Programming Languages

Programming Languages

            Learning to program has seemed intimidating, but when broken down to its foundation of inputs, outputs, and programming languages, this skill feels far more accessible. Programming education tools like Scratch demonstrate these concepts visually and interactively. Working with Scratch taught me how important it is to give clear and complete instructions when writing code. I also learned that programming requires careful planning, not just translating human ideas into computer language. My experience with Scratch and exploring different programming languages like Compiled, Interpreted, Assembly, and Query languages through the textbook helped me better understand how programs are built and how different languages are suited for different tasks. In this paper, I will describe my experience building a Scratch program, explain the insights I gained about programming, compare languages, identify the easiest language use, and explore scenarios where each programming language is most effective.

 

My Experience Building a Program Using Scratch

For my Scratch project, I created a scene where a penguin and a bear appear on a winter background and say hello. After that, the scene switches to an Arctic background where the penguin walks a little and starts changing colors. Then, the bear pauses for a second and starts changing colors, too. Although this sounds simple, I actually had a tough time getting the animals to change colors the way I wanted them to. I realized that the instructions I gave them needed to be very specific, and if I did not include an "end" command or reset point, the program would not run properly the next time without clicking on a bunch of things to reset it manually. This helped me understand that you must give complete instructions in programming, including where to start and stop.

 

Insights Gained From Scratch

            One insight I gained from using Scratch is how important it is to think about exactly how a program will "read" your commands. It helped me see what happens when you give commands that might make sense to a person but don’t make sense when taken literally by a computer. I also learned that programming is not just about telling a system what to do but figuring out how to break down a task into specific, step-by-step instructions. Another thing I learned to appreciate this week was that programming is less about translating human language and more like building a process out of pieces or "blocks." Before this experience, I thought programming was mostly about making two systems talk to each other by translating instructions from English to code. But now I realize programming languages are more like sets of building blocks, where each block has a specific action and they all build up to completing the task you are trying to do. I also understand now that to start writing code, one needs a plan, and a lot of logic, problem-solving, and organization must happen first. The examples in Chapter 2 of creating flowcharts and writing pseudocode helped me see this process clearly. It makes programming seem less intimidating because I now know that even experienced programmers usually plan things out before they start writing code.

Program Language Comparison

Although Scratch is not a true programming language but a learning tool, it has helped me understand programming basics. Compared to actual languages covered in Section 10.1 of the TestOut textbook, Scratch makes focusing on logic easier since there are no syntax errors. Syntax is a factor that can make writing a program challenging; this can be seen in languages like Java and Python, which are case-sensitive and require specific punctuation and formatting. However, I think learning the syntax to work with a program like Python would be much easier than memorizing the terminology for an Assembly language, for example. Assembly language is almost like speaking another language, using different terms for certain commands. Compiled languages avoid this since a compiler will change the code into machine language. After considering if a compiler is needed, I think the next thing to think about is whether the language used will be compatible with the platform. Interpreted languages like Java and Python come to mind as they work across platforms.

 

Conclusion

            Of all the programming languages we covered this week, Python is my favorite and the one I am most likely to keep learning. Although it requires memorizing syntax and formatting, it was the most human-readable from the textbook examples. Once I learn the basics, I can focus more on problem-solving. My experience with Scratch showed me that programming is really about building step-by-step logic, not just translating words into code. After exploring different languages and their uses, I now understand that choosing the right language depends on the task, and while learning programming takes effort, it is manageable with the right tools.

 

 

 

References

Scratch. (2025) Massachusetts Institute of Technology. https://scratch.mit.edu/  

TestOut Corp. (2024). CertMaster Learn Tech+. http://www.testout.com