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Why are high-level languages considered more hardware-independent?
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They allow for code abstraction using compilers/interpreters, enabling them to run on different processors and platforms.
Describe a key benefit of using machine code directly.
It allows instructions to be executed directly by the CPU without any translation.
In what applications is Assembly language still commonly used today?
Embedded systems and device drivers.
What was the primary purpose of developing low-level languages like Assembly?
To simplify programming compared to binary and provide a closer mapping to machine architecture.
What is an example of a high-level programming language developed in the early era of high-level languages?
Short Code, which was developed in 1949, is an early example of a high-level programming language.
What is one reason a developer might choose a low-level language over a high-level language?
For executing tasks that require precise control over hardware resources and high-efficiency code execution.
Explain the historical evolution from low-level to high-level programming languages.
Low-level languages were developed to simplify programming, with high-level languages emerging later to improve understandability and reduce hardware dependency as CPUs and memory improved.
How do high-level languages achieve higher abstraction in programming?
By representing instructions in an understandable form, resembling English, and translating them into multiple machine instructions.
What is a significant disadvantage of high-level languages compared to low-level languages?
They are generally less memory efficient and may have slower execution if not optimized, due to abstraction.
Why might a programmer still choose to use Assembly language even today?
For tasks requiring direct hardware manipulation and optimized speed/memory usage.
How did the development of faster CPUs impact the adoption of high-level programming languages?
Faster CPUs made it feasible to use high-level languages, as the trade-off in execution speed became less critical, allowing for more user-friendly programming.
Identify and explain one key feature of high-level languages that differentiates them from low-level languages.
High-level languages use higher abstraction to simplify complex tasks, making them easier to write and understand.
What role does a compiler or interpreter play in a high-level language?
It translates high-level source code into machine code so it can be executed by the CPU.
How do high-level languages handle memory management compared to low-level languages?
High-level languages often include automatic memory management, whereas low-level languages permit direct memory manipulation, offering more control and efficiency.
Discuss one reason why understanding both high-level and low-level programming languages is important for a computer programmer.
It provides a comprehensive understanding of computer systems, enabling efficient programming and optimization by knowing both abstraction and hardware-specific operations.
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