You’ve doubtless noticed that of late, programming terms, and names float about freely, intermingled with regular speech. Maybe you know half those terms (or a little more, or a little less), and those that you do, there’s a good chance you’re not sure, or you “know” wrong, or you know half of what’s to be known. If you deal with programming in any way, you’d be happy knowing all those words that float around. That’s my (simple) purpose here: to demystify: everyday programming jargons.
ActiveX
A technology from Microsoft used to view Desktop
applications as Web content. For example, using ActiveX, you can view MS Word
documents or Excel spreadsheets in your Web browser.
Array
Programmers sink their teeth into arrays when
they need to organise data such that a related set of values can be easily
sorted and searched. An array is essentially a data structure that contains a group
of elements. Usually, the elements in the array are of the same data type, such
as integers, strings, characters, etc. Using arrays makes much more efficient
use of memory than could have been the case if each value in the result had
been assigned its own variable.
ASP
Active Server Pages. A Microsoft technology, ASP
is a scripted language that is processed by the Web server when a user accesses
the Web page. ASP pages can be quickly identified by their extension .asp, or
.aspx, the more recent version of ASP. Like other scripting languages used on
the Web, the primary aim of ASP is to be able to handle dynamic content,
frequently-changing information, and accessing other information systems like
databases. ASP is based on the Visual Basic programming language.
ASP.Net
This is a collection of Web development tools
from Microsoft that includes software development programs like Visual
Studio.NET and Visual Web Developer. These tools help programmers create dynamic
Web sites by using a visual interface and using methods like drag and drop.
Often looked on as the next “version” of ASP (Active Server Pages) technology,
ASP.NET’s support is not limited to just Visual Basic.NET. It also supports
Jscript.Net and open source languages like Python and Perl. ASP.NET is built on
the .NET Framework. For an ASP.NET site to function properly, it should run on
a Web server that supports ASP.NET. By far, the Web server that offers the best
support for ASP.NET is the IIS (Internet Information Server) Web Server from
Microsoft.
BASIC
Beginners All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code.
Invented in the mid-1960s, BASIC was meant to be a programming language for beginners
and students to quickly learn the concepts of programming. Since then, however,
it has evolved into a robust language in its own right, and today there are
versions of BASIC that are used to develop application software. The most
widely-used version of BASIC is Visual Basic from Microsoft.
Batch File
This is a type of script used in Windows and DOS
to automate certain tasks. It is essentially a series of instructions that are
executed in sequence, and can either be invoked by the user or by a software
program, or even when the computer starts up. Similar tasks in other operating
systems like the Macintosh OS and UNIX are accomplished by AppleScript and
shell commands respectively.
Batch Process
The process of executing a series of
instructions in a batch file is known as a batch process. Typically, the batch
process is used to execute repeatable tasks that can be tedious to do manually.
For example, if you need to copy a particular folder to a backup drive at the
end of the day, you would write a batch file with the necessary instructions,
and the system would initiate a batch process to copy the files at the end of
the day. The execution of the batch process is not limited to just Windows
batch files. Any automated task that is set up to run can be considered as a
batch process. This could be accomplished by an appropriate scripting language
on any operating system.
Binary
We normally write numbers in the Base 10
numerical system. Computer processors, however, can recognise only the on or
off state of the transistors in the chip. This leads to the need for a compatible system of numerical notation. The
binary system is a two-digit numerical system, or a Base 2 system, comprising 1
and 0 (zero). This is much easier for computer systems to manipulate, as the on
and off states are easily represented as 1 or 0. And a combination of on and off
switches would be the equivalent of a number, a letter, or any other character
or group of characters. The number 110 (one-one-zero), for example, is the
binary form of the base 10 number 6.
Boolean
To determine if a statement is True or False,
computers use Boolean opearators. There are four main Boolean operators: AND,
NOT, OR, and XOR. These logical operators are used together in complex ways to
determine if a particular condition is True or False. Examples:
·
x AND y returns the value True
if the condition is true for both
·
x and y or else it returns
False
·
NOT x returns the value True if
x is false (or null) and False if x is true
·
x OR y returns the value True
if either or both x and y are true. It only returns false if both x and y are
False for the given condition
·
x XOR y returns the value True
only if either x or y are true. If both x and y are true then it will return
the value False.
