Basic elements of programming languages. As we know that when we communicate to someone, we use a human interface language just like as English, Urdu, Punjabi. Every language has predefined grammar. By using rules of this grammar, we make statements in a correct way. Every human interface language is made of several elements like verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, propositions and conjunctions etc. Similarly, humane computer interface languages, programming languages are made of several elements that make you comfortable to you to use.
 We`ll explain these terms in detail with examples in subsequent lectures. First, we try to understand meanings of these elements in general term and then we`ll see how these are used in different programming languages. In this session we`ll see these elements in example of C++, java and python programs.
 Programming languages include following basic elements

 1. Programming environment: it is not an element of programming language. Simply we can say that it implies a base on top of which we can do our programming. For this we need a software installation in PC.

 2. Basic syntax: Syntax is the set of rules that define what the various combinations of symbols and tells the computer how to read the code. It is a specific set of word with specific order

3. Data type: As its name indicates that it represents the type of data which we can process using in any computer program. It can be numeric, alphanumeric, decimal etc.…

4. Variables: variables are the names that are given to computer memory locations which are used to store values in a computer program.

5. Keywords: keywords are reserved word. Different languages use different keywords but most common and most important rule is that we cannot use these reserved words as a variable name. if you use these words then syntax error occurs.

 6. Basic operators: a symbol that tells the compiler or interpreter to perform specific operations and produce a final result. For example, it includes mathematical, logical and relational operations.

7. Decision making statements: it is very critical to computer programming. Sometime There are many situations when you have tow or more options and you have to select one of them based on given condition. At that time a programmer uses these decision-making statements.

8. Loops: when you want to repeat a statement up to a desired number of times then we use concept of loop. It allows us to execute a statement or set of statements multiple times.

9. Numbers: every programming language provides support for manipulating different types of numbers. For example, small numbers, long or decimals etc.

10. Characters: when any alphabet, any number or any special character is treated as character datatype when it is enclosed in a single quote.

11. Arrays: An array is a data structure that stores fix size collection of elements of same datatype. But in programming it is more useful to consider as it stores variables.

12. Strings: if you want to use more than one characters in a single variable then the concept of string is used. String is represented as array of character.

13. Functions: a block of organized, reusable code that is used to perform a single related action. And provide high degree of code reusing. Just like as main(), printf() are built-in functions. Functions are also known as several names just like as methods, sub-routines, procedures in several languages.

14. File i/o: file input means data is written into a file and file output means data is read from that file.