Programming Basics
True or False: A programming language helps tell a computer what tasks to do.
A: True
Computers understand information using only ______ and ______.
1 and 0
High-level languages are closer to ________ than machine languages are.
Human language
There are two main ways to convert a program into machine language: compile it or ________ it.
Interpret
People who translate ideas into code are called ________.
Programmers (developers)
A programming language is like a computer’s ________ and grammar for giving it instructions.
Vocabulary (and rules)
Machine code is written in ________.
Binary (1s and 0s)
Each different type of CPU has its own unique ________ language.
Machine language
Compiling or interpreting happens so the computer can ________ the program.
Understand/run/execute it
A person who builds websites is a ________ developer.
Web developer
Name two high-level programming languages from the article.
Java, C, C++, Python (Python appears later), BASIC, COBOL, FORTRAN, Ada, Pascal
When you type a command, it goes to the computer’s ________ to be translated and run.
Processor (CPU)
Assembly language is easier than machine language because you can use ________ instead of only numbers.
Names (labels) for numbers
True or False: No matter what language you use, the program must end up as machine language for the computer to understand it.
True
Name one thing JavaScript is commonly used for on websites.
Making interactive elements (buttons, dropdowns, logins), updating page content, running events
What are “keywords” in a programming language?
Special words the language understands
After the computer runs machine code, it translates the results back into something humans can understand, usually ________.
English
4GL stands for ________-generation language.
Fourth
Which is the “closest to human language” group mentioned in the article: machine language, assembly, high-level, or 4GL?
Name one use of Python from the article.
Automating tasks, data analysis, GUIs, video games, AI/ML, data science
What is “syntax”?
The special way you organize/write instructions so the computer understands
True or False: A computer can directly understand high-level languages without converting them to machine language.
False (it must eventually become machine language)
Put these in order from closest to computers to closest to humans: High-level, Assembly, Machine, 4GL
Machine → Assembly → High-level → 4GL
Quick explanation: Why do we need compiling/interpreting at all?
Because computers only understand machine language (binary), not high-level code directly
The article lists five categories of programming languages. Name any two.
Procedural, Functional, Scripting, Logic, Object-Oriented