Using Boolean operators is not restricted to computer programming.
End-users also use Boolean expressions when they need to filter results in a
search engine window. For example, the Boolean expression “computers AND
hardware NOT memory” when used in a search engine will return all pages
containing the words “computers” and “hardware” while excluding all pages
containing the word “memory”.
C/C++
As programming languages go, C and C++
(pronounced C plus plus) are among the older languages that are still going
strong. C was originally developed in the mid 1970s, and was primarily used to
write programs for the UNIX operating system. Since then, its use has expanded,
and nowadays it is used to write applications for nearly every available
system. Those working on embedded technologies and hardware interfaces are
particularly enamoured by C due to its flexibility and efficient use of memory. C++ is an offshoot of
the C language with almost identical syntax. The main improvement that C++ has
over C is that it supports object-oriented features that allow programmers
great leaps in productivity and efficiency.
Character
Any number, alphabetical character, symbol, or
punctuation mark is a character. A computer assigns one byte for each
character.
Data Type
Computers store data in variables. Each variable
will be of a predefined type. These types, or data types as they are more popularly known, include
integers, floating point numbers, characters, strings, and arrays. Other data
types include such things as date, timestamps, Boolean values, and varchar
(variable character) formats. Some languages are more flexible and do not
require that you explicitly assign a data type to each variable, and will
assume the data type from the first value assigned to the variable. This has both
advantages and disadvantages. Data types are also an integral part of database
applications. Fields within a database should normally be assigned to a
specific data type.
Debugging
The process of correcting the errors (or “bugs”)
in a software program. Computer programs are long and complex pieces of code, and it is likely
that there will be errors. A programmer has to go through the complete logic of
the program and correct the errors to the maximum extent possible before
releasing the software to end-users.
Debugger
A program that is used to trace errors in the
code as programmers work on the program. It quickly identifies where exactly
the errors (or bugs as they are called) are. The debugger will highlight the exact
lines of code where problems are found. These bugs are usually related to
errors in syntax representation in the programming language that’s being used.
To find errors which are not obvious in the code and are errors more related to
the logic of the algorithm used or related to interaction characteristics with
the system, debuggers also support a step-by-step walk through of the program,
which enable the programmer to see how the application reacts to each line of code
and where the code breaks or the system crashes.
Floating Point
This is a data type that contains floating
decimal points. Thus 37.001 is a floating point number, as compared to
integers, which do not have decimal places. When a calculation includes a
number with decimal places, the computer treats it as a floating point number.
Earlier computers used to have a
separate processor to handle floating point calculations, but nowadays, this
ability is integrated with the CPU.
IDE
Integrated Development Environment. Most
programming languages have a text editor that will highlight the source code based on the syntax
for the language, a compiler that will compile the software program for
execution by the computer, and a debugger to debug the source code. In many
instances, the three programs are separate from each other, and a software
developer would need to open each program to accomplish the associated task. An
IDE gives the developer a single development environment with the editor,
compiler, and debugger built into a single software system. In addition,
depending on the compiler, it may support more than one programming language, and also allow the developer to use visual
development tools especially for user interface development. Examples of IDEs
are Visual Studio and Eclipse.
Integer
One of the most commonly-used data types,
integers are whole numbers that can be positive, negative, or zero. Integers are not fractions
or decimal numbers. Thus if the result of dividing two integers produces a
non-integer result, then the decimal numbers may either be rounded or truncated
to produce the integer result.
Java
A step up from C and C++, Java is the programming
language of choice for many Web and software developers. Very similar to C and
C++ in its syntax, it is object oriented but structured around classes” instead of “functions.” To quote Sun
Microsystems, the developers of the Java language, Java is a “simple,
object-oriented, distributed, interpreted, robust, secure,
architecture-neutral, portable, high-performance, multithreaded, dynamic,
buzzword-compliant, general-purpose programming
language.”
Javascript
A scripting language with no relation to Java.
