Programming Basics and History of C : MCQs & PYQs with Explanation

Option D

Option B

A computer program that converts an assembly language program into its equivalent machine language is called an assembler.
Assembly language uses symbolic instructions like MOV, ADD, SUB etc. called mnemonics, which are easier for humans to understand but must be translated into binary machine code for the computer to execute.

• A compiler converts a high-level language into machine code.
• A linker combines multiple object files into a single executable.

Option B

YACC (Yet Another Compiler Compiler) is a tool used to generate a parser from grammar specifications written in BNF (Backus–Naur Form).
It takes the grammar rules of a programming language as input and produces a Syntax Analyzer (Parser) that checks whether the input program follows those rules.

• The lex is used to generate a lexical analyzer.
• The ed is a text editor.
• The gdb is a debugger.

Option C

Option D

A procedural language tells the computer how to do something step by step. These languages follow a clear set of instructions.

• FORTRAN – Formula Translation, used in scientific computing.
• COBOL – Common Business-Oriented Language, used in business applications. 
• Pascal – Used for teaching programming and basic software development, procedural in nature.
• PROLOG, on the other hand, is a logic programming language, not procedural. It is declarative, meaning you specify what you want, not how to do it. 
  • It is used in AI and symbolic reasoning tasks. In PROLOG, instead of writing step-by-step instructions, you just describe the facts and rules, and the computer figures out the answer on its own.
  • Example: You tell PROLOG: "If X is the father of Y, then X is a parent of Y." 
  • E.g.: "Suresh is the father of Maya." Then you ask: "Who is the parent of Maya?" PROLOG will figure out that it is Suresh.

Option A

Syntax Errors occur during Compile Time because the compiler checks the code for correct syntax before converting it into machine code. If there is any violation of syntax rules like missing comma, missing semicolon, missing quotes, wrong brackets, or misspelled keywords, the compiler immediately reports the error and does not allow the program to run until these errors are fixed.

Option A

Structured code means writing programs in an organized way using sequence, selection, loops, and functions or procedures. This style makes a program easier to read, understand, and maintain.
PASCAL is considered the best for writing structured code because it was specially designed for teaching good programming practices. It strongly supports structured programming and encourages programmers to divide the program into clear, logical parts.

Option C

Compilation is the process of converting source code into machine code. It can do things like syntax checking, type checking, and keeping track of symbols such as variables and functions in the symbol table.
But Dynamic Memory Allocation happens at run time, not during compilation. Memory is requested while the program is executing.

Option C

Modular Programming is a programming approach in which a large program is divided into smaller and manageable parts called Modules. Each module performs a specific task independently. This approach makes programs:

• Easier to understand.
• Easier to test.
• Easier to debug.
• Easier to maintain.

For example, a student management system may contain separate modules for admission, fee management, result processing, and report generation.

Option D

In flowchart representations of algorithms, the Parallelogram is used to represent Input-Output operations.

Option B

A flowchart uses symbols and arrows to show the steps of a problem visually. It is a pictorial (diagrammatically) representation of how a program works.

• An algorithm is a set of step-by-step instructions to solve a problem. It is written in simple English.
• Pseudocode is also written in plain English with some programming style.

Option A

COBOL is one of the oldest high-level programming languages, mainly created for handling business-related tasks such as banking, payroll, and financial records. The full form of COBOL is Common Business Oriented Language. It was developed by CODASYL (Conference on Data Systems Languages) in the year 1959.

Option B

Option B

• In 1989, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standardized C, known as ANSI C (C89).
• In 1990, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) adopted it as ISO C (C90 [International standard version of C89]).
• Later versions such as C99, C11, and C18 introduced new features and improvements.

New Features Added in C99:

• The inline functions.
• Single line comment (//).
• Variables can be declared anywhere in a block.
• New data types like long long.
• Variable-length arrays (runtime array size).
• For boolean type added <stdbool.h> (bool).
• Improved standard libraries.

E.g.:

#include<stdio.h>
void main() 
{
    int n,i;
    printf("Enter Array Size : ");
    scanf("%d",&n);
    int arr[n];// size decided at runtime.
    printf("Enter %d Array Elements
",n);
    for(i=0;i<n;i++)
        scanf("%d",&arr[i]);
    printf("The Array Elements Are
");
    for(i=0;i<n;i++)
        printf("%d   ",arr[i]);
}
OUTPUT
Enter Array Size : 5
Enter 5 Array Elements
11
22
33
44
55
The Array Elements Are
11   22   33   44   55

In Short,

• ANSI C (C89) : First formal standard.
• C90 : ISO version of ANSI C.
• C99 : Big modernization update.
• C11 : Focused on multithreading (added <threads.h>) and safety.
• C18 : Mainly bug fixes.
• C23 : Latest refinements.

Option B

Assembly Language is considered a low-level language because it is closely related to the machine language instructions executed by the computer hardware. 
It uses mnemonic codes such as MOV, CALL, ADD, or SUB instead of binary machine instructions, making it slightly easier for humans to read but still very hardware-specific.