

Regardless of what language you use, you eventually need to convert your program into machine language so that the computer can understand it. 4GLs are far removed from machine languages and represent the class of computer languages closest to human languages. Lying above high-level languages are languages called fourth-generation languages (usually abbreviated 4GL). Machine languages consist of numbers only. Assembly languages are similar to machine languages, but they are much easier to program in because they allow a programmer to substitute names for numbers. Lying between machine languages and high-level languages are languages called assembly languages. Each different type of CPU has its own unique machine language. High-level programming languages, while simple compared to human languages, are more complex than the languages the computer actually understands, called machine languages. To learn more about programming, check out these courses. The term programming language usually refers to high-level languages, such as BASIC, C, C++, COBOL, Java, FORTRAN, Ada, and Pascal.Įach programming language has a unique set of keywords (words that it understands) and a special syntax for organizing program instructions. A programming language is a vocabulary and set of grammatical rules for instructing a computer or computing device to perform specific tasks.
