20. Ответьте на вопросы:

1. What does application software include?

2. What are applications programs used for in modern society?

3. What is the difference between general-purpose applications (horizontal applications) and vertical applications?

4. What was the role of non-professional programmers in creation of new application programs?

5. What are the types of software that can cut across all aspects of computerized activity?

6. When were most of the application programs created? What were they used for?

7. When did programmers begin to sell their most popular applications programs to other businesses?

21. Прочтите и переведите текст.

TEXT D

PROGRAMMING SOFTWARE

Programming software is used to carry out a specialized task that is crucial to the use of computers – the creation of computer programs. Software packages in this category are development systems that are used by computer programmers to create all the computer programs we use. Programming software is used to formulate and store the complex sets of instructions that are used to dictate computer tasks. Every program, including all of the systems and applications program, and even the programming languages themselves, begin as a set of specific instructions to the computer. These software development systems provide a way for the computer programmer to set down rules of computer activity and store them so that they can be triggered later when the computer used starts the program.

High-level languages. Ada. Developed specifically for the U.S. Department of Defence to replace both FORTRAN and COBOL. The language was named for Ada Byron who many consider to be the first programmer.

APL (A Programming Language). Designed for mathematical applications, APL uses a symbolic notation system that is useful for scientific and engineering programming.

BASIC (Beginner’s All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code). Designed as a straightforward approach to line-by-line programming. Often used to train beginning programmers. Simple versions of BASIC were commonly provided as the only programming software packaged with the early PCs.

C. Originally developed as part of the UNIX operating system. Ñ was designed to provide a structured, machine-independent approach to programming. Ñ includes features that provide programming approaches similar to assembly languages. Ñ is very popular today for application development.

C++. Versions of Ñ that include object-oriented methods are often referred to as C++. These new versions of the Ñ language are especially useful for applications development when the application is being designed for modern graphical user interfaces.

COBOL (COmmon Business Oriented Language). Designed as an easier-to-use business oriented language. It includes many English-like statements for automating business tasks.

FORTRAN (FORmula TRANslation). One of the early high-level languages, FORTRAN was designed to solve mathematical problems in science and mathematics. However, it became a programming standard in many different fields, the most widely used language with the earlier generations of computers.

Pascal. Designed to be a powerful, structured approach to applications development. Pascal is still widely used and is one of the most popular languages used in college programming courses. The language was named for Blasé Pascal, the pioneering mathematician and philosopher.

PL/1 (Programming Language 1). Designed as a general purpose, easy-to-use language, PL/1 combines many of the features pioneered in earlier languages. It is used in business, science, engineering, and education.

Fifth-Generation Languages. Many people believe that the next generation of programming languages will use query-based methods that are even easier to use. Some refer to them as fifth-generation languages. These new programming methods generally do not have the special syntax requirements of the fourth-generation languages. Using these newer programming systems, a computer user can write statements that are very much like normal human language. This natural language approach is similar to that used in query languages, but, since the programmer does not have to learn special rules of statement entry, they are even easier to use. A programming statement can be written in many different ways. In some cases, words can even be misspelled. With these languages, the computer interprets the request based on key words in the statement. If needed, the user may be prompted to enter more information to clarify the request.

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