Programming Languages

Learning Objectives:
 To learn about the different types of translators
 To learn about the differences between high-level
language, low-level language, assembly language and
machine code
Programming Languages

Success criteria:
 I Can learn about the different types of translators
 I can explain about the differences between high-level
language, low-level language, assembly language and
machine code
Starter

List out all the the key registers which we learnt

in the last class.
Translators of Languages
So how does our ‘HUMAN WRITTEN
CODE’ get turned into Machine Code?
 Programming languages

High level programming language : a programming

language such as Python that is closer to human language
than the language a computer understands
Low level language : a programming language where the
commands link directly to the instructions the processor
can carry out
Assembly language: a low level language designed for a
specific processor
Machine code: a computer programming language
consisting of binary instructions that the computer can
understand without a need to carry out translation
 Programming languages

• The instructions to be carried out by a

computer are provided by a computer
program.
• Program developers use high-level languages
such as JavaScript, Python or Scratch to write
computer programs.
• However, before the processor can carry out
these instructions they need to be converted
into a pattern of 1s and 0s (binary) that the
CPU understands.
Programming languages
Activity 1:
1)Which image represents the
lines of code written by a
computer programmer?

2)Why do programmers not

write instructions using 0s and
1s?

3)Which set of instructions

could be processed more quickly
by the computer and why?

4)Both images represent the

same program. Why do you
think the code in the LLL image
is longer?
Activity

Produce an infographic which clearly illustrates to a non-

computer expert the differences between high-level
languages, assembly language and machine code.
Your graphic should include:
• a description of each type of instruction
• an illustration which shows the relationship between each
language to the hardware of the CPU
• the advantages and disadvantages of each language type
• additional examples of high-level languages and
examples of their uses
• an illustration of the differences between a high-level
language instruction, an assembly language instruction
and a machine code instruction.
check
Plenary

List out the advantages and disadvantages of using

HLL and LLL
Facilities of Languages
What do the programming languages have
to help us code?