PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES. C Language

PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

Complete the table with programming language specific features. Match the specific feature to the language it characterizes.

C Language Java Python Ruby

a) It is one of the newest programming languages to be used on a wide-scale. b) It is ancestor to many of the advanced programming languages. c) It requires less time, less lines of code, and less concepts to be taught to reach a given goal. d) Coding in this language is stricter and has a steeper learning curve than other languages. e) It is one of the most used programming languages in the world. f) It is often considered to be the easiest language to learn, owing to its simplicity, readability and straight forward syntax. g) With this language you'll be able to access and manipulate the most important computer parts like the filesystem, graphics, and sound for any fairly sophisticated and modern program. h) It is used for developing low level applications. i) One of the truly greatest perks of working with this language is that it’s completely open-sourced and free. j) There is a sense of beauty in its coding that makes this one of the best programs for beginners. k) This language is used to develop enterprise level application and video games. l) It is regarded as combination of some of the most famous features of Lisp, Pearl and Eiffel.

C Language

C language was developed by Dennis Ritchie in 1972, at Bell labs. The legacy¹ of C language stems from² the fact that it is ancestor³ to many of theadvanced programming languages such as C++, Java, C#, JavaScript, and Pearl. It is probably due to this reason that C is the first programming courseoffered in universities as it paves way⁴ for learning other languages. C is one of the most widely used programming languages. There are a few reasons for this. As programmer and writer Joel Spolskynoted: “C is toprogramming as learning basic anatomy is to a medical doctor”.

C is a machine level language, so you'll learn how a program interacts with the hardware and learn the fundamentals of programming at the lowest – hardware – level (C is the foundation for Linux/GNU). You learn things like debugging programs, memory management, and how computers work that youdon't get from higher level languages like Java—all while preparing you to codeefficiently for other languages. That said, coding in C is stricter and has a steeper learning curve⁵ than other languages, and if you're not planning on working on programs that interface with the hardware (tap into⁶ device drivers, for example, or operating system extensions), learning C will add to your education time, perhaps unnecessarily.

Stack Overflow has a good discussion on C versus⁷ Java as a first language, with most people pointing towards C. However, personally, although I'm glad I was exposed⁸ to C, I don't think it's a very beginner-friendly language. It'll teach you discipline, but you'll have to learn an awful lot⁹ before you can make anything useful. Also, because it's so strict you might end up frustrated. ¹⁰

1. legacy – наследственность, наследие

2. tostemfrom – происходить, брать начало

3. ancestor – предок, прародитель, предшественник

4. topaveway– прокладывать путь

5. hasasteeperlearningcurve – зд. требует более серьёзного/детального изучения

6. totapinto–подключиться к …

7. versus – по сравнению

8. was exposed – зд. познакомился

9. anawfullot – огромное количество, очень многое

10. frustrated – расстроенный, разочарованный

Java

Java was developed by James Gosling, in 1990 at Sun Microsystems. Java is one of the most used programming languages in the world, which isreason enough to want to learn it if you’re truly considering¹ pursuing² a career inprogramming. One of the things that make Java so great is that it works on a very wide range of platforms. There is always something that can be done with Java.

Java further adds to the capabilities³ of C++ language. It is often said thatJava owes a lot to C and C++ in terms of features and capabilities. The special thing about Java is that this is the first purely⁴object oriented programming language. Java was developed on the principle of WORA i. e. “Write Once RunAnywhere”. This feature adds to the portability of Java. You just need to compile Java Source code once and then on any machine where JVM (JavaVirtual Machine is installed), you can run that code irrespective of the underlying⁵ operating system and hardware.

Java language is used to develop enterprise level application and videogames; it can be employed to develop web based applications when used withJSP (Java Server Pages). Java has huge job market with attractive incentives⁶.

This is a must⁷ learn language for every programmer.

Java has the advantage of a long history of usage. There are lots of " boilerplate⁸" examples, it's been taught for decades, and it's widely used for many purposes (including Android app development), so it's a very practicallanguage to learn. You won't get machine-level control, as you would with C, but you'll be able to access/manipulate the most important computer parts likethe filesystem, graphics, and sound for any fairly sophisticated and modernprogram—that can run on any operating system. Developing a deep understanding of Java takes a lot of time and strenuous⁹effort, as it requires deep knowledge of programming and how it works on ahighly nuanced level. Coding in Java isn’t just following steps until you get the project you want to work; it’s knowing how and why the project works becauseof a complex fundamental knowledge.

