Program Language

    Well, starting this assignment, I was very interested in using Scratch. I started the week by messing around with the website without knowing much about how the system functions. I ran the program a couple of times without any action being executed. I wanted to get a taste of the website before starting the week's studies, get my feet wet, pre-say. Well, starting the week by reading chapter ten, I began to get a couple of clues on how the system of scratch worked and what errors I had committed. I wanted a simple program to run after completing my week with Scratch.

                First, this week’s reading taught me that programs must be organized and follow steps. The example the text gave us was paper, rock, scissors. If a program wanted to run a simple program like this, it needed to be organized from top to bottom, have a start and end point, and include actions in between. The text also went over “pseudocode,” meaning a simple way of describing what the code will do using plain language. With that in mind, I started thinking about what I wanted to do in my scratch script. The thought of a simple conversation was the first thing that came to mind, and what better than an introduction of two characters. A simple conversation will show two different characters interacting with one another. I started to plan this conversation with both characters saying hello, one introducing himself to the other. The other introduced himself after, and finally, I wanted the characters to say goodbye to one another.

                As soon as I figured out what I wanted to do with my script, I set up the scenario; I chose a shark and a crab under the water. Both characters would meet each other. I selected an event to start all the actions to execute this on Scratch. Once I got the actions going, I needed to time out each message. I found this tricky. The reason for that was that one action affected the next, and so on. Each time a character said something, the next speech bubble would emerge, making it seem like they were talking to one another as if in real life. I found this challenging but fun to learn. At this point, both characters are having a conversation. I needed to add motion. I wanted both characters to exit the screen in opposite directions. As this was the last action both characters would have had, I added a control allowing the characters' animation and motion. As I completed the conversation and actions of the characters, I started to think of the real-world use of the program. At this point, I had the characters exit, but could not reset the program to restart it. So, I included an input that would reset the characters and allow the user to restart the program. This action included an event that would reset both characters to the original positions and stop all actions. Well, creating this program, I learned that planning before actions was key. A blueprint of each character's actions and program was key to completing this program.

                As I read the different types of languages, I started to understand how all languages were different and used for other purposes. I believe that Scratch uses interpretative language because I found it most similar to Python. Python is a language where input is written in regular language, and programming is needed to convert the program into actions. Python is the language that I am most familiar with. The following language I have learned is a query language. This language is used to access databases and give out information. This is the simplest language to use because you need the database and a way to interpret the information in the database. The compiled language is the language I am least familiar with, because I have never used a compiled language. This language is used to create high-level games because it is language-specific to the hardware. The website Geeks for Geeks explains that complicated languages are “expressed in the instructions of the target machine; this machine code is undecipherable by humans.” This makes it easier for the hardware to read the language faster. The drawback of this language is its specificity to hardware, because other hardware cannot read set languages, unlike interpreted languages. The last language is Assembly language. This language is a low-level language that helps to communicate directly with computer hardware, according to Geeks for Geeks. This language runs hardware, such as instructions for setting hardware.

                Learning about the different languages programmers use and why they use them, I knew that not all languages are made the same. Each language has its purpose and use. A lot like scratch, well, using the program allows me to learn that organizing my thoughts and having cohesiveness is good practice. Professor Barr approved my Scratch project. 

URL to my Scratch project: 

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1166706055/editor/

References:

CompTIA, C. (2024). CertMaster Learn Tech+ (pp. 10-2). Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA). https://labsimapp.testout.com/v6_0_675/index.html/productviewer/1215/10.2.3/e2363228-53bb-4e27-87e7-26cd1de40137/outline?nonce=2sAj8tB8NLuFbmioiFpQ7YllS7PukGT8ANL9q-v6z7Q

Singh, S (2022, October 03). Difference between Complied and Interpreted Language, April 26, 2025, from https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/difference-between-compiled-and-interpreted-language/

Ansil, T. (2025, April 15). What is Assembly Language? Retrieved April 26, 2025, from https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/what-is-assembly-language/