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Originally posted by Jeremy_Mc
aye yes. holy crap how could i forget the kitchen appliance idea *shudder*
i can see where java would be compiled...but i don't see where many other languages that were mentioned are not scripting (php, asp, perl, and javascript in specific)
maybe i'm just severely confused or misinformed, but i'm pretty sure those aren't programming languages in their purest sense
*jeremy
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Yeah, that can be debatable.
There's a fine, hazy line between scripting languages, interpreted languages, and compiled languages. To me, I just consider all of them programming languages, because technically a programming language is anything that tells a microprocessor what to do. Each of them has their advantages and disadvantages. Compiled runs faster than interpreted and scripted languages. Scripted languages are smaller than interpreted and compiled languages.
It mostly depends on the purpose for which language is best. In cases where development time needs to be as little as possible and resources are large, scripted languages work well (which is why they are used in web applications). These languages are perl, asp, php, javascript, and HTML, etc.
Interpreted languages are nice because they travel the fine line needed for most purposes. They are easy to store, because they tend to be small in size. They run rather quickly without needing really fast micrprocessors, which is why you find JAVA more and more in cell phones. These languages are VB, JAVA, PBasic, etc...
Compiled languages are best where brute speed is a factor. Sometimes these programs can be smaller than the other two (if the program itself is small and simple), other times they tend to be larger. However, no matter what they run the fastest because there is no extra translation steps.
Quote:
The Princton University, Dictionary.com definition
Programming language
<language> A formal language in which computer programs are
written. The definition of a particular language consists of
both syntax (how the various symbols of the language may be
combined) and semantics (the meaning of the language
constructs).
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By this definition, scripting, interpreted, and compiled languages are all programming languages. Another defination that needs a little twisting to apply is the Dictionary.com American Heritage Definition:
Programming language - "An artificial language used to write instructions that can be translated into machine language and then executed by a computer."
The key word is
can. Eventually Interpreted and Scripted languages are translated into machine language, just at different times than compiled languages.
As for me, I'm a first-year asipiring electrical engineering who has college credits in programming C/C++, JAVA, and x86 ASM (I took college classes during my senior year, paid for by my high school). I also have some experience in programming ASP, so I'm pretty well rounded for my profession. It's useless to learn every language, because once you've learned how each type, compiled, scripted, and interpreted works, it's not difficult to learn the syntax for the individual languages.