Programming

Language
CMSC 206

Percival A. Fernandez

The fundamentals of programming

have always been the same.
The truly great companies arent
looking to hire specific languages
theyre looking to hire
capablepeople.
So, look deep inside yourself and
figure out what your passion is.
What gets you excited?
Gary McTall

Those

factors could be far more

valuable to your language and career
choices than which ones have
greater financial gain or happen to
be the most popular at the moment.
More so than any one programming
language, theres really one
fundamental factor that differentiates
a good developer from a mediocre
developercuriosity.
So, concentrate on the work you
enjoy and never stop learning.

Programming Language
Definition
Coded language used by programmers to write
instructions that a computer can understand to do what
the programmer (or the computer user) wants.
The most basic (called low-level) computer language is
the machine language that uses binary ('1' and '0')
code which a computer can run (execute) very fast
without using any translator or interpreter program, but
is tedious and complex.
The high-level languages (such as Basic, C, Java) are
much simpler (more 'English-like') to use but need to
use another program (a compiler or an interpreter) to
convert the high-level code into the machine code, and
are therefore slower.
There are dozens of programming languages and new
ones are being continuously developed. Also called
computer language

Web languages
Used for creating and editing pages on the web. Can
do anything from putting plain text on a webpage, to
accessing and retrieving data from a database. Vary
greatly in terms of power and complexity.
HTML
Hyper Text Markup Language. The core language of the world
wide web that is used to define the structure and layout of web
pages by using various tags and attributes. Although a
fundamental language of the web, HTML is static - content
created with it does not change. HTML is used to specify the
content a webpage will contain, not how the page functions.

XML
Extensible Markup Language. A language developed by the
W3C which works like HTML, but unlike HTML, allows for custom
tags that are defined by programmers. XML allows for the
transmission of data between applications and organizations
through the use of its custom tags.

Web languages
Javascript

A language developed by Netscape used to provide

dynamic and interactive content on webpages. With
Javascript it is possible to communicate with HTML,
create animations, create calculators, validate forms,
and more. Javascript is often confused with Java, but
they are two different languages.
VBScript

Visual Basic Scripting Edition. A language developed by

Microsoft that works only in Microsoft's Internet Explorer
web browser and web browsers based on the Internet
Explorer engine such as FlashPeak's Slim Browser.
VBScript Can be used to print dates, make calculations,
interact with the user, and more. VBScript is based on
Visual Basic, but it is much simpler.

Web languages
PHP

Hypertext Preprocessor (it's a recursive acronym). A

powerful language used for many tasks such as data
encryption, database access, and form validation. PHP
was originally created in 1994 By Rasmus Lerdorf.
Java

A powerful and flexible language created by Sun

MicroSystems that can be used to create applets (a
program that is executed from within another program)
that run inside webpages as well as software
applications. Things you can do with Java include
interacting with the user, creating graphical programs,
reading from files, and more. Java is often confused with
Javascript, but they are two different languages.

Software languages
Used for creating executable programs. Can create anything
from simple console programs that print some text to the
screen to entire operating systems. Vary greatly in terms of
power and complexity.
C
An advanced programming language used for software application
development. Originally developed by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Labs in
the 1970's and designed to be a systems programming language but
since then has proven itself to be able to be used for various software
applications such as business programs, engineering programs, and
even games. The UNIX operating system is written in C.

C++
Descendant of the C language. The difference between the two
languages is that C++ is object-oriented.
C++ was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup at Bell Labs and is a very
popular language for graphical applications.

Visual Basic
A language developed by Microsoft based on the BASIC language .
Visual Basic is used for creating

Software languages
Windows

applications.

The VBScript language (also developed by Microsoft) is

based on Visual Basic.
Java

A powerful and flexible language created by Sun

MicroSystems that can be used to create applets (a
program that is executed from within another program)
that run inside webpages as well as software
applications. Things you can do with Java include
interacting with the user, creating graphical programs,
reading from files, and more. Java is often confused with
Javascript, but they are two different languages.

