UNIT 1. INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING AND PROBLEM SOLVING

A set of practice flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture notes on programming, PDLC, language generations, and examples.

What is programming?

A technological process for telling a computer which tasks to perform to solve problems; a collaboration where humans write instructions (code) in a language computers can understand.

What is the difference between programming and coding?

Programming is the mental process of designing instructions for a machine; coding is translating those ideas into a written language the computer can understand.

What is the Program Development Life Cycle (PDLC)?

A set of steps or phases used to develop a program in any programming language.

List the PDLC phases.

Problem Definition; Problem Analysis; Algorithm Development; Coding & Documentation; Testing & Debugging; Maintenance.

PDLC Phase: Problem Definition

Involves defining the problem statement and setting the boundaries of the problem.

PDLC Phase: Problem Analysis

Determines requirements and gathers resources; defines variables, functions, and structures.

PDLC Phase: Algorithm Development

Develops the step-by-step procedure based on the Problem Analysis.

PDLC Phase: Coding & Documentation

Writes and implements the actual programming instructions using a programming language.

PDLC Phase: Testing & Debugging

Tests the code with various inputs to ensure it solves the problem and produces the desired output.

PDLC Phase: Maintenance

Ongoing support after deployment; if enhancements are needed, revisit earlier phases.

What is source code?

The set of instructions written in a programming language; the DNA of software.

What is compilation?

Translating the entire source code into machine code before execution; produces an executable file and typically runs faster after compiling.

What is interpretation?

Translating and executing code line-by-line at runtime; no standalone executable is produced.

Compilation vs Interpretation: which is faster after translation?

Compilation—faster execution at run-time since code is pre-translated.

Which languages are typically compiled?

C, C++, Java (with compilation to bytecode).

Which languages are typically interpreted?

Python, JavaScript, Ruby.

What is a high-level language?

Languages closer to human language (e.g., C, C++, Java, Python) that require a compiler or interpreter to translate to machine code.

What is a 3rd generation (3GL) language?

High-level languages like C, C++, Java, Python that are portable and aimed at programmer productivity.

What is a 4th generation (4GL) language?

Declarative languages focused on what the program should accomplish (not how); examples include SQL and MATLAB.

What is a 5th generation (5GL) language?

AI and logic-based languages that describe relationships and derive conclusions; examples include Prolog and Lisp.

Give an example SQL query from the notes.

SELECT name FROM students WHERE grade > 90;

Name a few popular languages and their general use cases: C.

Procedural, efficient, close to hardware; used in operating systems and embedded systems; 3rd Gen.

Name a few popular languages and their general use cases: Java.

Platform-independent, strong OO features; used in Android apps and enterprise applications; 3rd Gen.

Name a few popular languages and their general use cases: Python.

Easy-to-read syntax, interpreted, multi-paradigm; used in AI tools, automation, data analysis; 3rd Gen.

Name a few popular languages and their general use cases: JavaScript.

Web scripting for dynamic content; used in interactive websites and frontend frameworks; 3rd Gen.

Name a few popular languages and their general use cases: SQL.

Declarative language for managing databases; generation 3 (as per notes).

Name a few popular languages and their general use cases: Prolog.

Logic-based language used for knowledge representation and AI; 4th Gen.

Name a few popular languages and their general use cases: Lisp.

List processing, symbolic computation; AI research and natural language processing; 5th Gen.

What is the role of programming in problem solving?

Acts as a bridge between human needs and computer capabilities, turning abstract problems into executable solutions.