The C++ Programming Language :: Software Programmer Computer Essays

The C++ Programming Language Computer technology has evolved at an amazing rate during the last few decades. Today a laptop computer can compute faster and store more information than a whole computer system (called mainframe computers) of forty years ago. According to Harvey Deitel and Paul Deitel from Nova University, "A person operating a desk calculator might require decades to complete the same number of calculations a powerful computer can perform in one second" (5). Along with that revolution, computer languages have evolved, too. A language created in the early 1970s by Dennis Ritchie called C quickly became very helpful and popular because of its features. In 1983 Bjarne Stroustrup developed C++, which is much like C, but with a number of important extensions. C++ has been described as "one of the most important programming languages of the 1990s and promises to continue strongly into the 2000s" (Prata 1). As a computer programmer, I have had opportunities to work with this language to write system soft ware. I have found many interesting things about this language: it has certain characteristics over other languages. The most remarkable are: portability, brevity, C compatibility, object-oriented programming and speed. Most of us would agree that computers have become an integral part of society. We can touch them and see the results of their incredible capabilities. But a computer does nothing until directed to do so. Computers are able to perform many different tasks. These tasks are not made by the computer itself, but they are performed following a series of predefined instructions that conform what we call a program. The computer programs that run on a computer are referred to as software. A computer does not have enough creativity to make tasks for which it is not programmed, so it can only follow the instructions of the programs that it has been programmed for. The ones in charge to generate programs so that the computers may perform new tasks are programmers. For many years, the principle goal of computer programmers was to write short and efficient programs. When programmers choose a programming language to write, the first consideration is known as "level of the programming language." The level determines how near to the hardware (devices such as keyboard, screen, disks, memory and processing unit that comprise a computer) the programming language is. Machine language, the first generation was written at a basic level of computer operation called low-level language, which used symbols for instructions (e.

My Pet Elephant Essay

Hello there. This is the story about the first time I got a pet. my name is Hugo Lambrechts and here is where it all began. Last night at around 12:00 pm I was about to go to bed when I saw a present on my bed from my Mom .When I opened my gift I saw a toy elephant inside. I saw it and I stared for quite some time, took a big breath and smiled. When I was about to go to bed I was dreaming of having a pet elephant and how it would be to have an elephant for a pet. The next morning, it was my birthday! I jumped for joy. Mom greeted me a happy birthday. Then I saw my dad , he was the one i had to beat, I mean if I want a pet elephant, then I have to go through him. I said â€Å"Good morning Dad.† Then dad said â€Å"Happy Birthday! What would you like for your birthday?† I asked him â€Å"Dad can I have a pet elephant?† My Dad looked shocked then he laughed a little then he became serious. He said with a loud voice, â€Å"No! You can’ t have a pet elephant! I mean do you even know how to take care of an elephant?† I didn’t know what to say, I was stuttering like I was in the North Pole for days. Then the school bus went by with a big â€Å"HONK!† I can’t believe I was saved by the school bus. I was rushing to get out as soon as possible. â€Å"Bye Dad, Bye Mom see ya later.† I said in a rush. Then I raced out the door in the school bus and off to school. After school, I got home then I overheard my Dad talking on the phone then he was talking about work and stuff then it hit me I heard him talking about a present! Then that made me think. So I just went up to my room and thought about it for a long time. The next day, while I was eating breakfast I saw my dad focused on the computer looking for something on a site about wildlife and stuff. So it made me wonder more and more. So when I got back from school I saw my Dad and Mom in front of the TV watching those documentaries about animals and so when I got bored I went upstairs in my room and thought about it again. When I got home I saw boxes everywhere and so I asked, â€Å"What are these boxes for?† Then Mom answered â€Å"We are moving to a new house.† Then I asked† But why?† â€Å"You’ll see.† Said my Mom with excitement. Page 3 Then I went upstairs to pack my things. While we were driving to North Island I was thinking about what will the surprise be? So when I got there I went running down the car and up the stairs and into the room. Then I saw a basket on the floor and it said To Hugo Dear darling Hugo Happy Birthday! I hope you love your gift. From your parents Then when I opened the basket it was a baby elephant inside! .And that is the story of how I got my pet elephant.

