Programming Languages

Programming Languages Experience Building a Program Using Scratch Initially, it was difficult trying to use Scratch. I approached the program by first planning what I wanted to do with a flow chart. This turned out to be harder than I expected. My limited understanding of Scratch made it challenging to translate shapes like ovals, parallelograms, diamonds, rectangles, and arrows into actions that could actually happen in the program. Even though I had read Chapter 10, mapping out a program sequence in a traditional way did not seem to line up with what I was doing in Scratch (CompTIA, 2022, 10.1). Because of these challenges, I decided to follow a tutorial instead. I chose to create a digital Pong game. Through this tutorial, I gained a better understanding of the importance of program sequence. The tutorial also helped me see how pseudocode could describe the logical flow of how my game worked (CompTIA, 2022, 10.1). My input was the click of the green flag. I had two sprites: a basketball and a basketball player. In the basketball block code, I used a loop to make the ball continuously bounce around the screen. Using an IF-THEN block, I set the ball to turn 180 degrees whenever it touched the basketball player. I also used a loop on the basketball player so it would move whenever my mouse moved across the screen. This made the game interactive and gave me a concrete way to see how logic translated into movement and outcomes in Scratch. As I worked in Scratch, it still felt like I was doing something completely different from coding. Dragging and dropping blocks felt simple on the surface, but it did not match the picture I had in my mind from the textbook. That left me questioning whether I was actually “coding” or just experimenting with a visual tool. Insights Gained About Programming What I learned is that while the symbols in flow charts are simple to understand on paper, adapting them into different programming software can create challenges. The Pong game taught me that sequencing matters—one misplaced block could change how the game worked. I also saw how loops and IF-THEN conditionals mirror the logic of pseudocode and flow charts, just in a visual form (CompTIA, 2022, 10.1). Scratch uses visual blocks, while other programming languages use text-based commands. The logic is the same, but the way it looks and feels is very different. Comparison With Other Languages Working in Scratch seemed entirely different from what I read about compiled, interpreted, assembly, and query languages in Section 10.1 of the textbook. For example, compiled languages like C and C++ are translated into machine code through a compiler, which makes them run very quickly and gives them full access to system resources (CompTIA, 2022, 10.1.3). Interpreted languages, such as Python and JavaScript, are slower but portable across multiple platforms and easier to debug (CompTIA, 2022, 10.1.3). Assembly language, on the other hand, is a low-level language that interacts directly with hardware and provides efficiency, though it is difficult to write (CompTIA, 2022, 10.1.5). Query languages, such as SQL, are specialized for working with databases and turning raw data into meaningful information (CompTIA, 2022, 10.1.6). Compared to all of these, Scratch hides much of the complexity behind colorful blocks and focuses more on logical flow than on syntax. Out of the languages I reviewed, interpreted languages seemed the easiest to use. They do not require as much setup as compiled languages, and they give immediate feedback when errors appear. That kind of instant response feels closer to the trial-and-error style of Scratch. Effectiveness of Different Languages Each programming language type has its place: Compiled languages are most effective for large, performance-heavy applications like video games or enterprise software. Interpreted languages are useful for quick development, learning, or building applications that need flexibility, such as web apps or automation scripts. Assembly language is best when precise hardware control is needed, like in embedded systems or device programming. Query languages are effective in database management, helping to quickly pull, organize, and analyze data. Scratch and block-based languages work best for education and learning the logic of programming without worrying about syntax errors. The Most Popular Programming Language Among all the languages studied, Python currently stands out as the most popular programming language worldwide. According to the 2023 TIOBE Index, Python has consistently ranked first because of its simplicity, readability, and broad applicability across fields such as data science, web development, automation, and artificial intelligence (TIOBE, 2023). Its ease of learning and large supportive community make Python especially valuable for both beginners and professionals. Compared to other languages, Python balances accessibility with powerful functionality, which explains its widespread adoption. Scratch Project Link https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1212472890 References CompTIA. (2022). Tech+ CertMaster Learn FC0-U71. Wiley. Resnick, M., Maloney, J., Monroy-Hernández, A., Rusk, N., Eastmond, E., Brennan, K., Kafai, Y., ... Silverman, B. (2009). Scratch: Programming for all. Communications of the ACM, 52(11), 60–67. https://doi.org/10.1145/1592761.1592779 TIOBE. (2023). TIOBE index for Python. TIOBE Software. https://www.tiobe.com/tiobe-index/