GCSE Computer Science · key term

High-level language

Definition

A programming language designed to be easier for humans to read and write, with instructions that hide many processor-specific details.

Used by OCR

Paper 2

A high-level language is designed to be easier for humans to read and write. A low-level language is closely related to the processor’s instructions and hardware. The choice involves a trade-off: making programming easier for people can hide details that a programmer might sometimes need to control directly.
Revise: Levels of Programming Languages
A programming language that uses human-readable commands and hides many details of the processor’s machine instructions.
Revise: Purpose of Translators

1
Give a definition as well as an example. Naming Python alone does not explain what a high-level language is.
2
When explaining why translation is needed, link both facts: the program is written in a high-level language, but the processor can only execute machine-code instructions.

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