Existentialism in Camus and Kafka Essay

Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis and Albert Camus’ The Outsider, both feature protagonists in situations out of which arise existentialist values. Existentialism is a philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one’s acts. In The Metamorphosis the protagonist, Gregor Samsa, realizes his existentialism towards the end of the novella. In contrast, Monsieur Meursault, the protagonist in The Outsider, knows of his existentialism, only realizing his life’s lack of meaning moments after he is sentenced to death. Despite the somewhat absurd nature of The Metamorphosis, and the realistic nature of The Outsider, similar values are communicated to the reader. The easiest to pick out being that it is up to the individual to create his/her own life, and that the inhuman behaviour presented by both protagonists will eventually lead to very bad things; namely death in both novellas. These deaths are, however, very different, as are the methods through which Kafka and Camus have made each novel nothing but `a philosophy put into images’. Meursault (the narrator) in The Stranger only sees and only wants to see the absolute truth in society. The reader’s first encounter with him†¦ Mama died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the home: â€Å"Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours. † That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday. †¦ immediately gives an impression of a lack of emotion towards the demise of his mother. This lack of emotion highlights the existentialist ideal that we all die, so it doesn’t matter what life we have while we are alive. We simply exist, as did Meursault. It becomes apparent, as the novella unfolds, that Meursault has acquired an animal like indifference towards society. His interactions with his neighbour Raymond are an example of his indifferences. It never dawns upon Meursault that society does not condone his interactions with the pimp, avoided by his community. Meursault simply acts to fill his time. Being a single man, he has a lot of time to fill, and finds the weekends passing particularly slowly. While the scene passes slowly before Meursault, Camus’ text flows quickly. He uses short sharp sentences to convey an atmosphere devoid of emotion or feeling. This is especially effective between pages 21 and 24, at the end of chapter two, when Meursault is giving a descriptive narrative of the life outside his window on a typical Sunday. He ends the chapter saying `†¦ one more Sunday was over†¦ nothing had changed. ‘ Existentialism is present in nearly all of Meursault’s interactions with society. One such piece of evidence supporting Meursault’s existentialism is his interaction with Marie. His association is merely sexual and physical. Meursault uses Marie to help him pass his time: he spends an entire Saturday with her. When questioned about love and marriage, Meursault’s replies show indifference through their nothingness. Meursault is existentialist to the extent that he couldn’t care less about the path his life (or lack of one) takes. The reader is constantly bombarded with short phrases revealing ever more Meursault’s worthless outlook on a worthless existence. Examples of this come in the form of Meursault confining himself to only one room in his apartment, his ignorance to social expectations, his mindless identification with old Salamano and his dog, and most importantly his disregard for human life and the consequences for the removal of it. As mentioned in the above definition of existentialism, it stresses the responsibility for ones own actions. When Meursault comes to trial for killing the Arab, he finally realises that he can’t take the responsibility. This is the main turning point as far as existentialism is concerned in The Outsider. Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis is equally as philosophical. The novella is written as a metaphor, with a very strong sense of vivid realism. The metaphor is for any situation in which someone tries to break free form a social norm, only to fall; failing to convince the society that his/her action is just. The protagonist, Gregor Samsa, brought society against him when he questioned his life as a travelling salesperson. Social expectations had put him in his place, but he decided, although the reader may assume quite subconsciously, that it was not the place for him. His wish to remove all social burdens from his shoulders is first illustrated to him through his transformation into a `monstrous vermin. ‘ The protagonist was the narrator in The Outsider, a man who told the story of his demise from existentialism, only to find he needed a life just before his chances were taken away. The Metamorphosis, on the other hand, is narrated on the third person, where the reader receives an unbiased view of Gregor Samsa’s attempts to become existentialist. Where