 What is a Programming Language

 Why do we need a programming language

 Why are there so many programming
languages
 Generations of programming languages.
[1GL,2GL,3GL,4GL,5GL]
 Classification.
 Special Programming Languages.
 Trending Languages.
 A programming language is a special
language programmers use to develop software
programs, scripts, or other sets of instructions for
computers to execute.
 Computer programming languages allow us to give
instructions to a computer in a language the
computer understands.
 A Programming Language is a set of rules that
provides a way of telling a computer what
operations to perform.
 The description of a programming language is
usually split into the two components
of syntax (form) and semantics (meaning).
 Syntax can be said as the grammatical rules.
 The portion of the language that a computer can
understand is called a binary. Translating
programming language into binary is known as
compiling.
 These languages allow computers to quickly and
efficiently process large and complex swaths of
information.
 We need them because COMPUTERS
CAN’T UNDERSTAND ENGLISH AND
HUMANS CAN’T EASILY WRITE
MACHINE CODE
 Just as many human-based languages exist, there
are an array of computer programming
languages that programmers can use to
communicate with a computer.
 One language cannot serve
all application areas well
 Different nations people
speak different languages ,in
the same way for different
purposes we need different
languages.
 Programming languages
have evolved over time as
different ways have been
developed to design them.
 First Generation
Languages.
 Second Generation
Languages.
 Third Generation
Languages.
 Fourth Generation Languages.
 Fifth Generation Languages.
 Machine language is the only programming language that
the computer can understand directly without
translation.
 Also known as Machine code or Object code.
 It is made up of entirely 1s and 0s.
 Low-level language.
 Machine Language machine-dependent(i.e.,it depends on
type of processor…).Programmers had to know the
internal operations of specific type of CPU.
 Very efficient code(high execution speed)
but very difficult to write
 Low-level language
 Developed in 1950s.
 Uses symbolic addressing capabilities i.e.,
symbolic operation code replace binary
operation code
 An assembler is required to translate
assembly language to machine language.
 It is also machine dependent and it had its own
limitations.
 It provides an easier and more efficient way to
program than machine language.
 High-level language and machine independent.
 Use english like statements and commands.
 A language translator is required to convert a
high-level language program into machine
language. Two types of language translators are
used with high level languages: compilers and
interpreters.
 One line of Third Generation Code can
produce many lines of object code , saving lots
of time and is easier while writing programs.
 3GL are easy to write and maintain.
 Examples:
C,C++,Java , COBOL,
BASIC(Beginners All Purpose Symbolic Instruction
Code),
FORTRAN(Formula Translation),
ALGOL(Algorithmic Language),
APL(A Programming Language)
 Advantages : Hardware Independence , time saving ,
programmer friendly
 Disavantages : Code used might not make best use of
processor specific features unlike 1GL ,2GL.
 Also known as Very High Level Language.
 They allow programmers and users to specify what the
computer is supposed to do without having to specify how
the computer is supposed to do it.
 So much easier than other generations.
 Used with Databases.
 Five basic types of language tools fall into the fourth
generation language category.
(1)Query languages
(2)Report generators
(3)Applications generators.
(4)Decision support systems and financial planning languages.
(5)Some microcomputer application software
 Languages used for artificial intelligence and
neural networks.
 Also called as Intelligent and Natural
languages.
 5GL is a programming language designed to make
the computer solve your problem.
 Natural language allows end users to access
stored data and interact with the computer using
ordinary words i.e., it resembles human speech.
 It can be said that 5GL is still in experimental
phase.
Programming languages are broadly
divided into 2 groups:
TRADITIONAL OBJECT ORIENTED
LANGUAGES LANGUAGES

 Sequence of  Objects are created

instructions. rather than sequence
of instructions.
 Some 1GL,2GL,3GL
languages come under  Some 3GL,4GL,5GL
this category come this category.
 Eg:  Eg:

COBOL,BASIC,C Simula , Smalltalk,C++,

JAVA , Python.
 Scripting languages
JavaScript ,VBScript , PHP, Perl, Python ,
Ruby , JSP.
 Command languages:
bash , sh, ch.
 Document Formatting Languages:
TeX , PostScript ,SGML.
 World Wide Web Display Languages:
HTML,XML