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How a Computer Scientist study a new programming language

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• What is a programming language ?
  • Programming language:

    Programming language = a mean to formulate computer algorithms I.e.: A program language provides a programmer with constructs and features to help him/her express/write an algorithm

    Fact:

    Every procedural (high level) programming language provide a subset of constructs and features that you have learned in your Computer Science background !!! But: How a construct or feature is expressed (= written) may be different in different programming languages

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  • How to learn a new programming language as a Computer Science professional:

    Learn the appropriate syntax to express the constructs/features !!!       Find out what features that are exclusively available in the new language Each programming language will have its own unique features that make it especially suited for certain applications

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• What are (some) of the constructs and features that you have learned in CS ?
  • Constructs and Features of programming languages:

    Variables and data types: Data types How to define variables (of each data type) Structured data types: Arrays Objects (including linked lists and trees)       Expressions: (combining variables and constants) Arithmetic operators (+, -, *, %, /) Boolean operators (&&, ||, !) Other data types ? (String ?) Statements: Assignment statement Conditional statement(s)         Loop statement(s) Functions/methods: Parameters passing mechanism                Scoping rules Library functions that support the programming language

    You must learn how to express each of these constructs in the (new) C programming language !!!

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• Features that pertain uniquely to the C programming language
  • Special features of the C programming language:

    C pre-processor: C has a "pre-processing step" before the C program is compiled by the C compiler Low level operators C has the reference & and de-reference * operator that provide assembler programming-like features to the programmer Due to the availability of these low level operators, C is known as a system programming language -- because these features make C very suitable for writing Operating Systems and other system oriented programs In fact, C was designed to help Ritchie and Kerrighan write the UNIX operating system (a large portion of the UNIX/Linux operating system is written in C) !!!

    In (some of) my C lecture webpages, I will discuss these features of C.

    I will also discuss the difference between Java and C.