Camus used short `to the point’ statements to show existentialism, Kafka has filled his novella with colourful descriptive literal language, in an attempt to point out the depth in any situation, such as Gregor’s many squirming legs, his visualisation of his room becoming ever smaller and ever more bland, and the descriptive nature with which the fatal apple becomes lodged in Gregor’s back and eventually allows him to die. The Outsider’s Meursault is existentialist, finding a need for a meaning to life only when his is about to be taken. In The Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa, on the other hand, has a meaning to his life, and wishes it away. The gradual move towards existentialism in Kafka’s novella runs throughout, from the moment Gregor wakes up as a bug; until the moment he breaths no more. Gregor shows that he knows his life has meaning when at the beginning of the novella he is more concerned about how he will fulfil his social purpose than what he will do about being a bug. Albert Camus said that `we get into the habit of living before acquiring the habit of thinking. In that race which daily hastens us towards death, the body maintains its irreparable lead. ?In The Metamorphosis, Gregor thinks about his position, throwing his body into dismay, eventually leading to his death. As Gregor is further shunned by society for not conforming, represented in the novella quite dramatically by Gregor being a dung beetle among humans, he starts to forget any shred of meaning his life can have. He searches beyond his room for a meaning to life, but the further he ponders, the harder society hits him. `You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life. ?Gregor realized his existentialism taking him over, as he gave his life to the destiny he had for it created. Having read both novellas, a reader could come to the conclusion that both feature a definite theme of existentialism, while The Outsider is centred on a protagonist who recognises the need to change from existentialism, and The Metamorphosis around one that recognises existentialism’s presence in society. At the end of each, the protagonist either dies or is awaiting death. The deaths are brought about by a destiny the Meursault thought he couldn’t change, and Gregor brought upon himself. Meursault realised too late that he wouldn’t be able to take responsibility for his actions. It was only when he was forced by the trial to delve into his memory (something that he had little use for as an existentialist) that he recognised how he had shaped his own end. Life did have meaning to him then, and his was: †¦ only to wish that there be a large crowd of spectators the day of my execution and that they greet me with cries of hate. Gregor Samsa allowed his life to end upon realising that he was free from society, but also that existentialism rendered him useless. Before his death, his `indifference to everything was much too deep for him to have gotten on his back and scrubbed himself clean†¦ ?From Gregor’s point of view, Franz Kafka was correct in saying `A first sign of the beginning of understanding is the wish to die. ‘ The end of The Outsider sees a man ready to start again, but ready too late. The conclusion of The Metamorphosis, however, serves not only to allow the Samsa family a chance to start again, but also to highlight that even following Gregor’s horrific ordeal his family will put Gregor’s sister through the same process that lead Gregor to his death. Gregor’s sister’s life is given a meaning, and the reader often hopes that she recognises it and respects it. The Metamorphosis highlights that one must engage in social interaction to have a meaning in life, while portraying the grim hopelessness of a life determined by social interaction. The Outsider, on the other hand, follows an idea that quietly not conforming will only hurt oneself. An existentialist might argue that to hurt oneself would not matter, in hurting oneself (especially the way in which Meursault did by killing the Arab); one is giving one’s life a meaning. Even if that meaning is sufferance, the agony will still end one day, as it is destined to, removing all meaning from all life. The two novellas give an honest outline of existentialism, and give, in both cases, existentialism the negative property that it leads to death. The authors were both highly regarded by their respective peers. Camus was existentialist, and Camus referred to Kafka as an absurdist-existentialist. Both have produced works bringing to light the grim reality of existentialism, yet neither has created an advertisement for it. It could even be said that the novellas where written to give meaning to the lives of the authors, and to stop society taking the roads of the protagonists. After all, who wants their indifference to change only when they’re threatened with lawful murder? And who wants to die a worthless bug? words:1668.

