FORTRAN IV

Text 2. PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

Прочтите текст и объясните, что представляют собой языки программирования.

Let's assume that we have studied the problem, designed a \

logical plan (our flowchart or pseudocode), and are now ready \

to write the program instructions. The process of writing pro- j

gram instructions is called coding. The instructions will be writ- .

ten on a form called a coding form.^The instructions we write ■

will be recorded in a machine-readable form using a keypunch, ;

key-to-tape, or key-to-disk, or entered directly into computer ;
memory through a terminal keyboard.

The computer cannot understand instructions written in just ■ v

any old way. The instructions must be written according to a set !

of rules. These rules are the foundation of a programming Ian- j

guage. A programming language must convey the logical steps ■*

of the program plan in such a way that the control unit of the \

CPU can interpret and follow the instructions. Programming j

languages have improved throughout the years, just as comput- I.

er hardware has improved. They have progressed from machine- \


151_______________________ Unit 11. Computer Programming

oriented languages that use strings of binary Is and 0s to prob­lem-oriented languages that use common mathematical and/or English terms.

There are over 200 problem-oriented languages. The most common of them are COBOL, FORTRAN, PL/I, RPG, BA­SIC, PASCAL.

COBOL

COBOL was the most widely used business-oriented pro­gramming language. Its name is an acronym for Common Јlisi-ncss-Oriented Zanguage. COBOL was designed to solve prob­lems that are oriented toward data handling and input-output operations. Of course, COBOL can perform arithmetic opera­tions as well, but its greatest flexibility is in data handling. CO­BOL also was designed as a self-documenting language. Self-documenting languages are those that do not require a great deal of explanation in order to be understood by someone reading the program instructions. The self-documenting aspect of CO­BOL is made possible by its sentencelike structure and the very generous maximum symbolic field-name length of 30 charac­ters. With a field-name length of up to 30 characters, the name can clearly identify the field and its purpose.

The FORTRAN IVlanguage is oriented toward solving prob­lems of a mathematical nature. The name FORTRAN comes from the combination of the words formula translation. The version of FORTRAN IV has been designed as algebra-based programming language. Any formula or those mathematical relationships that can be expressed algebraically can easily be expressed as a FORTRAN instruction. FORTRAN is the most commonly used language for scientific applications.

PL/I

PL/I stands for programming language I. It was designed as a general-purpose language incorporating features similar to COBOL for data handling instructions and features similar to FORTRAN for mathematical instructions. PL/I is much more than a combination of the good features of both COBOL and FORTRAN, as it has many capabilities that are unique. Yet, although PL/I is one of the most versatile and the most power­ful of the programming languages, it is not the most commonly


Английский язык. Оыюяыквивыотерной грамотности 252

used. COBOL and FORTRAN have been available for a longer period of time than PL/I, and many more users work with those languages.

9. Просмотрите текст еще раз и ответьте на вопросы, ис­
пользуя информацию текста.

1. What is the process of writing instructions called? 2. What is a code? 3. How must instructions be written? 4. What is the foundation of any programming language? 5. How was the de­velopment of programming languages progressing throughout the years? 6. What are the most common problem-oriented lan­guages? 7. What is COBOL? 8. What functions was COBOL designed for? 9. What does FORTRAN serve for? 10. What ca­pabilities has PL/I?

10. Найдите в тексте английские эквиваленты следующих
словосочетаний:

Языки программирования; блок-схема; кодированная форма; вид, удобочитаемый для компьютера; в соответ­ствии с набором правил; представить логические шаги программы; таким образом; совершенствовать языки про­граммирования; машинно-ориентированные языки; про­блемно-ориентированные языки; обычный термин; язык для программирования экономических задач; обработка информации; операции по вводу-выводу данных; гиб­кость; идентифицировать поле и его цели; решение проблем математического характера; сферы научного применения; универсальный язык; включать свойства; уникальные воз­можности; многофункциональный и самый мощный из языков программирования.

11. Найдите в текстах 1 и 2 слова, близкие по значению
следующим:

Nouns: command; line; characteristic; form; evolution; enu­meration; mistake; method; character; manual (instruction); consumption; storage; basics; abbreviation; interpretation; cor­relation; possibility.

Verbs: include; inform; process; protect; apply; permit; stress; suppose; learn; make up; write; key; explain; define; perfect; advance; decide; execute; demand.


153 Unit 11. Computer Programming

Adjectives: full; incorrect; usual; necessary; accessible; re­quired; considerable; floppy; possible.