Artificial languages for instructing computers to do steps of computation in order to complete tasks. They allow programmers to communicate with computers.
4
votes
4answers
305 views
When does it make sense to compile my own language to C code first?
When designing an own programming language, when does it make sense to write a converter that takes the source code and converts it to C or C++ code so that I can use an existing compiler like gcc to ...
-3
votes
0answers
28 views
developing powerfull Gui for pc app [on hold]
I wanted to make a very powerful GUI for my Pc application. My GUI should consist of different views,list view,buttons and so on!I was wondering which programming language to use inorder to do so!Can ...
1
vote
1answer
230 views
Which programming language first came up with the finally block?
Which programming language first came up with the finally block?
I ask purely out of curiosity.
It is a very useful piece of syntactic sugar, and whoever first created it surely has a very ...
0
votes
0answers
5 views
Arrays in MASM Assembly (very confused beginner) [migrated]
I have a pretty basic question:
How do you populate arrays in assembly? In high level programming languages you can use a for-loop to set a value to each index, but I'm not sure of how to accomplish ...
-7
votes
0answers
25 views
User applications and the kernel operate independently of each other [on hold]
User applications and the kernel operate independently of each other.
Please name the applications that is not dependent on Kernel.
Does it mean that,user applications run independently without ...
-1
votes
0answers
33 views
Scenarios of Use of GPL license in component/code that doesnt affect the related Component/code [on hold]
Please can any one share the scenarios where,Where component with GPL license doesnt affect the component with BSD/MIT license, which means still we can release the component under BSD/MIT license.
...
-2
votes
0answers
26 views
Gathering text used by windows within the OS of various program languages. (Windows OS computers) [on hold]
I have an idea for a program that would be invaluable to myself and likely others. But to do it I need to create something that is capable of gathering the text of any human-readable part of screen. ...
16
votes
5answers
2k views
Why is type inference useful?
I read code way more often than I write code, and I'm assuming that most of the programmers working on industrial software do this. The advantage of type inference I assume is less verbosity and less ...
-3
votes
0answers
25 views
How to stay updated on the latest happening in dot net platform [closed]
I might sound like a very generalized question but i am interest in the opinion of different programmer and how they keep themselves updated by following specific stuff. I am interested in following:-
...
-3
votes
0answers
13 views
pseudocode : finding a value from a table for critical values (chi square test) [closed]
I need to make a pseudocode and flowchart for a program that will test for the independence of two variables. (Chi square test) I was able to make the part where I'll get the chi square value butI am ...
-4
votes
0answers
86 views
Java language and why? [closed]
Why do programmers use Java to build a website instead of other languages?
3
votes
1answer
291 views
Do compilers un-inline recurrent expressions?
Does a compiler look for recurrent expressions to convert it into 'function' to reduce binary size and improve performance?
Of course, the obvious answer might be "some do it, some don't", so I ask ...
2
votes
2answers
515 views
What is the difference between if('' == $variable) and if($variable == '') [duplicate]
While using an 'if' statement to check whether a variable is an empty string or not we can write it in two ways i.e. if('' == $variable) and if($variable == ''). I want to know what is the impact of ...
-3
votes
0answers
8 views
incorrect output for set input [migrated]
So I almost have this code correct but it's not giving me the correct output for some reason and I can't figure out why. This is what I have.
That is what I have so far but I need the output to be
...
0
votes
1answer
121 views
Static typing vs. dynamic typing [closed]
I'm developing my own programming language in my spare time as a hobby. It's an interpreted language. Currently the syntax for variables is this:
%<variable> = <value>
Here are some ...
0
votes
1answer
80 views
What are factors to take into consideration in choosing a programming language/paradigm for a rule-based natural-language translation program?
I have experience with object-oriented programming languages (C++ and Java), but I am wondering what kinds of programming languages — including OOP languages– or programming paradigms might be ...
0
votes
2answers
119 views
Finding metrics for development time in different languages [closed]
I'm trying to determine if a language I'm investigating (Groovy) is better for developing enterprise applications than our current language (Java). Specifically I'm trying to figure out if it will ...
