Computer Science Chapter 5 Language Translators

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following BEST describes the role of a translator in computer programming?

  • To find logic errors in a computer program.
  • To convert machine code into a high-level programming language.
  • To analyze and execute a program written in a high-level language line by line.
  • To translate a source program written in any language other than machine code into machine code. (correct)

What is the primary function of an assembler?

  • Translating programs written in assembly language into machine code. (correct)
  • Translating code from a high-level language into machine code.
  • Managing the execution of programs line by line.
  • Identifying syntax errors in source code.

Which of the following programming tools identifies errors in the grammar of a source program?

  • Interpreter
  • Debugger
  • Syntax analyzer (correct)
  • Compiler

What is the purpose of 'prettyprinting' in the context of source code?

<p>To display source code in a well-set-out and formatted manner for better readability. (B)</p>
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What is the role of a 'report window' within an Integrated Development Environment (IDE)?

<p>To display the contents of variables during program execution. (D)</p>
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What does 'single stepping' refer to in programming?

<p>The practice of running a program one line or instruction at a time. (C)</p>
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Which of the following BEST explains what an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is?

<p>A suite of programs used to write and test computer programs. (A)</p>
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What is the purpose of a 'breakpoint' in programming?

<p>To deliberately pause the execution of a program for inspection. (D)</p>
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What is the focus of debugging in computer programming?

<p>Finding and correcting logic errors. (D)</p>
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Which error type is associated with flaws in the program's algorithm or design?

<p>Logic error (D)</p>
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What must occur before instructions written in a language other than machine code can be executed?

<p>They must be translated into machine code and loaded into main memory. (D)</p>
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What is a key characteristic of assembly language programs regarding portability?

<p>They are machine-dependent and not easily portable. (B)</p>
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What does a compiler primarily translate?

<p>A high-level language to machine code or p-code. (B)</p>
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How does an interpreter typically process a program?

<p>By analyzing and executing the program line by line. (B)</p>
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Which of the following scenarios would necessitate the use of a loader program?

<p>When the translated program is stored on a storage medium for later use. (A)</p>
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Consider MASM, PIC, and GENIE. What do these examples illustrate about assemblers?

<p>Different computer/chip architectures have their own specific assemblers. (B)</p>
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Given that assembly language programs are machine dependent, what implication does this have for software development?

<p>It means that software must often be rewritten or adapted for different systems. (B)</p>
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Which of the following tools would be MOST helpful in identifying why a program is producing incorrect output, despite compiling and running without errors?

<p>A debugger (D)</p>
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If a programmer wants to observe the values of variables and registers during the execution of a program, which feature of a debugger would be MOST useful?

<p>The report window (A)</p>
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When is a stored translated program executed without being re-translated?

<p>When the stored translated program is loaded into main memory. (A)</p>
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Imagine a scenario where a software development team needs to write code for a highly specialized microcontroller with a unique instruction set. Which type of programming language and translator would be MOST suitable for this task?

<p>Assembly language and assembler. (B)</p>
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Consider a program that compiles successfully but produces illogical results, such as printing negative values for expected positive results. Which type of error is MOST likely causing this issue, and what is the MOST effective method to diagnose it?

<p>Logic error; use a debugger to trace variable values. (C)</p>
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A software company is developing a cross-platform application that needs to run on various operating systems with minimal modifications. What type of programming language and translation approach would be MOST suitable to achieve this goal?

<p>A high-level language compiled into byte code that is then interpreted by a virtual machine. (A)</p>
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When would choosing an interpreter over a compiler be MOST advantageous in a software development project?

<p>When rapid prototyping and debugging are prioritized over execution speed. (D)</p>
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During the debugging process, you encounter a situation where a variable's value changes unexpectedly between two consecutive lines of code, even though neither line directly assigns a new value to that variable. What is the MOST likely cause of this issue?

<p>A logic error in a completely different part of the program is corrupting memory. (B)</p>
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Consider that machine code is directly executable by a computer's CPU, yet programming directly in machine code is exceptionally rare for most software development projects. What is the MOST compelling reason for this?