Learning A New Language Essay

A countries identity is characterized by many different factors. It may be the culture of the people, the beliefs, the technological advancement or the degree of economic prosperity. It cannot be argued, however, that the single factor which brings all of these characteristics together and allows other people to appreciate and understand a country more is language. All the signs of prosperity are meaningless without language to convey the real meaning. Language is the single factor which allows people to become involved with a country and be able to call it their home. Give this, the relevance of learning a new language lies in the fact that by learning a new language one is able to learn more about other cultures and be accepted by it. It has often been said that one of the most essential parts of encouraging the growth of personal character is social interaction and communication. In order to make this happen, it is important that a person develop language skills because it is one of the primary modes of communication and social interaction. Having to translate everything or not being able to communicate freely is a hindrance to the establishment of working relationships. As such, it is important for people to learn new languages to enable them to reach out to other people, especially if you are a foreigner in their country. In order to develop language skills, it is not important that the person is genuinely interested in the other or what the other has to say since the purpose of communication and listening is indeed to come to a better understanding of another person. The thing that is required in order to develop good listening skills is in being able to know when to simply just â€Å"shut up and listen. † There is a certain timing that is needed in listening because listening may often be confused with boredom or disinterest by certain people. One has to know when to simply just nod one’s head or smile instead of opening one’s mouth to say something. The importance of this is because those who have speech or communication impairments, such as those from a foreign country, actually have a more difficult time reaching out to the world and need all the help and support that they can get. This also allows the person to absorb and understand the nuances of the new language so that the person is able to adapt. This is very important because oftentimes trouble is caused by miscommunication and when one deals with foreign languages it is important to make a person used to the sound of the language and also the way that it is used in speaking. Therefore, the most important thing is to first listen to the person and try to understand what the person is communicating. This is the first process in learning a new language. The second step lies in using the simple words and not being intimidated or afraid to speak. Oftentimes, people are unable to learn a new language because they are afraid of making mistakes. This is a normal thing and people should always remember that practice makes perfect. There is no other way of learning a new language. A person must simply keep writing and speaking in order to get better. Another way this can be improved is by asking a lot of questions. It is hard to imagine a world where nobody actually listened or paid any attention to other people. It would probably be a sad world filled with the endless monologue from the unending conversations of people who have nobody to listen to them. The people of the world would arguably be much sadder too since there would be nobody to listen to their problems or help them vent their frustrations and this is made better by learning a new language because people can talk to each other better. It is also thankfully not hard to become good at this. Just like listening, when learning a new language think, learn and feel first and by doing so listening to what the other has to say. If man had learned this skill earlier, think of all the wars and bloodshed that mankind could have avoided by simply listening to what the other had to say.

Reason My Grandparents Immigrate to Malaysia

Topic: The reasons my grandparents immigrated to Malaysia Nowadays, there are millions of Chinese living overseas. For me, I am the third generation of overseas Chinese in Malaysia. My grandparents came from a small village in Chaozhou Prefecture of Guangdong Province, China. They immigrated to Malaysia after World War II for several political, economic and societal reasons. In 1930’s, China was in a state of disorder due to the incessant fighting between warlords. People lived in deep distress. Unfortunately, the war of resistance against Japan broke out in 1937.The Japanese Imperial Army suddenly occupied a large area of China. My grandparents’ hometown was not invaded by the Japanese Army since it was only a small village. However, it faced scarcity of food. Many residents died of starvation, including my great-grandmother. My grandparents followed other villagers and fled to Fujian province. After that, they had been working in a rich family to earn a living for the following 8 years. Finally, in 1945, Japan surrendered. For U. S. A, Britain, Russia and for Japan itself, it symbolized the arrival of peace.Yet, for China, it just marked the resumption of the civil war between Nationalist Party and Chinese Communist Party. Both of the two parties wanted to control China. Nobody knew when another war would break out. The potential war would undoubtedly plunge Chinese people into misery and suffering again. Besides, people only saw a scene of devastation everywhere in China. The economic environment was worse than before. My grandparents found it harder to live in China after the war than before it.Millions of Chinese from Fujian and Guangdong province fled to South-east Asia, the so-called â€Å"Nanyang†, to seek a better life. Many of them chose Malaya (the predecessor of Malaysia) to start their new life. In Malaya, the political environment was much stable then. Before the war, the peninsula was occupied by Britain. The British colonist spared no effort in maintaining the stability of Malaya as they didn’t want any instability to interrupt their plundering of wealth in the colony. My grandparents thought that they could get an easy life in Malaya.They would at least not be destitute and homeless there. Since 19th century, thousands of Chinese flowed to Malaya because of the opportunities for employment in the mining, plantations and businesses. The peninsula has an abundance of natural resources. British colonists were rapidly developing the tin mining industry, rubber, and palm oil farming on the land. There was a high demand of manpower in the peninsula. Consequently, British colonist had been importing a large number of Chinese laborers into Malaya.Apart from that, the success stories of Chinese businessmen like Tan Tock Seng, Tan Kah Kee and Lee Kong Chian kept inspiring my grandfather and other Chinese. Therefore, they didn’t mind travelling thousands of miles to Nanyang. They believed that it w as a land where they could survive and become rich. According to the World Population Years’ report, there were about 1. 8 million Chinese living in Peninsular Malaya in 1947. Overseas Chinese had already formed a big community in Malaya. People who came from same the province and spoke the same dialect lived and worked together.Therefore, it was not a problem for my grandparents to adapt themselves in this new community. All these factors caused my grandparents to make this tough decision. It’s really hard for them to leave their homeland and become a citizen of another country. However, they might have been killed in another war if they had stayed in China. The day-to-day struggle of survival overrode all other things such as the unwillingness to leave the place where they had grown up. They were forced to immigrate. (605 words) It's my essay for English course in University. So embarrassing†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦

