With the vast variety of programming languages available in the world today, each language comes with its own specialties and uses. It is important to comprehend these differences in order to become a software developer and find the ideal solution to the problem. So, let’s delve into the primary categories of programming languages
Level of Abstraction
Low-level languages: Assembly language is on the lowest level, which gives the programmer full control over the hardware but expects them to know the hardware architecture. In its simplest terms, it means providing direct commands to the nuts and bolts of the computer.
High-level languages: These languages, such as Python or Java, are far more human-readable and closer to the natural language. They enable the programmer to write programs at higher levels of abstraction instead of the machine code level. A high-level language is a programming language that is translated into machine language by a compiler or an interpreter.
Programming Paradigm
Procedural languages: C and Pascal are examples of this category. Procedural languages translate programs into procedures or functions where each function performs a particular operation. Suppose you have a recipe where each step as a form of instruction is well distinguished.
Object-oriented languages: Modern OOP languages such as C++ and Java use the concept of objects. Objects combine both data (variables) and behavior (methods) as a single entity. This leads to modularity and code reuse as it enables the programmers to develop stand-alone modules that can be used in other parts of the program.
Functional languages: In languages such as Haskell, functions form a first-order citizen. This means that it can be manipulated just like any other data, which makes it possible to write more sophisticated expressions. Just think about constructing the whole program out of building blocks that do calculations or manipulations.
Scripting languages: Languages such as JavaScript and Python used for automation and dynamic web content might be interpreted line by line. This makes them ideal for quick scripting tasks and for adding interactivity to web pages. Consider them as a sort of widget for performing certain tasks with less effort or for enhancing your website’s appeal.
Application Area
Web development: Three languages are at the very core of the web development process: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. HTML defines the layout and content of a page, CSS controls the style, and JavaScript applies interactivity and functionality.
Mobile development: The three preferred languages used to develop mobile applications are Java for Android and Kotlin and Swift for iOS. These languages are developed to complement certain characteristics as well as capabilities of various mobile operating systems.
Data science: They have remained dominant in data science because of the ample libraries used in data analysis and manipulation. These languages are useful for data manipulation and analysis, as well as for training machine learning algorithms.
Modernization and Popularity
Although some languages such as COBOL (business applications) and FORTRAN (scientific computing) have been helpful, the contemporary programming environment is home to more flexible and intuitive languages. Here are some of the current
Python: This general-purpose language is admired for its readability, numerous libraries, and versatility within web development, data science, and machine learning. Because of its simplicity and rich libraries, many people, both novices and experts, love it.
Java: Java is highly used in enterprise software development; it is platform independent; that is, the code written in Java can be run on any computer with Java Runtime Environment (JRE). This coupled with a rather rich tooling and library support, make it a safe bet for building complex applications.
JavaScript: JavaScript is employed in web development, including web pages and mobile applications using frameworks such as React Native, and even server-side using Node. js, among others. However, with the increase in the web, JavaScript has been enhanced and developed to fit new tasks.
C#: This language is developed by Microsoft for building Windows applications and games because of its compatibility with the . NET framework. C# is quite optimized yet very beginner-friendly for most of the application development tasks.
When referring to modern programming languages, Python, Java, JavaScript and C# are all modern mainstream general-purpose programming languages used in a broad range of applications.
In conclusion, any language is the best language for a particular job to be done. When you are creating a website, it will be quite different from when you are designing a mobile game. However, knowing all types of programmings and their characteristics will prepare you to decide which language will be suitable for future programming!
