UGC NET Computer Science Programming Languages and Computer Graphics Syllabus

Programming Languages and Computer Graphics syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Programming Languages and Computer Graphics in UGC NET Computer Science, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Language Design and Translation Issues

   5 topics

   • Programming Language Concepts, Paradigms and Models
   • Programming Environments, Virtual Computers and Binding Times
   • Programming Language Syntax
   • Stages in Translation
   • Formal Transition Models
2. 2

   Elementary Data Types

   1 topic

   • Properties of Types and Objects; Scalar and Composite Data Types
3. 3

   Programming in C

   1 topic

   • Tokens, Identifiers, Data Types, Sequence Control, Subprogram Control, Arrays, Structures, Union, String, Pointers, Functions, File Handling, Command Line Arguments, Preprocessors
4. 4

   Object Oriented Programming

   1 topic

   • Class, Object, Instantiation, Inheritance, Encapsulation, Abstract Class, Polymorphism
5. 5

   Programming in C++

   1 topic

   • Tokens, Identifiers, Variables and Constants; Data types, Operators, Control statements, Functions Parameter Passing, Virtual Functions, Class and Objects; Constructors and Destructors; Overloading, Inheritance, Templates, Exception and Event Handling; Streams and Files; Multifile Programs
6. 6

   Web Programming

   1 topic

   • HTML, DHTML, XML, Scripting, Java, Servlets, Applets
7. 7

   Computer Graphics

   11 topics

   • Video-Display Devices
   • Raster-Scan and Random-Scan Systems
   • Graphics Monitors
   • Input Devices
   • Points and Lines
   • Line Drawing Algorithms
   • Mid-Point Circle and Ellipse Algorithms
   • Scan Line Polygon Fill Algorithm
   • Boundary-Fill and Flood-Fill
   • 2-D Geometrical Transforms and Viewing
     • Translation
     • Scaling
     • Rotation
     • Reflection
     • Shear Transformations
     • Matrix Representations and Homogeneous Coordinates
     • Composite Transforms
     • Transformations Between Coordinate Systems
     • Viewing Pipeline
     • Viewing Coordinate Reference Frame
     • Window to View-Port Coordinate Transformation
     • Viewing Functions
     • Line and Polygon Clipping Algorithms
   • 3-D Object Representation, Geometric Transformations and Viewing
     • Polygon Surfaces
     • Quadric Surfaces
     • Spline Representation
     • Bezier and B-Spline Curves
     • Bezier and B-Spline Surfaces
     • Illumination Models
     • Polygon Rendering Methods
     • Viewing Pipeline and Coordinates
     • General Projection Transforms and Clipping

Programming Languages and Computer Graphics flashcards for UGC NET Computer Science

18 of 51 cards from the Programming Languages and Computer Graphics deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What is a programming paradigm, and name the four major paradigms.

   A programming paradigm is a fundamental style/approach to building programs. The four major paradigms are: Imperative (procedural), Object-Oriented, Functional, and Logic (declarative) programming.

2. In programming language concepts, what is meant by 'binding' and 'binding time'?

   Binding is the association of an attribute (e.g., type, value, memory) with an entity (e.g., variable). Binding time is the moment this association is fixed: language-design time, language-implementation time, compile time, link time, load time, or run time.

3. Define static binding and dynamic binding with an example of when each occurs.

   Static (early) binding is fixed before run time, e.g., variable types in C resolved at compile time. Dynamic (late) binding is fixed at run time, e.g., virtual function calls resolved via the object's actual type at execution.

4. What is a 'virtual computer' (virtual machine) in the context of programming environments?

   A virtual computer is an abstract layer (hardware, OS, language libraries) that presents a higher-level machine to a program, hiding lower-level details. Each layer is implemented by the layer beneath it (e.g., JVM running on the OS running on hardware).

5. List the main stages in the translation (compilation) of a program.

   1) Lexical analysis (scanning), 2) Syntax analysis (parsing), 3) Semantic analysis, 4) Intermediate code generation, 5) Code optimization, 6) Target code generation. Symbol-table management and error handling span all stages.

6. What does the lexical analysis phase of a compiler produce, and what is a token?

   Lexical analysis (scanner) reads source characters and groups them into tokens. A token is a categorized unit such as a keyword, identifier, constant, operator, or punctuation symbol; the actual text is its lexeme.

7. In formal transition models, what are the four components used to describe programming language syntax via grammar?

   A context-free grammar G = (V, T, P, S): V = nonterminals (variables), T = terminals, P = production rules, S = start symbol. It is the basis of formal syntax (often written in BNF).

8. What is BNF (Backus-Naur Form) used for in language definition?

   BNF is a formal metalanguage notation used to specify the context-free syntax (grammar) of programming languages, defining nonterminals, terminals, and production rules.

9. Differentiate scalar data types from composite data types.

   Scalar (primitive) types hold a single indivisible value (int, float, char, bool). Composite (structured) types are built from other types (arrays, structures, unions, records).

10. In a type system, what does 'L-value' and 'R-value' of an object mean?

    The L-value is the object's location (address) that can appear on the left of an assignment. The R-value is the object's contents/value used on the right of an assignment.

11. What is the difference between sequence control and subprogram control in programming languages?

    Sequence control governs the order of statement/expression execution (sequencing, selection, iteration). Subprogram control governs invocation and return between subprograms, including parameter passing and recursion.

12. In C, what is the difference between an identifier and a keyword?

    An identifier is a user-defined name for variables, functions, etc. (letters, digits, underscore; cannot start with a digit). A keyword is a reserved word with predefined meaning (e.g., int, while, return) that cannot be used as an identifier.

13. In C, how does an array name relate to a pointer when passed to a function?

    An array name decays to a pointer to its first element. Passing an array passes this pointer (by reference effectively), so the function can modify the original array; size information is lost and must be passed separately.

14. What is the key difference between a structure and a union in C?

    A structure allocates separate memory for each member (total size = sum of members + padding). A union shares one memory block for all members (size = largest member); only one member holds a valid value at a time.

15. In C, what is the difference between call by value and call by reference?

    Call by value copies argument values into parameters, so changes do not affect the caller's variables. Call by reference passes addresses (via pointers in C), so the function can modify the caller's variables.

16. What is a dangling pointer in C, and what commonly causes it?

    A dangling pointer points to memory that has been freed or gone out of scope. It is caused by using a pointer after free(), returning the address of a local variable, or after the pointed-to object is deallocated.

17. In C, what is the role of the preprocessor and name three common preprocessor directives.

    The preprocessor processes source text before compilation. Common directives: #include (file inclusion), #define (macro/constant definition), #ifdef/#ifndef/#endif (conditional compilation).

18. In C, what are argc and argv in command line arguments?

    In int main(int argc, char *argv[]): argc is the count of command-line arguments (including the program name), and argv is an array of strings holding those arguments; argv[0] is the program name.

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