<p>Machine code is extremely difficult to write, understand, and maintain due to cryptic nature and hardware specifics. (D)</p>
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If an assembler stores the translated program on a storage medium for later use, which additional system software component becomes essential to execute the program, and what is its primary role?

<p>Loader; loads the translated program into main memory. (A)</p>
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Why is it generally more challenging to debug a program written in assembly language compared to a program written in a high-level language like Python or Java?

<p>Assembly language requires a deeper understanding of hardware architecture and memory management, making errors harder to trace. (C)</p>
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In the context of cross-platform development, what is the key benefit of using a language that compiles to an intermediate representation (like Java bytecode or .NET CIL) over compiling directly to machine code for each target platform?

<p>Increased code portability, as the intermediate representation can be executed on any platform with a compatible runtime environment. (A)</p>
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Consider a situation where a compiled C++ program runs without crashing but occasionally produces slightly incorrect numerical results. You suspect that the issue might be related to floating-point precision or rounding errors. What is the MOST appropriate debugging strategy to investigate this problem?

<p>Set breakpoints and carefully examine the values of relevant floating-point variables during execution, paying attention to small discrepancies. (D)</p>
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Which of the following presents the MOST accurate comparison between compilers and interpreters regarding error detection?

<p>Compilers detect syntax errors before execution, while interpreters can detect some errors during runtime. (D)</p>
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What is the primary advantage of using an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) over a simple text editor and command-line tools for software development?

<p>IDEs provide a streamlined and integrated workflow with features like code completion, debugging, and project management. (A)</p>
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A development team discovers that a critical function in their application is consuming an unexpectedly large amount of memory. They are using an IDE with debugging capabilities. Which debugging technique would be MOST effective in identifying the source of the memory leak?

<p>Single-stepping through the function and monitoring memory allocation and deallocation patterns. (D)</p>
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Why would an assembler typically be favored over a compiler for programming a bootloader, which is a small piece of code that runs immediately after a computer is powered on?

<p>Compilers produce larger and more complex code, making them unsuitable for the limited space available for a bootloader. (B)</p>
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A developer is tasked with optimizing a performance-critical section of code in a high-level language. After profiling the code, they identify a loop that is executed millions of times. What optimization strategy would likely yield the GREATEST performance improvement?

<p>Using an assembler to re-write the loop to operate faster with the CPU. (B)</p>
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Consider a scenario where a large software project has been developed without using an IDE, relying solely on a text editor and command-line tools. The team is now experiencing significant challenges in managing the codebase, debugging complex issues, and collaborating effectively. What is the MOST significant benefit the team would gain by migrating to an IDE?

<p>Enhanced code organization, navigation, and debugging capabilities, improving development efficiency and collaboration. (B)</p>
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Assume you have a program with both syntax and logic errors. If you run this program through a compiler, and then attempt to execute the compiled output, what is the MOST likely outcome?

<p>The syntax errors will be detected during compilation, preventing execution, but the logic errors will only be revealed during runtime (if the program were to compile). (C)</p>
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You are working on a team that's tasked with creating a highly secure operating system, where minimizing vulnerabilities is paramount. The team is debating whether to write substantial parts of the OS in assembly code or a higher-level language with memory safety features. What argument would BEST support the choice of assembly code, despite the increased risk of memory-related bugs?

<p>Assembly code allows for extremely fine-grained control over hardware and memory, enabling the implementation of custom security mechanisms not easily achievable in higher-level languages. (A)</p>
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A team of engineers is designing a mission-critical embedded system for controlling a spacecraft's propulsion system. Failure could result in catastrophic loss of the mission. They are deciding between using a real-time operating system (RTOS) written in a high-level language or developing a custom, bare-metal system programmed directly in assembly language. What is the MOST compelling reason to choose the bare-metal assembly approach, even though it would require significantly more development effort and expertise?

