Tech Topic Connection

 

  

   Programming languages play an important role in the rapid development of technology and information systems in the world today. An information system (IS) is a collection of hardware, software, and networks that people use to create, store, organize, and distribute information (Vahid and Lysecky, 2019). The purpose of programming languages is to make human life better and easier.  It connects to the fundamentals of information technology by allowing programmers, or developers, to develop software programs, scripts, or other sets of instructions for computers to execute. The number of jobs that require coding skills will grow exponentially because most services and products are being digitized. Without coding skills, it will make a virtual environment hard to work in successfully.

Programming languages have a long and interesting history. The firs language was invented in 1843 by Ada Lovelace who came up with the first-ever machine algorithm for an early computing machine for Charles Babbage’s difference machine (Lestal, 2020). We then jump to the 1940s where a man named Konrad Zuse developed the first “real” programming language called Plankalkul (Plan Calculus). The oldest programming language to still be used today is called FORTRAN, which was developed by a man named John Backus. It was created for high-level scientific, mathematical, and statistical computations (Lestal,2020). The programming language that computers use is called machine language. Also known as machine code or object code, it uses a set of binary digits 0 and 1. These binary digits are understood and read by a computer system and interpreted easily. It is considered a native language as it can be directly understood by a central processing unit (CPU). There are two other types or programming languages; assembly language and high-level language.

A high-level language is any programming language that enables development of a program in a much more user-friendly programming context and is generally independent of the computer's hardware architecture. Python is a well-known high-level language. Developed by Dutch programmer Guido van Rossum in 1991, this object-oriented programming language was designed to provide a high-level language for utility development within operating systems that were being developed (Standford,2022). It is used to build websites and software, automate tasks, and conduct data analysis. It is is a general-purpose language, meaning it can be used to create a variety of different programs and isn't specialized for any specific problems. It is used by various major companies such as Intel, IBM, NASA, Pixar, Netflix, Facebook, JP Morgan Chase, and Spotify. It's one of the four main languages at Google, while Google's YouTube is largely written in Python. Same with Reddit, Pinterest, and Instagram.

Programming languages is stored in the hardware as magnetic domains on the hard drive or floppy disc, or as low and high voltages in computer chips. When you type on a keyboard, each character is converted into an electrical series of 0's and 1's which are then stored as low and high voltages in the computer chips called RAM. With about 12.4 million worldwide users, JavaScript is one of the world's most popular programming languages. Because of its versatility and front-end and back-end applications, Javascript is frequently used to develop web browsers, embedded hardware controls, games, and software systems (Grodman, 2022).

Programming languages are executed in two ways. Interpretation is when the program is read as input by an interpreter, which preforms the actions written in the program. Compilation is when the program is read by a compiler, which translates in into some other language, such as bytecode or machine code. While application software is designed for end-users, and system software is designed for computers or mobile devices, programming software is for computer programmers and developers who are writing code. These are programs that are used to write, develop, test, and debug other software programs. Python and C++ are two of the best programming languages for software development, though each language has its ideal uses. Python is versatile in its practical applications; developers often use it to power artificial intelligence, machine learning, web, and development.

There is a relationship between programming languages and database and database management. Databases let us work with large amounts of data efficiently. They make updating data easy and reliable, and they help to ensure accuracy. They offer security features to control access to information, and they help us avoid redundancy.  Database languages, commonly referred to as query languages, are a type of programming language that programmers use to define and access data. Within the database management system (DBMS), these languages enable users to perform tasks such as: Restricting data access. Defining and modifying data. SQL, which stands for Structured Query Language, is one of the most well-known and longest-running database languages. It features both data definition and data manipulation languages and allows you to write queries in a database.

Security is important for programming languages because it gives assurance to the programmer that some vulnerabilities will not exist, and it does this automatically, by default. A secure programming language could be an invaluable tool in improving the state of security. In computer science, language-based security (LBS) is a set of techniques that may be used to strengthen the security of applications on a high level by using the properties of programming languages. Network architecture is extremely important for programming if you wish to write successful codes and become the best coder. If you are a beginner, you either stick with Python or C-Sharp. After all, you want to be able to use your knowledge in the industry-standard software and you want it to be easy.

 

 

 

References:

Lestal, J. (2020). History of programming languages. DevSkiller. https://devskiller.com/history-of-programming-languages/#:~:text=FORmula%20TRANslation%20or%20FORTRAN%20was,the%20world%27s%20most%20advanced%20supercomputers.

Stanford, J. (2022). ELI5: What is Python? An Overview Guide for Beginners. Springboard. https://www.springboard.com/blog/data-science/python-guide/

Grodman, S. (2022). 6 Best Programming Languages for Software Development. Bootcamps. https://www.bestcolleges.com/bootcamps/guides/best-programming-languages-software-development/#:~:text=Python%20is%20versatile%20in%20its,as%20suitable%20for%20web%20development.

Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. (2019). Computing technology for all. zyBooks.