Compare and contrast Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Compare and contrast - Research Paper Example For example, in a car petrol/gas (energy) is the forward movement. Without it, the vehicle cannot move, may be the best model, with the ablest chauffeur behind the wheel! It has been pre-ordained that the car will move only with the source of energy. The driver at the wheel forms part of the lateral movement. He can drive the vehicle, fast, slow, he can choose the ideal route as per his choice, if the vehicle unfortunately hits the divider he is responsible—meaning thereby, he has the free choice as for movements of the car. In the present story, Oedipus executes his actions of his free will. He makes the independent choices.†To what extent can anybody enjoy freewill? To what extents are we too the children of chance?†Ã¢â‚¬â€all these questions are analyzed in this drama. (Knox, 1994, Back Matter) Take one such example of freewill in the play regarding the punishment proposed to be meted out to King Laiaus’s killer. Oedipus asserts that he curses the killer to live in exile. This shows how he exercises his free will. He could have as well put the killer to death or ordered his imprisonment. Another example when Oedipus exercises his free will is when he inflicts self-punishment of blinding himself. The reason for this action is he comes to know that Jocasta is his mother and the individual he killed long ago, Lauis, is his father. He kills his father and marries his mother! When he realizes his cruel folly, it is too much for him to bear. He decides to punish himself severely. In the exercise of his free will he doesn’t care for the consequences. Instead of stabbing his eyes, he could have owned responsibility for his evil actions but he exercises his free will for self-punishment. Exercising free will doesn’t mean, one is assured of success in life always. We are told by Bernard Knox, â€Å"At the center of drama is Oedipus with his absolute determination to know the truth. He dominates from beginning to end. The paradox which divides interpreters and

Ecology and Environment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ecology and Environment - Research Paper Example Humans are the most advanced organisms in the ecosystem; unlike other organisms that adapt to their environment, humans normally try to make their environment adapt to their needs. In this attempt to unbalance nature, effects of human activities are always more detrimental than any other. These would include such drastic effects as deforestation and the nowadays much publicized global worming.My surrounding is an exciting place full of life and activities. Organisms live and interact with one another freely. However, occasionally, there would always be conflicts within the ecosystem. A highly agricultural terrain with lots of vegetation to show for it, the cool wet climate ensures that tea, coffee, pyrethrum, and other crops do well and are, therefore, planted in large scale. A lake lies to the eastern end and to the southern border lies a game reserve. These two are representations of the existence of all spheres of life in this ecosystem. All the basic needs that any organism would need lie within range. The presence of us humans, however, complicates issues. With humans always wanting large trunks of arable lands for themselves, they would go to any length to get what they want. This would always see to it that more animals are killed as others migrate from the area in an attempt to seek further hunting fields. From time to time, this has seen the extinction of some indigenous animals as previous reports show. From time to time, this has seen the extinction of some indigenous animals as previous reports show.