A language is defined as the medium of expression of thoughts . All the human beings in this world communicate with each other by a language. Similarly, computer also needs some expression medium to communicate with others
A computer follows the instructions given by the programmer to perform a specific job. To perform a particular task, programmer prepares a sequence of instructions, know as programmed. A program written for a computer is known as Software. The programmed is stored in RAM. The CPU takes one instruction of the programmed at a time from RAM and executes it. The instructions are executed one by one in sequence and finally produce the desired result.
The Journey of computer software machine language to high level languages to modern 4GL / 5GL languages is an interesting one. Let us talk about this in detail.
FIRST GENERATION LANGUAGES 1GLs (Machine language)
When the human being stared programming the computer the instruction were given to it in a language that it could easily understand. And that language was machine language. The binary language a language, a language of Is and Os is known as Machine language. Any instruction in this language is given in the form of string of 1s and 0s. Where the symbol I stand for the presence of electrical pulse and 0 stands for the absence of electric pulse. A set of 1s and 0s as 11101101 has a specific meaning to a computer even through it appears as binary number to us.
The writing of programmer in machine language is very cumbersome and complicated and this was accomplished by experts only. All the instructions and input data are fed to the computer in numeric form, specifically a binary form.
SECOND GENERATION LANGUAGES 2GLs (Assembly Language)
Lots of efforts are made during last 50 years to obviate the difficulties faced for using the machine language. The first language similar to English was developed in 1950 which was known as Assembly Language or Symbolic Programming Languages. After 1960, the High Level Languages were developed which bought the common man very to the computer. And this was the main reason for tremendous growth in computer industry. The high level languages are also known as Procedure Oriented Languages.
THIRD GENERATION LANGUAGES (3GLs ) (High Level Languages)
The assembly language was easier to use compared with machine la language as it relieved the programmer from a burden of remembering the operation � codes and addresses of memory location. Even though the assembly languages proved to be great help to the programmer, a search was continued for still better languages nearer to the conventional English language. The languages developed which were nearer to the English language, for the use of writing the programmer in 1960 were known as High Level languages.
The different high level languages which can be used by the common user are FORTRAN, COBOL, BASIC, PASCAL, PL-1 and many others. Each high level language was developed to fulfill some basic requirements for particular type of problems. But further developments are made in each language to widen its utility for different purposes.
FOURTH GENERATION LANGUAGES (4GLs)
The 3GLs are procedural in nature i.e., HOW of the problem get coded i.e., the procedures require the knowledge of how the problem will be solved . Contrary to them, 4GLs are non procedural. That is only WHAT of the problem is coded i.e., only �What is required� is to be specified and rest gets done on its own.
Thus a big program of a 3GLs may get replaced by a single statement of a 4GLs. The main aim of 4GLs is to be cut down on developed and maintenance time and making it easier for users.
GUI BASED LANGUAGES
With the invention and popularity of GUI based interfaces. GUI based languages include:
- TCL/Tk
- Visual basic
- Visual C++
- C# (Pronounced as C sharp)
- Visual basic.NET
- Visual basic 2005
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