<p>The bare-metal assembly approach would eliminate the overhead and unpredictability of an RTOS, providing maximum control and determinism over the system's behavior, which is crucial for safety-critical applications. (B)</p>
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Flashcards

What is a Translator?

Software that translates source code from one language to machine code.

What is a Compiler?

A program that translates high-level language to machine code or object code.

What is an Interpreter?

A program that translates and executes code line by line.

What is Prettyprinting?

Displaying/printing source code in a well-formatted manner for readability.

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What is an IDE?

A suite of programs for writing and testing software.

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What is a Syntax error?

Error in the source code's grammar.

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What is a Logic error?

Error in the program's logic that results in incorrect behavior.

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What is Debugging?

Finding and fixing logic errors in a program by running/tracing it.

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What is Single Stepping?

Running a program one line/instruction at a time.

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What is a Breakpoint?

Deliberate pause in program execution to inspect variables during testing.

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What is a Report Window?

A window in the IDE showing variable contents during program execution.

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What do Assemblers do?

Translates assembly language into machine code.

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What is the role of Translators?

Software that converts source code to machine code.

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Study Notes

  • Final exam for Linear Algebra (Mat-1902) on May 2, 2024, from 13h30-16h20.
  • Professor: Abdou Ka Mamadou.
  • No documentation or calculators are allowed during the exam.
  • Cell phones and other electronic devices are prohibited.
  • Answer all questions directly on the questionnaire within the provided space.
  • The questionnaire consists of 10 pages.
  • The questionnaire must be returned.

Question 1

  • Linear independence of vectors $v_1, v_2,..., v_n$ in a vector space $V$ must be defined.
  • Two statements equivalent to "A is invertible" should be stated, where A is a square matrix of order n.

Question 2

  • The kernel of a linear transformation $T: V \rightarrow W$ needs to be defined.
  • A basis for the vector space of polynomials of degree at most 2, $P_2(\mathbb{R})$, is required.
  • The dimension of $P_2(\mathbb{R})$ is also required.

Question 3

  • Given the matrix $A = \begin{bmatrix} 1 & 2 \ 2 & 1 \end{bmatrix}$, find the eigenvalues of A.
  • Find the eigenvectors associated with each eigenvalue.

Question 4

  • For the system of linear equations:
    • $x + y + z = 1$
    • $2x + 3y + z = 3$
    • $x + y + 2z = 2$
  • The system needs to be written in matrix form $Ax = b$.
  • Solve the system using the Gauss-Jordan method.

Question 5

  • Given a linear transformation $T: \mathbb{R}^2 \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^2$ defined by $T(x, y) = (x + y, x - y)$.
  • Find the matrix of $T$ with respect to the canonical basis of $\mathbb{R}^2$.
  • Determine if $T$ is injective and justify the answer.

Question 6

  • Given $V$ as a finite-dimensional vector space and $T: V \rightarrow V$ as a linear transformation.
  • The rank theorem (dimension theorem) must be stated.
  • If $T$ is surjective, conclusions about the kernel of $T$ are required.

Question 7

  • In the vector space $\mathbb{R}^3$ with the usual scalar product, use the Gram-Schmidt process to orthonormalize the basis:
    • $v_1 = (1, 0, 0)$
    • $v_2 = (1, 1, 0)$
    • $v_3 = (1, 1, 1)$

Question 8

  • Given the matrix $A = \begin{bmatrix} 3 & -2 \ 1 & 0 \end{bmatrix}$, calculate $A^2$.
  • Find an invertible matrix $P$ and a diagonal matrix $D$ such that $A = PDP^{-1}$.

Question 9

  • A definition of a diagonalizable matrix is needed.
  • Provide an example of a $2 \times 2$ matrix that is not diagonalizable, along with a justification.

Question 10

  • For a matrix $A$ of size $m \times n$.
  • Define the column space of $A$, denoted as $Col(A)$.
  • Prove that $Col(A)$ is a subspace of $\mathbb{R}^m$.

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