If a career in programming sounds attractive, just know that Java is going to eventually need to be learned, so why not sooner than later? In the end you will have developed a programmer’s mind and will be ready for any obstacle¹⁰.

1. to consider–рассматривать

2. to pursue – преследовать

3. capabilities – возможности

4. purely- исключительно, в чистом виде

5. tounderly – лежать в основе

6. incentive – стимул, побуждение

7. a must – обязательно, обязательный

8. boilerplate– шаблон

9. strenuous – напряжённый

10. obstacle – препятствие, помеха

Python

Python is another high-level programming language and is often considered on the easiest language to learn, owing to its simplicity, readability and straight forward¹ syntax. Python was developed by Guido Van Rossum in 1991. Python wasn’t used that widely in the past; however, the language has seen great popularity in the recent years owing to Google’s investment in the language in the past 10 years. Currently, some highly famous and robust² sites are operating in Python including pinterest. com, instagram. com, and rdio. com.

Like PHP, Python also has associated web frameworks which make it moreconvenient to develop web based applications in python. Many people recommend Python as the best beginner language because of its simplicity yet great capabilities. The code is easy to read and enforces³ good programming style, without being too strict about syntax (things like remembering to add a semicolon⁴ at the end of each line).

Patrick Jordan at Ariel Computing compared the time it takes to write a simple script in various languages (BASIC, C, J, Java, and Python) and determined that while the other languages shouldn't be ignored, Python: “requires less time, less lines of code, and less concepts to be taught to reach a given goal. […] Finally programming in Python is fun! Fun and frequent⁵ success breed⁶ confidence and interest in the student, who is then better placed to continue learning to program”.

SOA says Python is an absolute must for beginners who want to get their feet wet with Linux (or are already familiar with Linux).

One of the truly greatest perks⁷ of working with Python is that it’s completely open-sourced and free. If you have access to a computer, you can feasibly⁸ learn Python. What’s even better is that it has a great online community that offers scores of tutorials⁹ and other learning tools. The program is straightforward enough that there aren’t many variable solutions to mistakes, so troubleshooting¹⁰ usually involves just a quick Google search for a helpful answer. Python may not teach the fundamentals the way C or Java do, but it will give you the satisfaction of actually getting work accomplished, which in the long run may be what keeps a potentially great programmer from giving up¹¹.

1. straight forward – простой, однозначный

2. robust – надёжный, не требующий возражений

3. to enforce–усиливать

4. semicolon – точка с запятой

5. frequent – частый, часто встречающийся

6. to breed–порождать, вызывать

7. perk – привилегия

8. feasibly–реально, выполнимо

9. tutorial–учебник, учебное пособие

10. troubleshooting–исправление, устранение проблем

11. togiveup – отказываться, бросать, сдаваться

Ruby

Ruby is one of the newest programming languages to be used on a wide-scale¹. It has been designed by Yukihiro " Matz" Matsumoto from 1993 to 1995 (he is an employee of Heroku, a cloud platform, in 2012). The goal was to program in human style rather than force him adapting its mind to the computer structure. This was firmed up² by applying a principle of least surprise that means that the language syntax is always as the programmer does expect it is.

But there is also a lot of conventional rules to simplify the programming such as only a way to do a thing (unlike Perl). Ruby powers Ruby on Rails, a web development framework on which numerous famous websites including Github, Scribd, Yammer, Shopify, and Groupon have been developed.

The language was locally used before the rails framework appears in 2004 and shares its success with the language itself. It is a framework for building Web application based on that language.

Ruby is regarded as combination of some of the most famous features of Lisp, Pearl and Eiffel. Ruby also has got a good job market and ruby developers are being paid decently at the moment.

One of the best reasons to pick up Ruby as a first language is that its syntax is one of the absolute easiest for beginners to understand. When compared to some other programming syntax, like C, Ruby seems almost intuitive with the logical and semantic approaches³ it takes. There is a sense of beauty in the coding of Ruby that makes this one of the best programs for beginners. The code is so easy to write and read, it’s no wonder this language is so often picked up⁴ before Java.

Ruby is also very similar to both Perl and Python, so a jump to either of those two languages is nearly seamless⁵.

While it is primarily object-oriented, it also has the capability of multiple paradigms, giving its users plenty of freedom to work with.

1. wide-scale – широкомасштабный, в большом масштабе

2. to firm up – укрепиться

3. approach – подход, метод

4. topickup–зд. познакомиться

5. seamless – зд. бессмысленный, не имеющий оснований

1)What other programming languages do you know?

2) What are the best programming languages to learn in your opinion? Why do you think so?