3
votes
2answers
110 views
What is the extent of programming language localization dialects?
Apple's scripting language AppleScript was designed with localization in mind; allowing the language to be represented in multiple dialects resembling languages from around the world.
In this way, ...
0
votes
0answers
13 views
How can I run external code from Squeak environment? [migrated]
As far as I know, the Squeak environment is quite isolated from the rest of the operating system. However, I'm looking for a way to execute external code, which will be written in a different ...
2
votes
3answers
148 views
Find all possible subarrays of an Array
I am lost I just can't seem to get my head around backtracking/recursion approaches. I understand how simple recursion problems like factorials work I can even trace those by hand. But when it comes ...
0
votes
3answers
218 views
How should I “dig deeper” as a web developer? [closed]
I am currently a full-stack web developer working mainly in Ruby/Rails/Javascript. The languages I use on a daily basis (ruby, css, javascript, php) are great, but they are very dynamic, high level ...
1
vote
2answers
128 views
How to abide the “allocate in caller” rule when the size is computed in the callee?
Let's say we have an opaque type handle_t that is managed through a simple interface with functions such as:
handle_t *handle_init(void);
int handle_do(handle_t *);
void handle_free(handle_t *);
...
0
votes
0answers
12 views
Java for loop: why can't I declare two variables in the for loop 'header'? [migrated]
I always wondered, why doesn't this compile?
for(int i=0, int q=0; i<a.length; i++){
...
}
Why doesn't Java allow me to declare more than one variable in the for loop 'header'? Is there a ...
6
votes
2answers
367 views
In layman's terms, what is left recursion?
According to one page on code.google.com, "left recursion" is defined as follows:
Left recursion just refers to any recursive nonterminal that, when it produces a sentential form containing ...
2
votes
2answers
169 views
What properties does an object oriented language have? [closed]
I'm currently working on a game and wanted to add some scripting support. Due to trying to keep the entire codebase in managed c# (Excluding Monogame), I am using a custom language for the scripting ...
2
votes
4answers
495 views
Why aren't we building and using parallel processors *meant* for general computation?
We all know GPUs are much faster than CPUs for a wide range of applications. When someone asks why we are not just programming for GPUs at all, one of the most common answers is that GPUs are not good ...
3
votes
7answers
184 views
What if any languages treat undisposed resources as an error?
I've seen lots of code like the following example. It's in Python, but the same mistake is made in all languages with managed resources:
f = open('foo.txt', 'rb')
for line in f: print line
That's ...
21
votes
5answers
1k views
What specifically does expressive power refer to?
Expressive Power is defined by Wikipedia as:
.. the breadth of ideas that can be represented and communicated in
that language.
Does "ideas" refer to the things (operations, structures, ...
1
vote
3answers
308 views
From a technical point of view, could JavaScript be compiled instead of interpreted?
The question title speaks for itself. I'm specifically thinking in terms of a Node.js server. Additionally, this question is assuming that you don't need eval().
Also, if this is not possible, why ...
4
votes
4answers
608 views
How does Python compile some its code in C?
I read that some constructs of Python are more efficient because they are compiled in C.
https://wiki.python.org/moin/PythonSpeed/PerformanceTips
Some of the examples used were map() and filter(). I ...
2
votes
5answers
257 views
Do first-class methods exist?
Okay, I know first-class functions are cool, closures even better, etc. But is there any language with first-class methods?
In my mind, I see a first-class method as an "object" that has both a ...
1
vote
2answers
158 views
If there's no problem treating a statement as an expression, why was there a distinction in the first place in some programming languages? [duplicate]
Why do we have the distinction between statements and expressions in most programming languages?
For example, in Java, assuming f and g return ints, this still won't compile because it's a statement ...
1
vote
4answers
158 views
What would you call the concept of CofeeScript or Sass to be? [duplicate]
There is this rising trend with web development of making new pseudo languages to extend the functionality of JavaScript, CSS and HTML given that those are static and their metamorphosis or evolution ...
