CAM Memorandum No. 5 (“Information Processing”)

College letterhead0607 MEMO 5 header

Information Processing; Programming; Code; Language
1>high level abstraction of due process of law; programming language for human (self) knowledge, acquisition, understanding.
2>Language: a set of instructions which produce a certain output (in this case, speech, knowledge)
3>Imperative/Procedural Programming: in which Program is built from one or more procedures called subroutines or functions with emphasis on describing how the program operates versus what the program should accomplish (being the function of declarative programming), although the procedural is considered a step toward declarative programming.
4>Structured English and Standard Query Language as vehicles for executing procedural functions.
5>(to have) Process and Control
6>objective: write more functionality per time unit therefore compress code into briefest possible syntax (form)-semantic (meaning) system; add emphasis on clearest logical process to run on target hardware.
7>Semantics:
7a>>Denotation: interpreted through a conceptual meaning that can be thought of abstractly.
7b>>Axiomatic: meaning is given to phrased through the axioms that describe them.
8>Language Designer to construct artifacts that govern and enable the practice of programming, esp. specification and implementation.
9>Specification: Q: if a piece of source code is a valid program in that language.
10>Implementation: a way to write programs in the language and execute them on one or more configurations of soft/hardware.
10a>>implementation methods:
10b>>>compilation:
10c>>>interpretation:
11>source code: human readable programming language, as opposed to purely executable files.
12>dictum: Djed, Statement; of Authority or dogma, as in common or canon law.
13>Declaration/Statement: a language construct that identifies what an identifier (word; token; symbol; variable; type; label; package; subroutine [callable unit ie procedure, function, method, subprogram]) means.
14>library: memories; of record; stored without need for constant power, may be retrieved after power cycle; read-only*, flash, hard disk, solid state, floppy, magnetic tape; disk storage; hard wired; *used to store firmware (software tied to hard ware, as thought is to mind is to body)
15>the programming language provides a system for defining pieces of data and the operations or functions which may be carried out or on that data.
16>The programmer uses the abstractions (memory) present in a language to represent the concepts involved in [information processing; cognition], represented in a collection of the simplest elements available called primitives.
17>Programming is the process whereby one combines primitive a to compose or adapt program protocols.
18>commands: programs whose execution is linked together
19>control structure: sequence (execute in order), selection (execute by keyword), iteration (execute until achieved target state), recursion (execute in loops until self-termination).
20>block: a lexical structure of source code (ie a group) consisting of one or more declarations/statements
21>lexical grammar: the form defining the syntax of tokens
22>lexical analysis/tokenization: the process of converting a sequence of characters into a sequence of tokens, white space, comments.
23>token: string or sequence of characters (in the source program) with an assigned and identified meaning. Equivalent to a part of speech, as in identifiers, literal integer, operator, separator
24>Language Protocols:
  1. All logic should be expressed in operational, conditional (IF THEN ELSE, X AXIS, and repetition blocks (DO WHILE UNTIL, Y AXIS)
  2. Statements should be clear and unambiguous
  3. Logical blocks should be indented to show relationship and hierarchy
  4. Use one line per logical element, or indent the continuation line
  5. Keywords should be capitalized
  6. Group blocks of statements together, with a capitalized name that describes their function and end with an EXIT.
  7. Underline words or phrases defined in a data dictionary
  8. Mark comment lines with an asterisk (Wiki)

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