Applications Generation

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to applications generation in computer science.

Application Software

Software designed for end-users to perform specific tasks, requiring systems software to run.

Systems Software

Low-level software responsible for running the computer system and interacting with hardware.

Utility Programs

Key pieces of system software that help maintain the operating system's performance.

Open Source Software

Software with accessible source code that can be used, modified, and distributed by anyone.

Closed Source Software

Software where source code is not accessible to users; requires a license to use and cannot be modified.

Compiler

A translator that converts high-level code into machine code all at once, requiring recompilation for changes.

Interpreter

A translator that converts and executes code line-by-line, stopping for errors as they occur.

Assembler

A program that translates assembly code into machine code, with a nearly one-to-one translation.

Lexical Analysis

The stage of compilation where whitespace and comments are removed and code is analyzed for tokens.

Syntax Analysis

The stage of compilation where tokens are checked against grammar rules and syntax errors are flagged.

Code Generation

The stage in compilation where machine code is produced from the abstract syntax tree.

Optimisation

The stage in compilation that improves code efficiency, potentially altering program behavior if excessive.

Linkers

Software that connects external modules and libraries to the main program code.

Loaders

Programs provided by the operating system to execute files by retrieving libraries from memory.

Libraries

Pre-compiled programs that can be reused in other programs, providing specialized functions.