Procedure

What does Procedure mean?

In computer science, a procedure is a set of instructions that performs a specific task. Procedures are often used to break down a complex task into smaller, more manageable pieces. This makes it easier to design, debug, and maintain the code.

A procedure typically has a name, a set of parameters, and a body. The name of the procedure is used to identify it in the code. The parameters are the data that is passed to the procedure when it is called. The body of the procedure contains the instructions that are executed when the procedure is called.

Procedures can be defined in a variety of Programming languages. In some languages, procedures are known as functions. In other languages, they are known as methods. However, regardless of the name, procedures serve the same basic purpose: to perform a specific task.

Applications

Procedures are used in a wide variety of applications, including:

• Operating systems use procedures to manage the hardware and software resources of the computer.
• Web browsers use procedures to load and display web pages.
• Word processors use procedures to format text and Insert images.
• Spreadsheets use procedures to perform calculations and generate charts.
• Databases use procedures to store and retrieve data.

Procedures are an essential part of Software Development. They allow developers to break down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces. This makes it easier to design, debug, and maintain the code.

History

The concept of a procedure dates back to the early days of computing. In the 1940s, John von Neumann developed the stored-Program computer. This type of computer stored the program in memory, along with the data. This allowed the computer to execute the same program multiple times, with different data.

The stored-program computer made it possible to develop procedures. Procedures could be stored in memory and called from other parts of the program. This made it easier to reuse code and to create complex programs.

In the 1960s, Niklaus Wirth developed the Pascal programming language. Pascal was one of the first languages to support procedures. Procedures in Pascal were known as functions. Functions could return a value, which could be used by other parts of the program.

In the 1970s, C was developed by Dennis Ritchie and Brian Kernighan. C was a systems programming language that allowed developers to write programs that were close to the hardware. C supported procedures, which were known as methods. Methods could be used to Access the object’s data and to perform operations on the object.

Today, procedures are a fundamental part of all major programming languages. They allow developers to break down complex tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces. This makes it easier to design, debug, and maintain the code.