Question:
Computer Programming Language?
SailorTwift
2009-03-16 15:59:48 UTC
how does "one" learn how to computer program? Is there like a dictionary that tells you the "computer language" word for an english word? If there was this dictionary is this all you would basically need to know in order to program computers? Also what are some MAJOR differences between some languages..like xml, html,css,c++, java,javascript...and processing. Also is processing different from the other languages because i tried to learn it and it was very hard, are all languages like this one kind of or is processing very different?
Three answers:
Kasey C
2009-03-16 16:09:43 UTC
You learn to program by analyzing the problem at hand, divided it up chunks that can be translated into programming code, and repeat until it's all done. It's "top down programming".



Different languages are invented for different purposes and are optimized for certain things. C/C++ are designed for system programming. Java is designed for portability. COBOL was designed for business data processing. FORTRAN is designed for math and scientific calculations. LISP is designed for artificial intelligence processing. Pascal / Modula series / Oberon / BASIC are mainly designed as learning languages. And so is LOGO. Perl is designed to manipulate text. They all have their strengths and weaknesses.



You have to keep in mind that XML, HTML, and CSS are NOT programming languages. XML and HTML are MARKUP languages (they add markup information to existing data), and CSS adds formating to existing data.



As for "processing", I'm afraid you didn't give any context to compare against.
2009-03-16 23:18:33 UTC
OK...most people learn languages by tutorials,

www.w3schools.org,

http://java.sun.com/docs/books/tutorial/

http://www.physics.drexel.edu/students/courses/Comp_Phys/General/C_basics/



I picked them up by experimenting, trying to program different things, and picking up tricks along the way



to learn java, one might download netbeans, that is quite a good way to get started with that one..or maybe even buy books on the language!



Anyways...the differences:

you must first understand, XML (extensive markup language) HTML( hypertext markup language) and CSS (cascade style sheets) are not programming languages, XMl and HTML are markup languages, and CSS is used to make them look better.

A markup language is one which displays data in a format which you 'code'...



Java, runs on a virtual machine, and it is very high level and abstract; it takes the programmer away from dealing with memory directly, and has very useful APIs built into it for the programmer to access to do different jobs, such as Math.random() returns a number between 0 and 1 which is random.



It is where quite a number of people start to learn programming. It is very simple to understand concepts, and easy to use...helloworld is what most people start at



class HelloWorld {

public static void main(String args[]) {

System.out.println("Hello World");

}

}



when run, will print out Hello World to the command line





C is low level, and the user is almost forced to deal with memory directly; using pointers and defrencing. Though it looks very similar to java, it is not in its operation and can be harder to learn.



here is the same hello world program as before, written in C:



#include < stdio.h>

void main()

{

printf("\nHello World\n");

}
AnsweringMaster
2009-03-16 23:06:41 UTC
You can do it I know you can.


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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