Programming from the Ground Up

Know the Concepts

• What is the difference between an intepretted language and a compiled language?

• What reasons might cause you to need to learn a new programming language?

Use the Concepts

• Learn the basic syntax of a new programming language. Re-code one of the programs in this book in that language.

• In the program you wrote in the question above, what specific things were automated in the programming language you chose?

• Modify your program so that it runs 10,000 times in a row, both in assembly language and in your new language. Then run the time command to see which is faster. Which does come out ahead? Why do you think that is?

• How does the programming language's input/output methods differ from that of the Linux system calls?

Going Further

• Having seen languages which have such brevity as Perl, why do you think this book started you with a language as verbose as assembly language?

• How do you think high level languages have affected the process of programming?

• Why do you think so many languages exist?

• Learn two new high level languages. How do they differ from each other? How are they similar? What approach to problem-solving does each take?