Programming Languages & IDEs

What is the difference between a high-level and a low-level programming language?

What is a key characteristic of object-oriented programming languages that distinguishes them from procedural languages?

Explain one advantage and one disadvantage of using a high-level language compared to a low-level language.

What is a domain-specific language (DSL) and give two examples?

Which of the following is an example of a high-level programming language?

Explain why high-level languages are described as "portable".

Which statement best describes a low-level programming language?

A programmer writes "x = a + b" in Python to add two numbers. Explain how this single line of high-level code relates to the work the CPU must actually carry out.

Which of the following is true of high-level languages?

Explain why high-level languages are generally considered easier for beginners to learn than low-level languages.

What is machine code?

What does an assembler do?

Which of the following is an example of an assembly language instruction?

State two characteristics of machine code.

Why is assembly language described as being specific to a particular processor?

Explain the relationship between an assembly language instruction and a machine code instruction.

Which of the following best describes why machine code is difficult for humans to read?

Explain why writing a large, complex program directly in assembly language would be impractical.

In assembly language, the mnemonic "ADD" is typically used to represent which operation?

Explain why a program written in machine code for one type of processor will not run on a processor with a different architecture.

What does a compiler do?

What does an interpreter do?

State two advantages of using an interpreter during software development compared to compiling the full programme each time.

A student claims that a compiler and an interpreter do the same job. Evaluate this claim, identifying one similarity and two differences.

At what point does a compiler report syntax errors in a program?

Explain why a compiled program typically runs faster than an interpreted program.

Which translator produces a standalone executable file that can be run without the original source code or translator being present?

Explain why an interpreter is often preferred during the development and testing stages of writing a program.

A software company is distributing a finished commercial application to customers, who should not be able to view or edit the source code. Which type of translator is most appropriate, and why?

Explain what is meant by a "Just-In-Time" (JIT) compiler and how it combines features of compilation and interpretation.

State FOUR features of an IDE that help programmers.

What is the purpose of a debugger?

State three features of an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that assist a programmer.

What is the purpose of syntax highlighting in an IDE's code editor?

What is the "run environment" feature of an IDE?

What does the "auto-complete" feature of an IDE editor do?

Explain what a "breakpoint" is and how it is used with a debugger.

Which IDE feature is most useful for identifying a syntax error in your code before you try to run the program?

Explain the benefit of a "variable watch" window when debugging a program.

Which of the following is generally NOT considered a core feature of an IDE?

Why might a programmer choose to write a device driver in assembly language rather than a high-level language?

Explain why a low-level language might be preferred when programming an embedded system with very limited memory (e.g. a small microcontroller).

A real-time control system (e.g. for an aircraft) must respond to sensor input within a guaranteed, very short time. Why might assembly language be preferred for parts of this system?

Explain why low-level languages are often used when a program needs to directly access specific memory addresses or hardware registers.

In game development, which part of a game is most likely to be written in (or close to) a low-level language for performance reasons?

Explain why a programmer developing software for brand-new hardware, for which no high-level language compiler yet exists, might have to use a low-level language.

A company maintains a 30-year-old system written entirely in assembly language, which is still in use. Why might it sometimes still be necessary to work directly in assembly language when maintaining this system?

Describe the main trade-off a programmer must consider when deciding whether to use a low-level language instead of a high-level language for a project.

Why might parts of an operating system kernel be written in a low-level language?

Explain why low-level languages allow more precise control over a computer's memory and registers than high-level languages.

Explain what bytecode is and why it is used by languages such as Java.

What is a transpiler and give one example of its use?

Put the following stages of compilation into the correct order: code generation, lexical analysis, syntax analysis.

Explain what happens during the "lexical analysis" stage of compilation.

What is the purpose of "syntax analysis" (parsing) during compilation?

Describe what happens during the "code generation" stage of compilation.

What is the purpose of the "linking" stage that often follows compilation?

Explain why a program that calls a function from a standard library (e.g. a maths library) requires a linking stage before it can run as a standalone executable.

What is an "object file" produced during compilation?

Explain what is meant by "optimisation" during the compilation process.