31
votes
5answers
2k views
What does “context-free” mean in the term “context-free grammar”?
Given the amount of material that tries to explain what a context-free grammar (CFG) is, I found it surprising that very few (in my sample, less than 1 in 20) give an explanation on why such grammars ...
1
vote
2answers
198 views
How do you guard against hidden overflows
consider the following:
(i+j)/2
i and j are both 32 bit integers and the result should also be.
But in the little equation, there's a hidden overflow, i+j could become larger then a 32 bit integer ...
1
vote
3answers
70 views
Property-level value transformation for indirect object casting
Does any programming language exist to support the explicit, property-level object copy?
For example, assume this code:
public class Student
{
public string Name { get; set; }
public ...
1
vote
1answer
140 views
Hardware-control on one computer. But how about several?
For a while I have been pondering the question of, given a standard interface specification, whether there is a way to allow multiple programs to control multiple hardware devices across the network. ...
-3
votes
1answer
306 views
Why is the JavaScript-language different in different programs/sites? [closed]
I'm kind of new to programming and i have a question that's been bothering me for awhile.
Why is the JavaScript-language different in different programs/sites.
I've used Codecademy to practice and ...
4
votes
1answer
167 views
How should I recursively process a file in Haskell?
Basically I'm expanding a literate program in Haskell. There are two things I need to look for to expand. Here's an example file:
program.c.lit:
==============
Some comments in the source file that I ...
4
votes
4answers
313 views
Which language introduced the idea of private (hidden) variables? [duplicate]
I know C++ had private variables inside classes, and Java, C#, Javascript, and others picked up on that and ran with it. Aside from variable scope, most languages before that just made everything ...
1
vote
1answer
124 views
what is a language specification?
Either I am being a total n00b or just not with it today but I have been reading a few blogs lately and they talk about language specs. What actually is a language spec? Is php.net a language spec? ...
5
votes
3answers
254 views
Declaring variables in Python and PHP
The question is how to cope with absence of variable declaration in Python, PHP, and the like.
In most languages there is a way to let the compiler know whether I introduce a new variable or refer to ...
11
votes
11answers
3k views
Can a closed-source programming language survive? [closed]
A friend has written a programming language. It has a syntax reminiscent of SGML. He has written an interpreter for it, and an IDE. He and his colleagues use it in-house as a server-side language. It ...
3
votes
5answers
872 views
Does this kind of programming language exist?
I'm thinking about creating my own pet programming language, and I have been wondering if similar language already exists.
The basic idea is that the language itself would be dynamically typed with ...
6
votes
7answers
699 views
Why isn't there a next operation on enums?
In most popular programming languages like Java and C# there is a way to define enums, which are essentially datatypes with a fixed set of values, e.g. DayOfWeek.
The problem is, given a value, e.g. ...
28
votes
5answers
3k views
Why do some functional programming languages use a space for function application?
Having looked at some languages for functional programming, I always wondered why some fp-languages use one or more whitespace characters for function application (and definition), whereas most (all?) ...
1
vote
2answers
135 views
Can a version of Python's shelve module that knows when its entries have been modified be written in any programming language?
shelve is a Python module that makes it easy to persist a Python dictionary to disk (under the right conditions).
The documentation for shelve gives this example to demonstrate one of the pitfalls of ...
28
votes
6answers
3k views
Why isn't testing a language a supported feature at the syntax level?
You can find an endless list of blogs, articles and websites promoting the benefits of unit testing your source code. It's almost guaranteed that the developers who programmed the compilers for Java, ...
4
votes
1answer
327 views
How do programming languages integrate with OS runtimes
For example, Objective-C, Swift and Ruby (i.e. RubyMotion) integrate with the Cocoa framework.
Is this done via linked libraries? I assume they call functions in existing binaries instead of simply ...
0
votes
3answers
166 views
is there any language that supports automatic evaluation of input expressions?
I'm wondering if anyone knows of a language that supports automatic-evaluation.
(not sure this is the right term. so let me describe what I mean below)
For example, a program asks for an int as its ...
