Programming language: Difference between revisions
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A '''programming language''' is a human-readable [[lexicon]] and [[grammar]] that a [[programmer]] uses to instruct a [[computer]] how to operate. Programs written in a programming language have to be translated into [[machine code]]. Machine code consists of multiple lower-level instructions which the computer can actually understand. Use of a programming language allows programmers to work at a higher level than machine code (which is not human-readable). | A '''programming language''' is a human-readable [[lexicon]] and [[grammar]] that a [[programmer]] uses to instruct a [[computer]] how to operate. Programs written in a programming language have to be translated into [[machine code]]. Machine code consists of multiple lower-level instructions which the computer can actually understand. Use of a programming language allows programmers to work at a higher level than machine code (which is not human-readable). | ||
One way in which various programming languages have traditionally been categorized is as [[compiler|compiled]] vs. [[interpreter|interpreted]] languages. The traditional view was that ''compiled'' languages were first translated, by a ''compiler'' program, from human-readable [[source code]] into [[binary numeral system|binary]] [[machine code]] | One way in which various programming languages have traditionally been categorized is as [[compiler|compiled]] vs. [[interpreter|interpreted]] languages. The traditional view was that ''compiled'' languages were first translated, by a ''compiler'' program, from human-readable [[source code]] into [[binary numeral system|binary]] [[machine code]]. Conversely, ''interpreted'' languages relied, at run time, on a special runtime application, called the ''interpreter'', to translate [[source code]] line by line into [[machine code]] during program execution. However, the division between compiled languages and interpreted languages has blurred with the advent of hybrid platforms such as [[Java programming language|Java]] and the .NET framework ([[C sharp|C#]] and [[Visual Basic .NET|VB.NET]]). These hybrid languages require sophisticated, optimized "runtime" engines to execute, and the runtime engines use Just-In-Time compilers to generate native machine code (but not on a line-by-line basis as in traditional "interpreters"). | ||
<!--A '''[[linker]]''' is often applied to this code to assemble it with existing libraries and runtime environments into a form the computer can run.--> | <!--A '''[[linker]]''' is often applied to this code to assemble it with existing libraries and runtime environments into a form the computer can run.--> | ||
Revision as of 18:38, 26 April 2007
A programming language is a human-readable lexicon and grammar that a programmer uses to instruct a computer how to operate. Programs written in a programming language have to be translated into machine code. Machine code consists of multiple lower-level instructions which the computer can actually understand. Use of a programming language allows programmers to work at a higher level than machine code (which is not human-readable).
One way in which various programming languages have traditionally been categorized is as compiled vs. interpreted languages. The traditional view was that compiled languages were first translated, by a compiler program, from human-readable source code into binary machine code. Conversely, interpreted languages relied, at run time, on a special runtime application, called the interpreter, to translate source code line by line into machine code during program execution. However, the division between compiled languages and interpreted languages has blurred with the advent of hybrid platforms such as Java and the .NET framework (C# and VB.NET). These hybrid languages require sophisticated, optimized "runtime" engines to execute, and the runtime engines use Just-In-Time compilers to generate native machine code (but not on a line-by-line basis as in traditional "interpreters").