The different generations of

languages
There are currently five generations of computer
programming languages. In each generation, the
languages syntax has become easier to
understand and more human-readable.
First generation languages (abbreviated as
1GL)
Represent the very early, primitive computer languages
that consisted entirely of 1's and 0's - the actual language
that the computer understands (machine language).

Second generation languages (2GL)

Represent a step up from from the first generation
languages. Allow for the use of symbolic names instead of
just numbers. Second generation languages are known as
assembly languages. Code written in an assembly
language is converted into machine language (1GL)

The different generations of

languages

Third generation languages (3GL)

With the languages introduced by the third generation of
computer programming, words and commands (instead of just
symbols and numbers) were being used. These languages
therefore, had syntax that was much easier to understand.
Third generation languages are known as "high level
languages" and include C, C++, Java, and Javascript, among
others.

Fourth generation languages (4GL)

The syntax used in 4GL is very close to human language, an
improvement from the pervious generation of languages. 4GL
languages are typically used to access databases and include
SQL and ColdFusion, among others.

Fifth generation languages (5GL)

Fifth generation languages are currently being used for neural
networks. A neural network is a form of artificial intelligence
that attempts to imitate how the human mind works.

So,
What are the best
programming
languages to learn
right now?

TOP 10 PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

FOR LEARNING TO CODE

Python
Java
C++
Arduino
Lego Mindstorms EV3
Ruby
HTML5
Scratch
MatLab

Perl

 Python
According to the ACM (an organization that really
should know), Python isthe most popular wayfor
universities to teach students their first language.
Python is a general-purpose language that starts
from a simple code base and adds extensions as
necessary to allow for complex projects.
The good news about Python is that it emphasizes
clear, simple syntax that can later be related to a
number of other languages. The bad news is that it
will be a challenge to build a career on Python.
It's not one of the "heavy hitter" production
languages
in
high
demand
among
large
organizations. It's unlikely that you'll regret learning
Python, though, and its popularity at universities
means there are a lot of resources to help someone
who's learning the ropes.

 Java
Java is the language Python passed in order to become
the most popular language for teaching programming at
the university level. What is it that made Java so
popular? There are a couple of things that work in the
caffeinated language's favor.
First, Java is a language in the mainstream of
development, which means that it doesn't use lots of
odd syntax and unique symbols to get things done. If
you learn how to program in Java, you can transfer your
knowledge to most of the other popular enterprise
development languages.
Next, Java is a popular language in enterprise
development. In terms of use, most measures put it right
up there with C++ on the corporate-use scale, so it's
entirely possible that you could learn Java and become
employable on that basis alone.
It's not the simplest to learn, but since it might be the
only one you need to learn, the overall time commitment
could make sense if programming as a new career path

 C++
The reason to choose C++ as your first
language is purely mercenary. C++ and Java
are the two most commonly used languages
in enterprise programming projects.
If you want to devote your time to learning a
single language that has serious enterprise
implications, then C++ could be your
answer.
You'll pay for the commercial advantage
with a rather steep learning curve, since C+
+ wasn't designed as a learning tool.
On the other hand, it was designed to allow
a programmer to control computer hardware
at a very low level. When you learn C++,
you have the opportunity to learn precisely
how a computer works and how to make it

 Arduino
Some people learn best when they can be
hands-on with physical objects. Some people
like the idea of making bright lights go blinky
blinky. If you're one of those people and you're
looking for a simple language to get you
started, then skip a couple of lattes and buy
an Arduino.
The Arduino IDE supports a simplified subset
of C/C++ to let you get started with
programming the little board. That means you
can ease into the languages that are
frequently used for enterprise projects while
you make lights blink and gardens grow.
Programming an Arduino also makes you part
of a huge community of people doing very
cool and interesting things with a tiny
embedded computer.

