Computer Architecture and Programming Languages

Study Notes

Computer Architecture

Computers utilize a fundamental architecture comprising both hardware and software components.
Hardware encompasses physical devices like the central processing unit (CPU), memory (RAM), storage devices (hard drives, SSDs), input/output devices (keyboard, mouse, monitor), and network interfaces.
Software consists of programs, instructions, and data that tell the hardware what to do.
CPUs perform arithmetic and logic operations, controlled by instructions encoded as machine code.
Memory stores data and instructions that the CPU needs to execute programs.
Storage devices retain data even when the computer is turned off.
Input/output devices allow users to interact with the computer and the external world.
Network interfaces enable communication between computers.

Programming Languages

Programming languages are formal languages used to instruct computers to perform specific tasks.
They translate human-readable code into machine code understood by the computer's CPU.
Different programming languages have distinct syntax, semantics, and features.
Common programming paradigms include procedural, object-oriented, functional, and logic programming.
Procedural languages (e.g., C, Pascal) structure programs as a sequence of procedures or functions.
Object-oriented languages (e.g., Java, C++) organize programs around objects that contain data and methods.
Functional languages (e.g., Haskell, Lisp) emphasize functions as the primary means of computation.
Logic programming languages (e.g., Prolog) use logical statements to describe problems and solutions.
Programming languages often involve different levels of abstraction, ranging from low-level languages like assembly language to high-level languages like Python or JavaScript.
Low-level languages are closer to machine code, offering fine-grained control over hardware but requiring more complex code.
High-level languages provide higher abstraction and ease of use, but they require translation steps to machine code.
Popular high-level programming languages are used for diverse purposes: web development (JavaScript, Python), mobile app development (Swift, Kotlin), data science (Python), game development (C++, C#), and system programming (C).
Programming languages usually have compilers, or interpreters to translate code into machine-executable instructions.
Compilers translate the entire program into machine code before execution.
Interpreters translate and execute code line by line.
Programming environments provide tools for writing, testing, and debugging programs (integrated development environments, or IDEs).
Programming involves logical problem-solving, algorithmic design, and code implementation.
Code needs to be correctly structured and semantically valid.

Description

Explore the fundamental components of computer architecture, including hardware and software elements. Understand how CPUs, memory, and storage devices work in conjunction with programming languages to execute tasks. This quiz will test your knowledge on both the hardware setup and the programming languages used to instruct computers.