Generations of programming

languages
Generations of Programming Languages
Generation Language / Type

1 Machine language

2 Assembly language

3 Imperative languages

4 Object oriented languages

5 Logic languages
Machine Language
 Low level language
 1s and 0s
 Complex and long-winded for programming
 High level of developer control
Assembly Language
 Low level language.
 Shortened instructions.
 Needs thousands of instructions to
perform one useful task.
 Assembler program is needed to
translate.
Imperative languages
 High level language
 Must have some form of translation.
 Usually written for a specific area of use:
COBOL – business language
BASIC – beginning programmer’s instruction
code
FORTRAN – scientists and engineers
 Structured and sequential – logical
sequence
3 control structures
Object Oriented & Event Driven
Languages
 High level language.
 Object oriented languages organise
coding around objects.
 Specific characteristics: inheritance,
polymorphism, classes etc…
 Event driven – the event triggers the
outcome (eg: a click event).
 Non-procedural
Examples: VB.NET, C++
Logic Languages

 High level language.

 Associated with Artificial Intelligence.
 Uses knowledge bases and expert systems.
 Less programmer control.

Example: Prolog
Choice of language:
 Availability of programming translator
program.
 Cost of language translator and cost in
time to create program.
 Strengths and weaknesses of the
programmer.
 Suitability of approach.
 Ease of programming in that language.
 Future viability of the language.