2. A programming language is a notation for
writing programs, which are specifications of a
computation or algorithm.
A programming language is a special
language programmers use to develop
applications, scripts, or other set of instructions
for computers to execute.
There are two types of programming languages
• Low level languages
• High level languages
4. A low-level language is a programming language that
provides little or no abstraction of programming
concepts, and is very close to writing actual machine
instructions. Two good examples of low-level
languages are assembly and machine code.
Programs written in low-level languages can be crafted
to run very fast and with a very small
memory footprint. Low-level languages are considered
more difficult to use, however, because they require a
deeper knowledge of the computer's inner workings.
5. Machine code or machine language is the name for commands. They can
directly be executed by a processor. Usually, they are 1s and 0s. Their order
tells the computer what to do. This code is the lowest level of software. All
other kinds of software need to be translated into machine code before they can
be used.
Each processor has its own machine code.
Each instruction is made up of an opcode(operation code)
and operand(mathematical operation). An instruction tells the computer to do
one thing. The operands are usually memory addresses. An instruction set is a
list of the opcodes used in a computer. Machine code is what assembly
code and other programming languages are compiled to or interpreted as.
Program builders turn code into another language or machine code. Machine
code is sometimes called native code. This is used when talking about things
that work on only some computers.
6. Sometimes referred to as assembly or ASL, assembly
language is a low-level programming language used to
interface with computer hardware. Assembly language
uses structured commands as substitutions for numbers
allowing humans to more easily read the code versus
looking at binary. Although easier to read than binary,
assembly language is a difficult language and is
usually substituted for a higher language such as C.
Below is an example of assembly language in a debug
routine.
7. A high-level language is a computer programming
language that isn't limited by the computer, designed
for a specific job, and is easier to understand. It is
more like human language and less like machine
language. However, in order for a computer to
understand and run a program created with a high-level
language, it must be compiled into machine language.
8. A third-generation programming language, also known
as a 3GL, is a programming language that is machine-
independent, meaning programs written in that language
can be compiled to run on many different devices. This is
distinct from a first-generation programming language
(machine code), or a second-generation programming
language (assembly language), in which the program is
written specifically for a certain type of CPU and ISA.
The following languages are 3GLs
FORTAN C
COBOL C++
BASIC Java
Pascal
9. Fourth-generation languages (4GLs) are even easier to use
than 3GLs.
4GLs may use a text-based environment (like a 3GL) or
may allow the programmer to work in a visual
environment, using graphical tools.
Fourth-generation languages (4GLs) are even easier to use
than 3GLs.
The following languages are 4GLs:
Visual Basic (VB)
Visual Age
10. A fifth generation programming language is a
programming language are designed to make the
computer solve the problem of you.
Fifth generation language are used mainly in
artificial intelligence research.
Prolog, OPS5 and Mercury are the best known
fifth generation languages.