zmVault/computer-language.md

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Computer Language

Computer Language

A computer language, also called a text-encoding system, or simply code, is a communication schema which allows a person or program to make a computer do something without specifically telling it to do all the intermediate, low-level processes like memory allocation and stack manipulation which would be necessary to do achieve the desired outcome.

Due to patterns of abstraction typical of orthodox-computing it may not be intuitive to non-technical users that file extensions do not change the way the files themselves work, only the way other software treats them.

Compiled vs. Interpreted Languages

%% In practice this line is fuzzy, especially when attempting to be true of all computer language, not just programming languages. Is pdf compiled? %%

Terminology

• transpiler --- a program which converts one language to another.

  obsidian uses a transpiler to convert the markdown you write into html which other subroutines can render and display.

• interpreter --- a program which performs actions according to code in sequence.