Artificial languages for instructing computers to do steps of computation in order to complete tasks. They allow programmers to communicate with computers.
2
votes
2answers
82 views
How scripting languages are compiled?
I know the term "scripting languages" is just a subset of programming languages, but I want to refer to programming languages such as Python and Ruby among others.
First of all, why don't we need a ...
-7
votes
0answers
39 views
Nasa Rovers Problem [on hold]
A squad of robotic rovers are to be landed by Nasa on a minefield.
This minefield, which is rectangular, must be navigated by the rovers so that their on-board cameras can get a complete view of the ...
-1
votes
0answers
48 views
What math to learn? [on hold]
What kind of mathematics I should master in order to have a better grasp on and be a good assembly programmer? I understand computers very well but I'm a bit of a loner so this is the first site that ...
-1
votes
0answers
91 views
Plagiarism Detection in Source Code [closed]
I am doing BS in Computer Science and my university gave me a Project on Plagiarism detection, The requirements are that we have to develop a desktop application that detects plagiarism in source code ...
0
votes
0answers
51 views
What are the practical differences between statically typed languages and languages where types are dynamically checked but have type annotations? [closed]
For "practical differences" I mean the usual objections against the use of dynamically typed languages (that is, programming languages where the types are checked at runtime):
dynamic languages are ...
-2
votes
0answers
46 views
Should variables, classes, methods, etc. and code comments be named and/or written using the same language that is used by the programming language? [duplicate]
I find it hard to believe that there is a good argument that someone can make to defend their use of a foreign language when naming their classes, variables, and methods and when writing code ...
4
votes
2answers
277 views
Why do we need a seed in Random Number Generators?
I want to know how Random number generator(RNG) works in any PL(Programming language).
I know the random methods has short periods. i.e they start repeating the values after specific number of time.
...
3
votes
2answers
67 views
Implementing incremental builds [closed]
I'm working on a toy language.
Until now, multiple files have been compiled by merging the ASTs of each file and then running the semantic analysis and code generation phase on the merged AST.
Now ...
0
votes
2answers
107 views
Can there be value types in dynamic languages? [closed]
A value type is one whose instances are themselves saved in variables. A reference type is a type whose instances are saved somewhere and variables only hold the addresses of the instances.
Some ...
22
votes
5answers
3k views
Why do build tools use a scripting language different than underlying programming language?
I've recently been using some build tools for a Nodejs project at work when I realized that most languages' main build tool/system use a different language than the underlying programming language ...
2
votes
2answers
133 views
Why not expose activation records as data types? [closed]
Scoped languages tend to store the local variables of a given scope or function together in a data structure known as an activation record. Stack frames are examples of instances of activation ...
4
votes
4answers
156 views
What does weak static typing/strong dynamic typing mean? [closed]
For most of my career, I've been working with strong static typed languaged such as Java. For this reason, probably I've mixed up these two typing dimension (strongness and staticness). I came upon ...
9
votes
2answers
929 views
Functional programming, compared to the process of a computer [duplicate]
In functional programming, it is considered bad practice (at least from my observations) to use state changes. Since computers operate in an imperative-language-like matter (performing one operation ...
-2
votes
1answer
89 views
When to use typedef in C programs? [closed]
I'm learning C programming language... I discovered recently the typedefkeyword...
When is the right time to use it in a C program?
And this is an example:
typedef struct Books
{
char ...
0
votes
2answers
308 views
How are complex programs made? [duplicate]
I know a few languages, and can program in them. How do multiple languages blend together in a single program? For ex. https://github.com/facebook/watchman. This uses C, PHP, Python, Javascript, etc. ...
1
vote
4answers
132 views
When is an object passed to a function?
Trying to clearly state the semantics of a function call.
In calling a function, are the arguments passed to the function the ones the calling code initially gives or the ones the function ...
20
votes
1answer
1k views
Why do arrays in .Net have Length but other collection types have Count? [closed]
In C# for example, arrays have Length property. But other collection types like lists, etc. have Count property. Is there a reason why these two are different? If so I would like to know.
