Generations of Programming Language at Dijlah University

Generations of Programming Languages

Low-Level vs High-Level Language

• A low-level programming language provides little abstraction from the computer's microprocessor
• A high-level programming language is more abstract, easier to use, and portable across platforms

First Generation (1GL)

• Machine language
• Set of instructions and data executed directly by the computer's central processing unit
• Statements written in binary code, with each statement corresponding to one machine action

Second Generation (2GL)

• Assembly language
• Human-readable notation for machine language, used to control specific computer operations
• Programmer writes instructions using symbolic instruction codes (mnemonics)
• An assembler translates assembly language into machine language

Third Generation (3GL)

• Procedural language
• Uses English-like words to write instructions
• High-level language making complex programming simpler and easier to read, write, and maintain
• Examples: PASCAL, FORTRAN, BASIC, COBOL, C, and C++
• Programs must be translated into machine language by a compiler or interpreter

Fourth Generation (4GL)

• Non-procedural language
• Enables users to access data in a database
• Often referred to as goal-oriented programming language due to specific application
• Examples: MS SQL, NOMAD, and FOCUS

Fifth Generation (5GL)

• Visual programming language
• Provides a visual or graphical interface for creating source codes
• Allows people to interact with computers without specialized knowledge
• Examples: Python
• Enables voice recognition systems to convert spoken sounds into written words

Learn about the evolution of programming languages in computer science, from low-level to high-level languages. Explore the characteristics of first-generation programming languages and their abstraction levels. Get insights into machine language and its role in early programming.