Nuclear

Nuclear may refer to:

Physics

Mathematics

Chemistry

Society

Music

See also

Program

Program (American spelling) or programme (British spelling) may refer to:

Communication

Business and management

Technology

Art and entertainment

Program (machine)

A program is a set of instructions used to control the behavior of a machine, often a computer (in this case it is known as a computer program).

Examples of programs include:

The execution of a program is a series of actions following the instructions it contains. Each instruction produces effects that alter the state of the machine according to its predefined meaning.

While some machines are called programmable, for example a programmable thermostat or a musical synthesizer, they are in fact just devices which allow their users to select among a fixed set of a variety of options, rather than being controlled by programs written in a language (be it textual, visual or otherwise).

Computer program

A computer program is a collection of instructions that performs a specific task when executed by a computer. A computer requires programs to function, and typically executes the program's instructions in a central processing unit.

A computer program is usually written by a computer programmer in a programming language. From the program in its human-readable form of source code, a compiler can derive machine code—a form consisting of instructions that the computer can directly execute. Alternatively, a computer program may be executed with the aid of an interpreter.

A part of a computer program that performs a well-defined task is known as an algorithm. A collection of computer programs, libraries and related data are referred to as software. Computer programs may be categorized along functional lines, such as application software or system software.

History

Early programmable machines

The earliest programmable machines preceded the invention of the digital computer. In 1801, Joseph-Marie Jacquard devised a loom that would weave a pattern by following a series of perforated cards. Patterns, including flowers and leaves, could be weaved and repeated by arranging the cards.