14
votes
1answer
443 views
In what programming language did the use of the percent sign (%) to mean modulo/remainder originate?
In what programming language did the use of the percent sign (%) to mean modulo/remainder originate?
This previous post1 explains that the symbol % was likely chosen because it includes a slash, ...
-4
votes
1answer
168 views
Comparing the Java language to non-Java JVM languages [closed]
I was contemplating on the necessity of different non-Java languages coming up on the JVM. Apart from syntactic sugar and built-ins, does any of them actually exploit some corner of the JVM, which has ...
0
votes
0answers
74 views
Why are scriptlets considered bad practice in JSPs when much more popular languages such as PHP seem not have any problem with them? [duplicate]
Why is doing
<%
if(blahblah)
{
//do something
}
%>
in a JSP considered to be bad practice when noone who writes PHP seems to have any problem with doing essentially the ...
3
votes
2answers
146 views
Are string characters assigned a numerical value in context of how they are assigned in a programming language?
For context I am fairly new to programming after returning back to it after programming a number of years ago... I was reading Bjarne's intro programming with C++ and was wondering if alphabetical ...
2
votes
2answers
112 views
Incorporating functions into a Shunting-Yard algorithm implementation
tl;dr What would be a simple way of incorporating functions into a Shunting-Yard algorithm implementation?
If only expressions like function(arg1, arg2, arg3) were allowed (where function is some ...
0
votes
2answers
162 views
Are private members useful anymore? [duplicate]
Watchpoints and data break points make it possible to watch the changes of a value in memory in many languages.
Much of the justification I have seen for getters and setters and private variables ...
2
votes
4answers
103 views
Clean Abstract Syntax Tree
I'm writing a toy compiler for fun.
Basically, my problem is that I don't want to clutter the AST with stuff like debug information (symbol tokens, locations of tokens, etc) as well as data that the ...
0
votes
0answers
41 views
Synchronizing webpage and local pdf
I would like to solve the following problem. On my website, I have a list of my publications. I also have my list of publications on a latex file of my cv. The issue is that I update these manually, ...
-1
votes
2answers
111 views
Will statically typed, compiled programming languages be affected by Microservices Architecture? [closed]
Judging based on my experience, as systems grow bigger, statically typed languages like Java or C# tend to be more reliable and easier to manage. But do we need all the advantages of such languages ...
-2
votes
1answer
87 views
Are there languages with Primitive Types whose default values are null? [closed]
For example: in C#, the default value of int is "0"; however you have the option to use int? with a default value of "null".
Is there a language where this is non-optional?
Specifically, where the ...
0
votes
0answers
69 views
Why are datatypes different in terms of bit size based on complier, and OS used
I was reading a tutorial on C++ as I am new to programming, and I was wondering why the sizeof operator gives different output depending on what you're programming with.
-1
votes
1answer
70 views
Short Circuit Execution [closed]
Modify the car painting example car.color = favoriteColor ||"black"; so that the car is painted with your favorite color if you have one; otherwise it is painted with the the color of your garage: ...
1
vote
3answers
283 views
Is there any programming language(s) which has mathematical number types? [closed]
I may not have worded the title correctly. Is there any programming language(s) which deals with natural mathematical number types rather than the typical data types we see like Int32, Int64, Float, ...
67
votes
13answers
7k views
Do objects in OOP have to represent an entity?
Does an object have to represent an entity?
By an entity I mean something like a Product, Motor, a ParkingLot etc, a physical, or a conceptual object, something that is well defined, with some core ...
31
votes
5answers
5k views
Bad practice - switch case to set environment
In the last three years that I have worked as developer, I have seen a lot of examples where people use a switch statement to set the path (both in back-end and front-end) for a URL. Below is an ...
-1
votes
1answer
71 views
execute selection in console in C++ like python or R language [closed]
I am started to learn C++ using as IDLE Clion of jetbrain company. Normally using the IDLE of Python (i.e., Pycharm of Jetbrain) or R project i am able to execute selection in console line-by-line my ...
