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

[wildstar <wildstar128@hotmail.com>]

"Randy McLaughlin" <randy@nospam.com> wrote in
news:aA4Ja.10576$bH3.2854@fe02.atl2.webusenet.com: 


> That's the problem with trying to pound down a definition to hard.
> 
> I have yet to find a definition of a programming language better than
> a language used to program a computer.  One person posted two
> references about computer programming languages, but all they did was
> name a couple of languages and stated the languages are broken into
> different gl classes, but no definition of what a language must
> contain to be a language. 
> 
> I have seen people argue about needing to have the ability to write a
> program that modify graphics to be a programming language.  What
> states must be available, etc.  I have yet to see any evidence showing
> more than the dictionary definition.

A simple two sentence definition is not enough. You need to know what 
goes into making a program. A programming language must have those 
"tools" or features in the language designed and structured for the 
purpose of constructing a program so that it can instruct the computer to 
do a variety of tasks such as data handling, graphics, I/O. A program is 
a list or series of operating instructions for a computer to perform 
computational tasks such as data handling, Input/Output handling, compare 
data, mathematics calculations and many more tasks.

A programming language is a computer language designed to provide a 
computer programmer the tools (features and instructional syntax) to 
create files designed to do the described tasks above. Thus the files 
that do these tasks are called programs. Programs instruct the computer 
to perform these tasks and a programming language is a computer language 
designed to make such programs to do these such tasks.

HTML falls just short of a programming language but does fit a computer 
language which is really a more general meaning. It is often mistaken to 
describe computer language and programming languages as exactly the same.
It is that lack of definitional heiarchy. It is often a mistake to think 
all automobiles as cars but even trucks are automobiles. They are just a 
different class. A car and a truck are not the same but they are all 
automobiles. Automotive covers both cars and trucks.

This is the point. Most "dictionary" definitions are written by people 
who know little or nothing about computers. They are often too generic in 
definition in this field. 

As for workstation, a while back discussed, happens to be a generic 
definition decribing any computer that is used and configured for work 
and used for professional work. Where microcomputer is a specific 
definition.

Anyway, it is not worth arguing over the word workstation. I also assume 
it is kind of worthless to argue forever on this definition. HTML is a 
language of instructional tags in a electronic hypertext document to 
determine styles of types, and makeup of pages, and the likes. Markup 
languages have been used in Word Processors since the beginning of 
electronic documents that required fonts and styles. Hypertext is just a 
type of document originally developed for hypertext word processors and 
interactive online electronic documents. That is HTML. Look up Markup. It 
is the electronic form of instructions written on a manuscript so a 
typist can set the fonts. So a document would have the right font and 
style wanted. That is what HTML is. Though some dictionaries have it all 
fouled up. This is the correct and proper definition of Hypertext.

Hypertext: a method of storing data through a electronic document that 
allows a user to create and link fields of information at will and to 
retrieve the data nonsequentially.

Of course, I have to remember hypertext originated in computer programs 
but when it cam to HTML it was for the shear purpose of giving a user to 
create and link fields of information from one document at will and to 
retrieve data nonsequentially. A hypertext document is a document not a 
program. Hypertext programs are different than hypertext document but 
both carries the same features but for different overall purpose. HTML is 
a computer language for making hypertext documents not hypertext 
programs. A electronic document is a computer data file. A hypertext 
document is short for hypertext electronic document. A hypertext document 
is a computer data file.

Now you get some definitial background.