Understanding Programming Languages and Software Development

Programming Language Concepts

Programming languages are a set of standards that allow you to write instructions understood by a computer, which can then be transferred to similar systems to function effectively. These languages are generally categorized into two types:

• Low-Level Languages
• High-Level Languages

Common Programming Languages

Fortran

FORTRAN (Formula Translation) is a procedure-oriented language. It is grounded in the structure used to describe problems and the procedures required to solve them. It aims to relieve developers from the task of reducing calculations and decision-making to the elementary steps required by machine-level operations. It was designed specifically for handling scientific formulas and numerical methods.

Cobol

Designed in 1959 by CODASYL (Conference On Data Systems Languages)—a group consisting of computer manufacturers, private companies, and government representatives—COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language) was created specifically for administrative data processing. In 1968, it adopted an ANSI standard version, with a revision approved in 1974. COBOL remains highly efficient for administrative computing tasks.

System Fundamentals

The operating system begins working when you turn on the computer, managing the hardware from the most basic levels.

Defining Programming and Software

• Programming: The process of converting general system specifications into machine instructions that produce desired results. This is also known as software development.
• Program: A list of instructions that a computer follows to process data and convert it into information. These instructions consist of statements used in languages such as BASIC, Pascal, or C.