what is computer programming

what is computer programming

In order to communicate with each other, we use natural languages like Bengali, English, Hindi, Urdu, French, Gujarati etc. We have different language around us in our real life to communicate with each other. Basically, human beings cannot speak or write in computer language, and since computers cannot speak or write in human language, an intermediate language had to be devised to allow people to communicate with the computers. These intermediate languages, known as programming languages, allow computer programmer to direct the activities of the computer. In this unit, we shall be exposed to general terms related to computer programming such as languages, algorithms and flowcharts. You will be familiar with these terms after reading this unit. The importance of an algorithm in a programming language can be realized.

Hope all of you are conscious with the term language. Language is a system of communication between two persons. Observe, In order to communicate with each other, we use languages like Bengali, English, Hindi, Urdu, French etc. We have different language around us in our real life to communicate with each other. However, human beings cannot speak or write in computer language, and since computers cannot speak or write in human language, so an intermediate language had to be devised (design) to allow people to communicate with the computers. These intermediate languages, known as Computer Language, that allow a computer programmer to direct the activities of the computer.

Let us first recall computer and what they do.

♦ A computer is an electronic device or machine used for processing data to deliver required information.

♦ A computer is a programmable electronic machine that receives input, stores and process data, and provides output in a useful format.

♦ Computer has no intelligence of its own to perform any task.

♦ We also know that hardware (Computer) is all of the physical equipments or components which are visible and touchable. A computer without a computer program (software) is just a dump box; it is programs that make computers active. The usefulness of the computer depends on the programs that are written to manipulate it.

As you know computer cannot do anything on its own and has to be guided (directed) by the user. In order to do any specific job you have to give a sequence of instructions to the computer. This set of instructions is called a computer program. Computer program is a sequence of instructions written in a Computer Language to perform a specified task by the computer. Computer Programming is the process of developing and implementing various sets of instructions to enable a computer to do a certain task.

Hope all of us know that computer can neither think nor make any judgments on its own; it can't do anything by themselves. They do exactly what you tell them to do: no more, no less unlike human beings. Suppose, if someone asks you, “What is the sum of 2+2?” or “add 2+2=?” or just, “2+2=?” you understand anyway but computer is different. Instructions to the computer should be explicitly stated. So we can say that computer needs a program to tell it what to do.

In earlier section we have learnt about computer language, computer program. In this section we will learn about programming language. We have different language around us in our real life to communicate with each other. What do you think if a Bengali person talks to an English man in Bengali language who does not know Bengali, can they communicate with each other? I am sure all of you will say no. In the same way if you tell the computer do this work or koro ei kaj ta, computer will not understand anything because computer understand only its own language (0 and 1). That’s why need programming language. To build programs, people use languages which are similar to human languages that are translated into machine code, which computers understand. A Programming Language (Computer) is composed of a set of characters, words and rules of the language that can be used to perform specific tasks by writing a computer program. Examples of some of the programming languages are BASIC, FORT RAN, COBOL, C, C++ etc.

There are three types of programming language according to their levels and they are as follows:

•  Machine Language
•  Assembly language
•  High Level Language

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