List of educational programming languages: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 05:31, 17 December 2024

Revision as of 10:11, 17 December 2024

Line 6:

==Types of Educational Programming Languages==

===Assembly languages===

Initially, [[machine code]] was the sole method of programming [[Computer|computers]]. [[Assembly language]], or (ASM), introduced mnemonics to replace low-level instructions, making it one of the oldest programming languages still used today. Numerous [[Dialect|dialects]] and implementations exist, each tailored to a specific [[computer processor]] [[Instruction set architecture|architecture]]. Assembly languages are considered [[Low-level programming language|low-level]] and more challenging to use, as they are [[Programming language#Type system|untyped]] and rigid. For educational purposes, simplified dialects of assembly languages have been developed to make coding more accessible to beginners.

Line 12:

Assembly languages are designed for specific processor architectures, and they must be written with the corresponding hardware in mind. Unlike [[High-level programming language|higher-level]] languages, educational assembly languages require a representation of a [[Processor (computing)|processor]] which can be virtual or physical. These languages are often used in educational settings to demonstrate the fundamental operations of a computer processor.[[File:Little Man Computer Simulator LMC.png|alt=This image describes the program Little Man Computer (LMC)'s interface|thumb|An image of Little Man Computer (LMC)'s interface]]

* [[Little man computer|'''Little Man Computer''']] (LMC), (1965) is an instructional model of a simple [[von Neumann architecture]] computer. It includes the basic features of modern computers and can be programmed using machine code (usually in decimal) or assembly. The model simulates a computer environment using a visual metaphor of a person (the "Little Man") in a room with 100 mailboxes ([[Computer memory|memory]]), a calculator (the [[Accumulator (computing)|accumulator]]) and a program counter. LMC is used to help students understand basic processor functions and [[memory management]].

* [[MIX (abstract machine)|'''MIX''']] (1968) and '''[[MMIX]]''' (1999) are hypothetical computerarecomputer models featured in [[Donald Knuth]]'s (Art of Computer Programming'').'' The MIX computer is designed for educational purposes, illustrating how a basic machine language operates. Despite its simplicity, it can handle complex tasks typical of high-performance computers. MIX allows programming in both binary and decimal, with [[software emulator]]s available for both models. MMIX, which superseded MIX, is a 64-bit [[Reduced instruction set computer|RISC]] instruction set architecture, modernized for teaching contemporary computer architecture.

* '''[[DLX]]''' (1994) is a reduced instruction set computer ([[Reduced instruction set computer|RISC]]) processor architecture created by key developers of the [[MIPS architecture|MIPS]] and Berkeley [[Reduced instruction set computer|RISC]] designs. DLX is a simplified version of [[MIPS architecture|MIPS]], offering a 32-bit load/store architecture commonly used in college-level computer architecture courses.

* '''[[Next Byte Codes]]''' (NBC), (2007) is a simple assembly language used for programming [[Lego Mindstorms NXT]] programmable bricks. The NBC compiler produces NXT-compatible machine code and is supported on Windows, macOS and Linux.