Introduction to Programming Languages

The set of rules or grammar that defines how the components of a programming language are put together. It governs the word usage and punctuation of the programming language.

Errors that occur in the syntax of a programming language. They are typically flagged by a compiler or interpreter, highlighting incorrect usage of language components.

A piece of software that translates human-readable programming code into machine-understandable binary instructions.

Programming code written by humans, expressed using a specific programming language.

Translated machine language instructions that the computer directly understands, consisting of binary code represented as a series of 0s and 1s.

The process of executing or running a computer program. This involves the computer carrying out the instructions specified in the program's code

The process of converting human-readable source code into machine-readable object code.

The various areas or applications of computer programming, each with its own set of associated programming languages. E.g., Scientific, Business, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Web software.

The overall simplicity of a programming language, which is influenced by factors like the number of basic constructs, feature multiplicity (multiple ways to achieve the same result), and operator overloading (one operator with multiple meanings).

The ability to combine a small set of basic building blocks (constructs) in a limited number of ways to create complex structures. Lack of orthogonality leads to exceptions in the language.

The presence of adequate facilities for defining data types and data structures in a language. This helps in creating readable and understandable programs.

How easily a language can be used to create programs for a specific problem domain. Most factors that affect readability also influence writability.

The form or structure of the elements in a programming language. Syntax design choices like special words, form and meaning influence readability.

Words used in a programming language that have specific meanings (e.g., while, class, for). The appearance and readability of programs are affected by these special words.

Designing statements in a way that their visual appearance reflects their purpose. This helps to make the code more readable and easier to understand.

The meaning of a statement should follow directly from its form. In other words, how the code is written should clearly indicate its purpose.

Ease of expressing complex computations with concise code.

The ability of a program to perform its intended tasks reliably under all expected conditions, including unexpected inputs or errors.

Checking if data types in a program are used correctly, preventing errors that can lead to crashes or incorrect results.

A language feature that allows a program to handle errors or unusual situations gracefully, potentially recovering and continuing execution.

Having multiple names in a program that can be used to access the same memory location, potentially leading to unexpected behaviour and confusion.

The ease with which a program can be understood and modified by humans.

The cost associated with using a programming language, including training, development, execution, maintenance, and more.

The computer's native language, specific to the hardware, consisting of binary instructions.