14 Questions
What is the primary function of a programming language?
To act as a bridge between human understanding and computer understanding
What was the main drawback of early computers?
They required complex instructions written in binary code
What is the primary characteristic of a low-level language?
It translates to machine code understood by the processor
What is machine code?
A first-generation language
What is the purpose of assembly code?
To write human-readable programs that correspond to machine code
What is a characteristic of assembly code?
It uses mnemonics to represent machine code instructions
What needs to be done to assembly code before it can be executed by a computer?
It needs to be translated into machine code
What is the relationship between assembly code and machine code?
One assembly code instruction translates to one machine code instruction
What is the primary limitation of RAM in modern computers?
The amount of physical RAM available is limited
What happens when the physical RAM is full and a program needs more memory?
Virtual memory is used to supplement the RAM
What is the purpose of page switching in virtual memory?
To transfer data between RAM and virtual memory
Why is virtual memory important for computer systems?
It prevents the computer system from crashing when RAM is full
What type of data is stored in RAM?
Current data and program instructions in use
What happens when the operating system swaps an inactive page from RAM to virtual memory?
The page is replaced with a new one from virtual memory
Study Notes
Programming Languages as a Bridge
- A programming language acts as a bridge between human understanding and computer understanding.
Evolution of Programming Languages
- Early computers required instructions to be written in binary code (0s and 1s), making it a slow process that took days to program simple tasks.
- New generations of programming languages have enabled people to program faster and more efficiently, with languages resembling human language.
Generations of Programming Languages
- Generations of programming languages can be split into two categories: low-level and high-level languages.
- Low-level languages include first and second generation languages.
- High-level languages include third generation languages.
Low-Level Languages
- A low-level language is a programming language that directly translates to machine code understood by the processor.
- Low-level languages allow direct control over hardware components such as memory and registers.
- These languages are written for specific processors to ensure they embed the correct machine architecture.
First Generation Language
- Machine code is a first-generation language.
- Instructions are directly executable by the processor.
- Machine code is written in binary code.
Second Generation Language
- Assembly code is a second-generation language.
- The code is written using mnemonics, abbreviated text commands such as LDA (Load) and STA (Store).
- Assembly language instructions translate to one machine code instruction.
- Assembly code needs to be translated into machine code for the computer to execute it.
RAM and Virtual Memory
- The primary function of RAM is to store current data and program instructions in use.
- The amount of physical RAM available is limited, typically ranging from 4GB to 16GB in modern desktop computers.
- Some programs exceed the available RAM, making virtual memory necessary.
Virtual Memory
- Virtual memory is a part of secondary storage that acts as RAM when physical RAM is full.
- It prevents the computer system from crashing when RAM is full by providing additional storage.
- The operating system manages virtual memory, swapping data between RAM and virtual memory as needed.
Page Switching
- When the CPU needs to access data directly, the operating system switches it from virtual memory into RAM.
- Inactive pages are swapped from RAM to virtual memory, a process known as page switching.
- This process enables efficient use of RAM and prevents system crashes.
Discover how programming languages have evolved from binary code to human-like languages, enabling faster and more efficient programming. Learn about the generations of programming languages and how they bridge human and computer understanding.
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