CS 424 midterm Exam Reviewed
Questions and Answers Latest 2025/2026
GRADED A+
Three terms for language criteria - CORRECT ANSWER-Readability, writability,
reliability
Readability - CORRECT ANSWER-A measure of the ease with which programs can be
read and understood by humans
Writability - CORRECT ANSWER-A measure of the ease with which a language can be
used to create programs to solve problems in a chosen domain
Reliability - CORRECT ANSWER-The degree to which a program written in the
language performs to its specifications under all conditions
Cost - CORRECT ANSWER-Total expense incurred in training, acquiring tools,
programming, compiling, executing, debugging and maintaining programs in the
language. Includes both time and monetary expense.
Simplicity - CORRECT ANSWER-Small number of basic constructs
, Orthogonality - CORRECT ANSWER-a relatively small set of primitive constructs can
be combined in a relatively small number of ways
Aliasing - CORRECT ANSWER-Having two or more names that access the same
memory cell's value
Type checking - CORRECT ANSWER-the activity of ensuring that the operands of an
operator are of compatible types
Syntax vs. Semantics - CORRECT ANSWER-Syntax is the form. It is is how the program
is written. Semantics is the meaning. This is what happens when the program is run or
executed.
Compiled Language vs. Interpreted languages - CORRECT ANSWER-A compiled
language is converted into machine code so that the processor can execute it. An
interpreted language is a language in which the implementations execute instructions
directly without earlier compiling a program into machine language. The compiled
programs run faster than interpreted programs.
Associativity vs. Precedence - CORRECT ANSWER-Associativity handles things of
equal precedence. Precedence handles unequal situations. For example, +/- has
associativity. * has precedence over +.
A variable is used in an expression, but was not declared before it was used. What stage
of the compiler would this be detected? - CORRECT ANSWER-Semantic Analysis. The
Semantic Analysis phase use the symbol table and syntax tree to make sure that the
code is semantically correct. This must deal with semantics or how the program is
executed. The Semantic Analyzer deals with things like incorrect type matching, and in
this case, a variable used an expression that is not declared before it is used.
A semi-colon is missing after a statement where it was required. What stage of the
compiler would this be detected? - CORRECT ANSWER-Syntax Analysis. This is where
a syntax error would be recognized like forgetting a semicolon. The grammar would be
Questions and Answers Latest 2025/2026
GRADED A+
Three terms for language criteria - CORRECT ANSWER-Readability, writability,
reliability
Readability - CORRECT ANSWER-A measure of the ease with which programs can be
read and understood by humans
Writability - CORRECT ANSWER-A measure of the ease with which a language can be
used to create programs to solve problems in a chosen domain
Reliability - CORRECT ANSWER-The degree to which a program written in the
language performs to its specifications under all conditions
Cost - CORRECT ANSWER-Total expense incurred in training, acquiring tools,
programming, compiling, executing, debugging and maintaining programs in the
language. Includes both time and monetary expense.
Simplicity - CORRECT ANSWER-Small number of basic constructs
, Orthogonality - CORRECT ANSWER-a relatively small set of primitive constructs can
be combined in a relatively small number of ways
Aliasing - CORRECT ANSWER-Having two or more names that access the same
memory cell's value
Type checking - CORRECT ANSWER-the activity of ensuring that the operands of an
operator are of compatible types
Syntax vs. Semantics - CORRECT ANSWER-Syntax is the form. It is is how the program
is written. Semantics is the meaning. This is what happens when the program is run or
executed.
Compiled Language vs. Interpreted languages - CORRECT ANSWER-A compiled
language is converted into machine code so that the processor can execute it. An
interpreted language is a language in which the implementations execute instructions
directly without earlier compiling a program into machine language. The compiled
programs run faster than interpreted programs.
Associativity vs. Precedence - CORRECT ANSWER-Associativity handles things of
equal precedence. Precedence handles unequal situations. For example, +/- has
associativity. * has precedence over +.
A variable is used in an expression, but was not declared before it was used. What stage
of the compiler would this be detected? - CORRECT ANSWER-Semantic Analysis. The
Semantic Analysis phase use the symbol table and syntax tree to make sure that the
code is semantically correct. This must deal with semantics or how the program is
executed. The Semantic Analyzer deals with things like incorrect type matching, and in
this case, a variable used an expression that is not declared before it is used.
A semi-colon is missing after a statement where it was required. What stage of the
compiler would this be detected? - CORRECT ANSWER-Syntax Analysis. This is where
a syntax error would be recognized like forgetting a semicolon. The grammar would be