Through some complicated convolutions of the politics of naming languages, Javascript inherited the
Java prefix. Javascript is similar to other scripting languages in that the
code is executed as soon as it is read and does not require to be compiled as with
normal source code. However, there is one big, important difference between Javascript
and the other scripts like PHP, ASP, and others:
Javascript is not a server-side script, it is a client-side script.
That is, the instructions in a Javascript file are executed by the user’s Web
browser and not by the server.
Macro
A small program or script that is used to
automate certain tasks. A macro is usually a series of instructions that is recorded for a specific
application and may involve specific keystrokes or mouse movements.
Applications like Word and Excel support macros for repetitive tasks.
Null character
This is a character that has all its bits set to
zero, and hence has a numerical value of zero as well. It is used to represent
the end of a string and helps programmers determine the length of the string.
In databases and spreadsheet programs likes Excel, null characters are used as
space fillers.
Object-Oriented Programming
This is a method of programming where data
structures are treated as “objects” rather than as variables. The main
advantage with object-oriented programming is that it enables the management of
very large software projects which if coded procedurally would have been almost
impossible to support or extend. By having objects that interact with each
other, the programmer is able to logically limit the problem to a specific
subset, and needs to only ensure that the localised problem is dealt
with—rather than having to pay attention to larger issues that are irrelevant in
the context.
Perl
Practical Extraction and Report Language. It is
a scripting language with a syntax similar to C/C++ and is mainly used by Web programmers to create
scripts for Web servers. It is especially good at parsing text, so programmers
often use it for reading and searching through text files.
PHP
Hypertext Preprocessor. You may find it
difficult to imagine how the expansion and the acronym correlate, but you will, if you delve into the
mysteries of computer languages, learn that it is a recursive acronym. Till
such time, take it from us that PHP is indeed an acronym for Hypertext
Preprocessor! PHP is an HTML embedded scripting language for the Web. Much of
PHP’s syntax is borrowed from C, Java, and Perl, but it has its unique features
and functions. When a user sends a request for a PHP page, the server reads the
PHP script that is embedded in the Web page, and translates the output into an
HTML page which is then returned to the user. Because users only see the HTML
output and not the actual PHP code, PHP offers a higher level of security for
accessing databases and other secure information. The aim of PHP is to allow
developers to quickly and easily write code that can generate dynamic pages.
Script
A computer script is exactly the same as the
source code of programs, but with one important exception. Application source
code is generally compiled before it is executed; a script, however, does not
need to be compiled, and can be directly executed by the scripting engine.
There are many scripts like PHP, ASP, JSP, DOS, VBScript, AppleScript, and so
on. Each script has a corresponding scripting engine capable of reading and
executing the instructions in the script. See also Batch file.
Source Code
All programs are written in one or the other
programming language. The lines of text that comprise the program is known as
the source code. The source code (or source as it is usually called) can run
into tens of lines or into millions of lines. It contains variable declarations,
functions, loops, instructions, and
other statements that define the functioning of the program. Programmers often add
“comments” to their source to ensure that they and other people who look at the
source will be able to read it easier than having to spend hours trying to
decipher what exactly the algorithm does. A program will usually have many
source code files, which can run into even thousands depending on the
complexity of the program. For the program to run on a computer, the source
code needs to be compiled so that it will be in a language that the computer
can understand. If any changes are made to the source code, it will need to be
recompiled for those changes to be incorporated in the program.
String
A commonly-used data type, strings are used to
represent text rather than numbers. A string is made of a group of characters which can
include, text, spaces, numbers, and symbols. Even numbers can be treated as
strings if the correct syntax is used. Typically, strings are enclosed in
double quotes to distinguish it from variables. Thus Data1 will be treated as a
variable, while “Data1” will be treated as a string.
Syntax
All languages have a set of rules that define
how the words and sentences are formed. Similarly, computer languages follow a
set of rules that define how declarations, functions, commands, and other
statements are arranged. This set of rules is known as the syntax of the
language. A program should have the correct syntax for it to run correctly.
Even the lack of a parenthesis or a semicolon can result in a syntax error.
When a program runs into thousands of lines, it becomes next to impossible to discover syntax errors manually,
so a debugger is used to identify errors.