1
vote
2answers
131 views
Looking for a specific programming paradigm [closed]
I am searching for programming languages with a certain paradigm, or the name of the paradigm which works like follows:
You start with writing the source code of a program or something more like a ...
-6
votes
1answer
103 views
How do you compare Languages? [closed]
How do you rate different programming languages and compare them?
I've worked with many languages including PHP, JS, Java, C++, C# .... and sometimes I hear people say for example php is old and ...
0
votes
1answer
202 views
Limitations of modern programming languages for low-level network programming [closed]
For say a network packet sniffer, are there any of the more modern high level languages such as C# or Java, that would actually be unsuitable or limiting when it would come to constructing a packet ...
3
votes
6answers
708 views
Should I use a source-to-source or a traditional compiler in order to develop my own Programming Language?
I'm really interested in writing my own general-purpose high-level programming language, but I'm somewhat confused.
I know that Python and Ruby were written in C, which makes me wonder that if I want ...
4
votes
2answers
134 views
Functional Programming - Functions defining specific evaluation of functions passed to it for optimization
Firstmost, I am just getting started with functional programming so I would appreciate corrections in any terminology I may have used incorrectly.
Story time, While doing a Project Euler Problem 1 in ...
13
votes
9answers
4k views
Why can't there be any implicit conversions?
As I understand it, implicit conversions can cause errors.
But that doesn't make sense -- shouldn't normal conversions also cause errors, then?
Why not have
len(100)
work by the language ...
0
votes
0answers
109 views
Interactive help in a statically-typed language with overloading
One of the nice features of IPython is that I can inspect a function.
In [1]: def inc(x):
...: """Increments a number"""
...: return x+1
...:
In [2]: inc?
Type: function
...
-1
votes
1answer
62 views
SPARC and Assembly [closed]
I'm currently self teaching myself programming and became familiar with Python, Java and C and I'm confused as to what are the differences between Assembly and SPARC Assembly and whether or not I ...
3
votes
3answers
319 views
Does a Completely Full-Featured Intermediate Language Exist?
Often when translating between languages (whether with program translation or compiling) it's a one-way, destructive translation. The functionality of the "port" isn't lost, but some of the intent ...
0
votes
1answer
148 views
Is it bad to implement a language in other two languages? [closed]
Ok, so I have some understanding about parsers and compilers, at least the basics of how it works, and i've written a calculator and a really small toy language that compiles to another high-level ...
1
vote
1answer
375 views
What aspects of Haskell led to its rise in popularity among experts?
20 years ago, the Functional Programming world was all about Lisp and Scheme. When I went to college in 2001, my Fall Semester Freshman CS 101 course was taught in OCaml.
However, these days the ...
2
votes
2answers
251 views
Pre-Processors vs Pure Web [closed]
It seems like within the last few years or so HTML/CSS/JavaScript Preprocessors have exploded in quantity and general use. They're still not as common as pure HTML, CSS, and JS/jQuery, but their ...
51
votes
8answers
6k views
Why does C provide language 'bindings' where C++ falls short?
I recently was wondering when to use C over C++, and vice versa? Fortunately someone already beat me to it and although it took a while, I was able to digest all the answers and comments to that ...
-2
votes
1answer
196 views
Crawler - programming language choice [closed]
I'm currently developing a web crawler. The first version was developed in Node.js and runs pretty well.
The issues that I encountered with Node.js are in no particular order:
slow URL and ...
6
votes
2answers
179 views
What is the minimum practical definition for the Scheme language?
What is the smallest practical set of primitives that can be used to define the Scheme language?
For example, map can be defined as
(define (map proc lis)
(cond ((null? lis)
'())
...
-2
votes
1answer
168 views
Question about switch-case statement [closed]
What happens, and does code work properly if we write switch-case structure like this, why its not good to write code like this? I'm porting some firmware and have switch-case statement interrupted ...
1
vote
1answer
90 views
Equivalent translation of Asynchronous behaviour in C
As a follow-up to my other question, if one were to build a general-purpose translator from a language that has support (be it with an external library or otherwise) for asynchronous behaviour to a ...
