Post #7: Tech Topic Connection

 

Selected topic: Programming Language

Programming language has evolved significantly over the years. It began with the early days, even predating computers, with the simple use of switches. “Computers originated from telephone switches in the early 1900's. Engineers realized switches could be used for performing calculations, with a switch's on position meaning 1 and the off position 0” (Vahid & Lysecky, 2019, sec. 1.1). From a simple set of switches, computers developed into complex machines and a method for people to interact with those machines. There was a need for an English-based programming language that was easier for people to learn. “To facilitate a higher-level programming language, Hopper invented the first programming language compiler, which converted mathematical notation using English words to machine code” (Vahid & Lysecky, 2019, sec. 1.2). This first programming language improved the ability of more people to interact with computers.

From those early days, the number of programming languages has exploded. “Nowadays, there are many programming languages available and each one of them is better than the other in their own aspects” (Khoirom et al, 2020, p. 4384). Not only are there more languages, but they are getting easier to use. Python is an example of a newer language that was designed specifically to be easy to use. “Python is a general-purpose, high-level programming language whose design philosophy emphasizes code readability” (Van Rossem, 2007, para. 1). In addition to easy-to-use languages, some programming is now completed by simply dragging and dropping bits of code.

Assignment Prompts

Discuss How Your Selected Tech Topic Connects to the Fundamentals of Information Technology Covered in This Course. The selected tech topic of programming languages connects to the fundamentals of information technology covered in this course by providing a basis for information technology. All data and instructions are ultimately broken down into 1’s and 0’s, or machine language (Vahid & Lysecky, 2019). To be more useful to humans, the instructions are first written in programming languages that people can be trained to understand.

Explain How Your Chosen Tech Topic Relates to the Concepts of Information Technology and Computer Science, Including History of Computers and the Means by Which Computers Operate. Programming languages have been integral to information technology, and computer science since the beginning. An article by Jean E. Sammet of IBM for the Association for Computing Machinery, Inc (ACM) from 50 years ago discusses how programming languages are nearly as old as computers themselves. “Programming languages are almost as old as ACM, since the latter started in 1947 while the former started in 1952 with Short Code for UNIVA” (Sammet, 1972, p. 601). Programming languages have been the means by which people and computers communicate for the entire history of computers.

Evaluate How Your Chosen Tech Topic Relies on the Major Hardware Components and Functions of a Modern Computer System. Higher-level programming language is compiled into machine language where it can then be processed by the CPU. These instructions, the program, tell the computer what to do. The programming language typically interacts with the operating system to manage major hardware components.

Explain How Your Chosen Tech Topic Uses Programming Languages and Program Execution Methods. My chosen topic is programming language, so it does use programming language. The programming language is then compiled into machine language to be used by the CPU.

Analyze the Role that Application Software Plays in Regard to Your Chosen Tech Topic. The website Quickbase.com gives a definition of application software. “Application software is a type of computer program that performs a specific personal, educational, and business function” (Quickbase, 2022, para. 2). The role that programming language plays in application software may be opposite from many other topics. There are applications like Mozilla Thunderbird that help programmers write and edit programs. However, the main interaction that programming language would have with application software is the language in which the application software is coded.

Describe How Your Chosen Tech Topic Relates to the Basic Concepts of Database and Database Management. There are specific programming languages written for databases like SQL for queries and R for database management.

Illustrate How the Basic Concepts of Network Architecture, Management, and Security Influence Your Chosen Tech Topic. As computers become more interrelated programs need to consider network architecture and management along with security at every stage in the program development process. As an example, when a vulnerability is discovered in a program, programmers will use a programming language to evaluate the vulnerability and code a patch to close that vulnerability. That patch will then be available to users in the form of an update. Every user that uses a digital device that is connected to a network will see these updates regularly but may not be aware that they are often related to security.

References

Khoirom, S., Sonia, M., Laikhuram, B., Laishram, J., & Singh, T. D. (2020). Comparative analysis of Python and Java for beginners. Int. Res. J. Eng. Technol, 7(8), 4384-4407. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/423/1/012027/meta

Lampson, B. W. (1965, November). Interactive machine-language programming. In Proceedings of the November 30--December 1, 1965, fall joint computer conference, part II: computers: their impact on society (pp. 141-149). https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/1464013.1464036

Quickbase. (2022). Application software 101. https://www.quickbase.com/articles/application-software-basics

Sammet, J. E. (1972). Programming languages: History and future. Communications of the ACM, 15(7), 601-610. https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/361454.361485

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

Van Rossum, G. (2007, June). Python Programming Language. In USENIX annual technical conference (Vol. 41, No. 1, pp. 1-36). https://p2k.unibabwi.ac.id/IT/1-2821-2718/Python-Enhancement-Proposals_3721_p2k-unibabwingetesumum.html