CS 424 Test 1 Study Guide Exam
Reviewed Questions and Answers Latest
2025/2026 GRADED A+
Writability - CORRECT ANSWER-the ease with which a language can be used to create
programs. Simplicity and orthogonality. Support abstraction such as functions to
prevent re writing the same code multiple times.
Readability - CORRECT ANSWER-the ease with which programs can be read and
understood.
Reliability - CORRECT ANSWER-conformance to specifications (i.e. performs to its
specifications). Type checking for errors, exception handling intercepts run-time errors
and takes corrective measures.
Cost - CORRECT ANSWER-the ultimate total cost. Execution costs (run time type
checking improves reliability but adds execution time cost), compile time costs (can
increase compile time but decrease execution time)
Reliability vs. cost of execution - CORRECT ANSWER-Example: Java demands all
references to array elements be checked for proper indexing, which leads to increased
execution costs
Reliability vs. writeability - CORRECT ANSWER-Example: APL provides many
powerful operators (and a large number of new symbols), allowing complex
computations to be written in a compact program but at the cost of poor readability
, Writeability vs reliability - CORRECT ANSWER-Example: C++ pointers are powerful
and very flexible but are unreliable
How is an interpreter different from a compiler? - CORRECT ANSWER-Compiler
translates source language into machine language. Slow transition, fast execution.
Interpreter executes a program line by line by simulating a computer whose machine
language is the language being processed.
What are the characteristics of imperative programming languages and how do they
model the architecture of the von Neumann computer? - CORRECT ANSWER-Data and
programs stored in memory
Memory is seperate from CPU
Instructions are transferred from memory to CPU
Data is moved from memory to the CPU for processing and back to the memory for
storage
Imperitive languages:
Variables model memory cells
Assignment statements model data movement
Iteration is efficient
What is the von Neumann bottleneck? - CORRECT ANSWER-it is a primary limiting
factor in the speed of computers
Define/Describe syntax - CORRECT ANSWER-The structure of its expressions,
statements, and program units
Define/Describe semantics - CORRECT ANSWER-The meaning of the expressions,
statements, and program units
Reviewed Questions and Answers Latest
2025/2026 GRADED A+
Writability - CORRECT ANSWER-the ease with which a language can be used to create
programs. Simplicity and orthogonality. Support abstraction such as functions to
prevent re writing the same code multiple times.
Readability - CORRECT ANSWER-the ease with which programs can be read and
understood.
Reliability - CORRECT ANSWER-conformance to specifications (i.e. performs to its
specifications). Type checking for errors, exception handling intercepts run-time errors
and takes corrective measures.
Cost - CORRECT ANSWER-the ultimate total cost. Execution costs (run time type
checking improves reliability but adds execution time cost), compile time costs (can
increase compile time but decrease execution time)
Reliability vs. cost of execution - CORRECT ANSWER-Example: Java demands all
references to array elements be checked for proper indexing, which leads to increased
execution costs
Reliability vs. writeability - CORRECT ANSWER-Example: APL provides many
powerful operators (and a large number of new symbols), allowing complex
computations to be written in a compact program but at the cost of poor readability
, Writeability vs reliability - CORRECT ANSWER-Example: C++ pointers are powerful
and very flexible but are unreliable
How is an interpreter different from a compiler? - CORRECT ANSWER-Compiler
translates source language into machine language. Slow transition, fast execution.
Interpreter executes a program line by line by simulating a computer whose machine
language is the language being processed.
What are the characteristics of imperative programming languages and how do they
model the architecture of the von Neumann computer? - CORRECT ANSWER-Data and
programs stored in memory
Memory is seperate from CPU
Instructions are transferred from memory to CPU
Data is moved from memory to the CPU for processing and back to the memory for
storage
Imperitive languages:
Variables model memory cells
Assignment statements model data movement
Iteration is efficient
What is the von Neumann bottleneck? - CORRECT ANSWER-it is a primary limiting
factor in the speed of computers
Define/Describe syntax - CORRECT ANSWER-The structure of its expressions,
statements, and program units
Define/Describe semantics - CORRECT ANSWER-The meaning of the expressions,
statements, and program units
