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Unit 6 - Principles of Programming - Coggle Diagram
Unit 6 - Principles of Programming
High Level Language
Some programmers prefer to use high level programming languages because:
They are easier to understand, learn and program, as their commands are similar to natural languages like English
The names of variables/identifiers can be long and meaningful, making programs easy to understand.
They closely resemble pseudo-code algorithms
A high level programming language allows code to be written in a natural human language similar to English
Machine code
machine code is written in bit patterns (instruction and data) that can be executed directly by the CPU
High level language must be converted into the machine before they can be executed by the CPU, whereas machine code does not
Global and Local variables
Local variables are only accessible within limited parts of a program/subroutine/function/method
Global variables are accessible throughout the entire program
Low Level Languages
Programming in a low level language such as Assembly code requires knowledge of the internal structure of the CPU and there for is specialised
Assembly code uses mennonics
The program statements are written for a certain part of the CPU and make a direct reference to specific registers of a processor
Source code written in a low level language is not portable, but is more efficient and will run faster
Uses of high and low level languages
High level languages are used when execution speed is not critical - e.g common activities like word.
Programmers may wish tho type in directly in machine or assembly code when programming device drivers or embedded systems.
Most modern applications such as commercial data base packages, operating systems, and social media apps use high level programming
Proffesional game developers may need to use console specific development software, which is likely to include low level features for best performance