The post "The definite article" with names* is a little confusing.
Using the definite article with books and their titles
In this case we only need to use the definite article to specify something. Lets show a couple of examples of the use or not of the definite article
In the film Treasure Island by Eric Bigonof set in the 23rd century. *Here the definite article is used to refer to a specific in this case a film. * Film is a general term for something but here we are linking it with a name to make a reference to something of which only one exists at any one time.
High school students are advised to read Treasure Island. In this case the definite article is not needed. The name is already used to refer to something unique.
Names of holidays, countries, companies, languages, etc. are all proper nouns. You don’t need to use an article with a proper noun.
Geography
Articles are not used before countries (unless the names include words like kingdom, states or republic), states, cities, towns, continents, single lakes, or single mountains.
The following are also examples of when we do not need use the definite article.
Companies
Universities unless it's name starts with Uninverity (The University of Toront)
Languages
Places, locations, streets (if they are specific)
Sports
Subjects you study at school
Noun+number (room 12)
Acronyms unless the letters are pronounced individually, not as a word (UN)
***In the examples posted why are we using the definite article?***
we using the definite article to refer to things or people when only one exists at any one time: CED
After I leave college, I want to travel around the world.
Ed Koch was for many years the mayor of New York.
When we went to Paris, we went up the Eiffel Tower.
or are we using the definite article before superlatives and other words, such as "first" or "only" or numbers showing something's position in a list, to refer to only one thing or person:
In the examples given I would suggest that the only really valid one is
"at the intermediate level" (position in a list)
Finally are we mixing the uses of the definite article? In this case are we using the definite article to create or define a name? or a we using it because we have already mentioned it?
In this example
*let's say the documentation needs to mention that some program named show_password is required. Then we can put it in the following ways:
a) "requires show_password" (no article, the program is called by its name)
b) "requires the show_password program"*
In this case what is happening? The answer is we are mixing the uses of the word "The" whilst building our example.
Whilst in answer b) we are just using the definite article to show something is specific.
In answer a) we have dropped "the definite article" ???
Here is a correct example. British council
A young man got a nasty shock when he tried to rob a jewellery shop in Richmond. The man used a heavy hammer to smash the windows in the shop.
we have dropped young (because we have already mentioned it and replaced it with "the") but man still remains in use
so we should have an example like this
a) "requires a program called show_password" (no article, the program is called by its name).
b) "requires the program" (we have dropped the name, because we have already mentioned it and replaced it with "the")