THE EVOLUTION OF PROGRAMMING
LANGUAGE
Programming Language- It is considered as the set of commands and
instructions that we give to the machines to perform a particular task.
Two Types of Programming Languages
Low-Level Languages;
Machine Code: The most basic level, represented in binary code (0s and 1s).
Assembly Language: A slightly more readable form of machine code, using
mnemonics to represent instructions.
High-Level Languages;
Imperative Languages: Focus on describing how a program should operate
by changing its state (e.g., C, Java).
Declarative Languages: Focus on describing what the program should
accomplish without specifying how to achieve it (e.g., SQL, Prolog).
Object-Oriented Languages: Organize code around "objects" that
encapsulate data and behavior (e.g., Java, C++, Python).
Functional Languages: Treat computation as the evaluation of
mathematical functions and avoid changing state (e.g., Haskell, Lisp).
Scripting Languages: Often used for automating tasks or controlling other
software applications (e.g., Python, JavaScript, Ruby).
6 Aspects of Programming Language
Syntax: The set of rules that dictate how code should be written.
Semantics: The meaning of the code.
Data Types: The types of data that can be used in a program (e.g., integers,
floating-point numbers, strings, booleans).
Control Structures: Constructs that control the flow of execution in a
program (e.g., loops, conditional statements).
Abstraction: The ability to hide complex implementation details and provide
a simplified interface.
Paradigm: A style or "way" of programming.
The Importance of Programming Language;
-enabling communications between humans and machine.
-allowing us to create software.
-automate tasks.
-solve complex problems.
-essential for innovation, career opportunities, and improving problem-solving skills.
THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES
1940’s – 1950’S
Machine Code- The earliest form of programming. Developed by Konrad Zuse
between 1942 and 1945.
Assembly Language- Developed in 1949 by Kathleen Booth. Like machine code
but it uses mnemonic codes for instructions, making it slightly more human-
readable.
Autocode- Considered the first compiled computer programming language.
Developed in 1952 by Alick Glennie.
FORTRAN- The first widely adopted high-level programming language,
revolutionizing scientific and engineering computations by introducing a more
human-friendly syntax. Developed in 1957 by John Backus.
1960’s – 1970’s
COBOL- Developed in 1960 by Grace Murray Hopper. COBOL (Common Business
Oriented Language) is programming language specifically designed for business
data processing needs.
BASIC- Developed in 1964 by Thomas E. Kurtz and John G. Kemeny. BASIC
(Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code) is created to make programming
accessible to a broader audience, particularly in education.
ALGOL- Developed in 1958 by GAMM and ACM. Influenced the development of
many subsequent languages, particularly in its structured programming concepts.
C- A powerful and efficient language that became foundational for operating
systems like Unix and later influenced many other languages. Developed in early
1970's by Dennis M. Ritchie.
1980’s
Smaltalk- Developed by Alan Kay in 1980. One of the first languages to fully
embody object-oriented programming (OOP) principles, promoting modularity and
reusability.
C++- Extended C with object-oriented features, becoming widely used for system
programming and application development. Developed in 1983 by Bjarne
Straostrup.
Python- Gained popularity for its readability, simplicity, and versatility across
various domains, including web development, data science, and AI. Developed in
1991 by Guido van Rossum.
JAVA- Designed with the "write once, run anywhere" philosophy, becoming
dominant in enterprise applications and web development. Developed in 1995 by
James Gosling.
JAVASCRIPT- Became essential for interactive web experiences, running directly in
web browsers. Developed in 1995 by Brendan Eich.
2000’s
C#- Microsoft's answer to Java, combining elements of C++ and Java. Developed in
2000 by Microsoft.
GO- Developed by Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken Thompsone at
Google for building scalable and efficient software systems Developed in 2009.
SWIFT- Apple's language for iOS and macOS development, emphasizing safety and
performance. Developed in 2014 by Chris Lattner.
RUST- Focuses on memory safety and concurrency, gaining traction for systems
programming. Developed in 2010 by Graydon Hoare.
PHP- PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor), originally “Personal Home Page,” is an open-
source server-side scripting language for creating dynamic and interactive web
pages. Developed in 1994 by Rasmus Lerdorf.
RUBY- Developed by Yukihiro Matsumoto in mid-1990’s. It is a dynamic, open-
source, object-oriented programming language emphasizing simplicity and
productivity.
Conclusion
This continuous evolution reflects the ever-changing demands of technology and
the ongoing pursuit of more effective ways to interact with and instruct computers.
REFERENCES:
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Booth, K. (1949). Assembly Language and Programming Concepts.
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Ritchie, D. M. (1973). The C Programming Language. Bell Labs.
Kurtz, T. E., & Kemeny, J. G. (1964). BASIC Programming Language. Dartmouth
College.
Kay, A. (1980). Smalltalk and Object-Oriented Programming. Xerox PARC.
Stroustrup, B. (1983). The C++ Programming Language. Addison-Wesley.
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Hoare, G. (2010). The Rust Programming Language. Mozilla Research.
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