Scratching the Surface.

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/797494983

Excitement is the word I would use to describe my experience using Scratch. I dare not say this is my first course toward securing my degree major in software engineering. I understand how my classes (11) have prepared me for this course. The door to this digital world has been opened, and I have been invited in but have yet to be deemed worthy of closing the door behind me. So, it remains ajar until I have proved my worth. Like anything else you experience for the first time, the difficulty is overcoming errors through trial and error. Inputs not matching outputs are met with a regurgitating of the process until satisfactory conditions are met. 

I like to draw analogies, and in this analogy, I am Dorothy off to see the wizard only to realize that beyond the smoke and mirrors, behind the veil is a little man inputting high-level language into a compiler that converts it to machine/assembly language. The user, in this case, Dorothy and her tag-a-longs, is oblivious to the 0’s and 1’s that are the great and powerful Oz. However, here is where the story takes a turn. No longer do I want to return to Kansas, not right away. I want to return with a programming language that puts me in a rarified class—those behind the veil who provide a service to the user. 

Pardon my pun, but as I scratch the surface of this new language, I understand that utilizing Scratch is, in essence, my baby steps. Watching the tutorials, YouTube videos, and reading course materials has already begun transforming from a user’s perspective to an inner circle initiate seeking to elevate to that of a programmer. This can only happen through the immersion of the self into the languages, but where do I start? Before getting into the differences in the languages, I have to say that one thing I noticed about using Scratch is that reliability is an issue. Initially, the block programming language performs as expected, but you begin to see some things the longer it runs. Some Sprites will experience lag which affects the continuity. I can only assume that there are some conflicting issues with scratch and the browser it is running on. 

Describe the differences between the languages.

There are compiled languages that are converted into “machine code” that processors can execute. They are more efficient and faster than interpreted languages. Programs like C and C++ are compiled languages (FreeCodeCamp, 2020). 

Interpreted languages execute each command of a program line by line. The difference here is that any changes to the code can be executed on the fly. Compiled languages require a “build” step. You have to manually stop to rebuild the code if changes need to be made (FreeCodeCamp, 2020). Programs like Python and JavaScript are interpreted languages. 

Identify which language you found easiest to use.

Because the course text introduces us to Python, it is the easiest, as I have yet to use the others. 

Describe scenarios where each type of programming language would be most effective.

The comptroller at a women’s art college needs a program that can forecast quarterly projections and make yearly predictions. C programming would be instrumental in creating this end-user application.

UnReal Engine wants to develop a new game for its gaming platform. C++ is the programming language selected to perform this task.

 An interactive online golf game used by millions of users uses the Java programming language. 

3d Max wants to create a new 3d modeling software as an upgrade to their current 3d modeling render and calls on the Python programming language to handle the load. 

An upstart restaurant in the city wants to build a website to promote its business and handle online orders. The web developer will use JavaScript programming to do the job.

Explain which programming language you think is the most popular and why.

Before researching and reading stack overflow’s report on the most in-demand programming languages, I would have said Python simply because my experience with the UAGC has been excellent. They have been exemplary in their approach to online education. They have far exceeded my expectations. Because their introduction to the language was Python, I naturally felt like their choice was the best one. Stack Overflow is a question-and-answer site for programmers and enthusiasts, and they ranked Python as the most popular programming language (Stackoverflow. 2019).

FreeCodeCamp. (2020, January 10). Interpreted vs. Compiled Programming Languages: What is the Difference? https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/compiled-versus-interpreted-languages/#:~:text=In%20a%20compiled%20language%2C%20the,reads%20and%20executes%20the%20code.

Stackoverflow. (2019). Developer Survey Results 2019. https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2019#developer-profile