Re: Low-level vs. High-level programming (was My First Computer)

["Randy McLaughlin" <randy@nospam.com>]

"Richard Brady" <rrllbrrady@worrlldnet.att.net> wrote in message
3EF962CB.9070909@worrlldnet.att.net">news:3EF962CB.9070909@worrlldnet.att.net...
> Introduction to Computers and Data Processing by Shelley & Cashman,
> 1980: A program can be defined as a series of instructions which directs
> the coputer to perform a sequesce of tasks that produce a desired result.
> The Home Computer Handbook by Schlossberg, Brockman and Horton, 1978:
> program [is] a set of instructions arranged in a specific sequence for
> directing the execution of a specific task or the solution of a problem
> by a computer.
> Introduction to Computer Programming with the BASIC Language by Deitel,
> 1977: Computer programming is the process of instructing the computer to
> utilize its various mechanisms to solve specific problems.
>
> That said, it would appear that HTML is a programming language, which is
> used to program the computer display via an interpreter called a
> browser.  It does solve specific display problems.  I would not call it
> a general purpose programming language.
>
> I'm reminded of the channel programs used by IBM mainframes to manage IO
> to disk.  They certainly cannot perform any arithmetic or solve general
> problems, but they do solve the problem of writing or retrieving data.
>
> Richard

My point was only to throw gasoline onto smoldering embers.  I saw several
peoplle who did not understand what programming is to try and redefine
programming to be what they wanted it to be, requiring extensive
capabilities to be programming.  Today people who study for years to become
a computer programmer do not WANT mundane tasks to be computer programming.
Many tasks people set up their computers do meet the requirements to be
programming, but no one would call the person doing that programming a
computer programmer.