 Lego Mindstorms EV3

Before there was Arduino there was Lego
Mindstorms. For the last couple of decades
people have been learning how to make
small vehicles, robots, and machines operate
through a simple but rather powerful
controller.
First the NXT and now the EV3 are
programmed through operational blocks
rather than traditional code, but the concepts
of control and logic-flow apply to both.
It's easy to think that Lego is only a children's
toy, but there are university classes,
engineering prototype projects, and builder
clubs around the world using Lego bricks and
controllers. If your programming education
needs to start with basic logic, there's no
easier (or more fun) way to start than with

 Ruby
Rubyis a mash-up language, bringing together
parts of Perl, Smalltalk, Eiffel, Ada, and Lisp to
make a programming tool that its creator, Yukihiro
("Matz") Matsumoto, describes as "natural, not
simple." Translated into real life, that means Ruby
is a powerful commercial language that can be
learned in readily digestible pieces.
If you want to learn object-oriented programming
discipline, Ruby is a very solid choice, because it
treats everything -- absolutely everything -- as an
object.
Unlike
many
other
object-oriented
languages, though, Ruby's syntax is easy to read
and understand.
Ruby is used as the foundation for many Webfronted applications through the Ruby on Rails
framework. Like other open source languages,
there is also a huge user community and a large
number of tutorial and learning modules available.

 HTML5
Every time you look at a Web page, you're
seeing the results of programming. We call HTML
a "page definition language," but it defines the
page by giving instructions to an application
(the Web browser) about how to display
information. That's programming.
HTML5 is the latest version of HTML, and it's a
far more powerful way to tell browsers how to
interact with information, input, and the
underlying computer system.
While HTML5 has a syntax that won't translate
directly into other languages, it is a popular
development language in the enterprise and a
solid contender for "bankable skill." It will also
let you build a killer website to tell the world
about your new skill. That's something to think
about.

 MATLAB
If your interest in programming is coupled with
needs for numerical analysis, especially for
scientific or engineering purposes, thenMATLAB
could be the first step you need to take in
learning to code.
MATLAB is a scripting language originally
developed by a computer science professor at
the University of New Mexico who wanted to
save his students the pain of learning Fortran.
Unlike many of the other languages in this
article, MATLAB isn't free. If you only want it for
personal use, it's $149. If you decide you want
to use it commercially, the price goes up
significantly, to more than $2,000.
MATLAB is a powerful solution for those who
want to develop applications that visualize data
or conduct advanced data analysis. If this
sounds like your target app, then MATLAB might

 Scratch
Scratchis a visual programming language developed
by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group of the MIT Media
Lab. The name of the developing group should give
you a hint about both the language's purpose and its
target audience.
Even if you're not part of the Kindergarten
demographic, you should think about Scratch if you
want to learn the basics of programming.
Scratch is part of a unified development environment
that allows you to create games, make visualizations
from math and science data, produce your own
animated clips, and do other things.
In addition, there are modules that allow Scratch to
interface with external hardware so you can use
Scratch to program your Lego Mindstorms modules if
you're ready to move beyond the Lego block
programming model. Scratch is free and part of a
huge user community, so it might be a good tool for
taking care of your "learning to program" itch.

 Perl
Now, it's time for a suggestion that could be
controversial.Perlis a scripting language (meaning
that it tells the underlying system to use its facilities
to do things, rather than talking directly to the
hardware control functions) that is widely used in
Web and Internet applications. It's amazingly useful -and can be exceptionally ugly.
Part of the problem is that Perl is very forgiving. It
doesn't enforce the sort of tight programming
discipline that some people feel is critical when
learning to program. On the other hand, if you think
that the best way to learn is to see a result quickly,
Perl could be perfect for you. P
erl has frequently been described in terms that
compare it to "duct tape" and "the Swiss Army
chainsaw of scripting languages" (in a notable
passage by Doug Sheppard in hisBeginner's
Introduction to Perl), so it's not the elegant choice.
But it can be effective -- and it's also an in-demand
language on the job market.

Reference:

http://www.informationweek.com/software/10-topprogramming-languages-for-learning-to-code-/

Thank you!