworks many different solutions have been thought of to develop your mobile application without having to wrestle with (the wide range of different terminals?) So they allow you to concentrate on the logics and withdraw yourself from the more physical part of your application.The solution consists in implementing a frontend in a mobile browser website view by using a powerful Javascript library (like jQuery Mobile, Sencha Touch or similar) and in resorting to web services on the server’s side (programmed in PHP, .NET, Perl, Python, Ruby or whatever you prefer) by means of SOAP/RESTful protocols.

The solution consists in implementing a frontend in a mobile browser website view by using a powerful Javascript library (like jQuery Mobile, Sencha Touch or similar) and in resorting to web services on the server’s side (programmed in PHP, .NET, Perl, Python, Ruby or whatever you prefer) by means of SOAP/Restful protocols.

This flexibility has a performance cost, of course. However, the actual power of the different JavaScript motors’ response will never be as good as the one of the native applications in each platform. Even though, they are still the most viable option if we already know the server’s language like PHP and if we know how to use JavaScript and HTML5.

Libraries like Phone Gap or Appcelerator merit a special mention in this field. Both solutions allow to generate a native code in each (plataforma de despliegue) echoing the (saying?) "code one, deploy anywhere". Native applications can be obtained in each iOS or Android terminal from Javascript and HTML5 (and CSS3). Although they are the first steps of a promising journey, the results obtained don’t let us be too enthusiastic yet.

Features and characteristics of Procedural Programming Language

There are many high level languages which are very fashionable, and there are others, which could not become so popular in-spite of being very great. There are many reasons for the success of a language, but one the main reason is the characteristics of the language. There are many characteristics which are important for making a programming language good. Among them some of them are given below.

3.1 Simplicity

A good programming language must be simple and easy to use and learn. For example, BASIC is liked by many programmers because of its simplicity. A good programming language should present a programmer a plain, easy and combine set of concepts which can be easily operate. It is easy to develop and implement a compiler or an interpreter for a programming language that is easy. The power needed for the language should not be sacrificed for simplicity. The overall simplicity of a programming language affects the readability of the programs written in that language, and programs that are easier to read and understand are also easier to maintain.

3.2 Naturalness

A good language should be natural for the application area it has been designed. That is, it should provide appropriate operators, data structures, control structures, and a natural syntax in order to facilitate the users to code their problem easily and efficiently. FORTRAN and COBOL are good examples of scientific and business languages respectively that posses high degree of naturalness.

3.3 Efficiency

The program written in good programming language are efficiently translated into machine code, are efficiently executed, and acquires as little space in the memory as possible. That is, a good programming language is supported with a good language translator (a compiler or an interpreter) that gives due consideration to space and time efficiency.

3.4 Compactness

In a good programming language, programmers should be able to express intended operation concisely. A verbose language can tax the programmer’s sheer writing stamina and thus reduce its usefulness. COBOL is generally not liked by many programmers because it is verbose in nature and compactness.

3.5 Locality

A good programming language should be such that while writing a program, a programmer need not jump around visually as the text of the program is prepared. This allows the programmer to concentrate almost solely on the part of the program around the statements currently being worked with. COBOL lacks locality because data definitions are separated from processing statements, perhaps by many pages of code.

3.6 Extensibility

A good programming language should allow extension through simple, natural, and elegant mechanisms. Almost all languages provide subprogram definition mechanisms for this purpose, but there are some languages that are rather weak in this aspect.