Question

98 points possible

Describe the features of a programming language that make it different from the language you typically use in everyday life. Explain why a programming language must be created in this way.

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

Programming language is different from the language use in everyday life mostly because computer is "stupid" - it requires the instructions given (commands in a programming language) to be very clear and logical.

For example in Pascal, a series of commands must be grouped together between "Begin" and "End". Otherwise the computer will not understand those commands are to be carried out together such as in a While-Do loop:

###

while number>0 do

begin

sum := sum + number;

number := number - 1;

end;

###

This special structure in is called syntax and is in every programming language.

Answer 2

A programming language is not used to talk from human to human. It is used to talk from a human to a computer. Computers are very dumb compared to us, so they need to be taught or spoken to in simple terms. Asking them something complex is far beyond their understanding, as they cannot learn anything beyond what has already been taught to them. Using print: “Hello, World” is the way to tell them to do stuff way less complex than when we say ‘write the words Hello, World on the screen’. A programming language is also not very easy to create. Talking to a computer in a dumb way reduces the process to make a new language for the computer to understand.