What Is A Programming Language- Definition, Types & More!

15 mins read

Thinking about getting a headstart on a career in programming, but don't know where to begin? Wondering what is a programming language and how to choose a language to learn? If yes, then you have landed at the right place.

With the programming world becoming more lucrative individuals are looking to build job-ready skills. Everything in this world begins with programming languages, so here we will discuss- what is a programming language, the different types/ classifications of programming languages, and some popular choice languages.

What is a Programming Language?

In general, the word language refers to the mode of communication used amongst a group of individuals or entities to exchange ideas, give commands, etc. Similarly in the world of programming, the language that software programmers, software engineers, coders, developers, etc. use to communicate with a computer or software is referred to as a programming language.

Definition of programming language: It is a tool programmers use to communicate with and control the behavior of a machine, more often a computer.

There are thousands of programming languages in use today with many new and upcoming features. So let's move on to discussing the various types of programming languages and discuss some prominent features.

Features of a Programming Languages

Now, let us look at the features of programming languages.

• Syntax: The specific guidelines and arrangement that computer languages employ to produce code.
• Data Types: the several types of values that may be kept in a program, including strings, integers, etc.
• Variables: Named memory locations that can store values.
• Control Structures: loops and conditional statements are examples of statements that regulate how a program executes.
• Functions/Methods: Blocks of code that can be called from other parts of a program to perform specific tasks.
• Abstraction: The ability to hide complex details and provide a simplified interface for users.
• Memory Management: The process of allocating and deallocating memory for variables and data structures.
• Parsing: The process of analyzing code to determine its structure and meaning.
• Markup and Control Language: The ability to add comments and other annotations to code to make it more readable and maintainable.

Types of Programming Language

There are over 700 types of programming languages, used for various purposes and functions. There are also many ways to classify the types of programming languages. We will start with the most commonly used classification:

1. Low-level languages

Low-level programming languages are languages that provide little to no abstraction between the language itself and the processor's instructions. In other words, these low-level languages closely resemble the machine code and are hence referred to as 'close to hardware'. The advantage here is that the processors can run low-level programs directly, without the need for an interpreter or compiler. This is why programs written in low-level programming languages are extremely fast to run.

Examples of low-level programming languages are- Binary code, Machine language, and Assembly language.

2. Middle-level language (MLL)

As the name suggests, a mid-level language refers to all the languages that lie between high and low-level programming languages. An MLL acts as a bridge between raw hardware and programs by interacting with the abstraction layer. This is why they are often referred to as pseudo or intermediate-level programming languages.

Examples of mid-level languages are- C, Java, and C++.

3. High-level languages (HLL)

The high-level programming languages allow for the greatest amount of abstraction between machine code and the language itself. So much so, that they appear close to human languages rather than machine languages. For computers to then understand and execute the commands we use compilers that first convert the HLL into computer languages. The primary benefit of high-level programming languages is that it's simple to learn and write in, as well as maintain.

Examples of high-level programming languages are Python, Java, JavaScript, Pascal, PHP, Swift, etc.

Other Types of Programming Language

There are many other ways to define categories of programming languages:

1. Procedural languages

Procedural Programming languages are the ones that follow a step-wise/sequential format of writing commands and executing them. A sequence of commands is referred to as a procedure and these languages are also referred to as procedural-oriented languages (POP). A primary advantage of POP language is its simplicity of use. Some examples of these POP languages are- Java, Pascal, BASIC, etc.

2. Functional programming languages

This refers to those languages wherein a program is written based on mathematical functions and they are useful in performing computation. There are two types of these languages- pure functional languages and impure functional languages. Examples- Scala, Haskell, F#, etc.

3. Object-oriented programming languages

The languages that consider a program as a set of objects are referred to as object-oriented languages. In other words, in such languages, programs contain objects, which further contain data or code. Some common object-oriented programming (OOP) languages are Python, Ruby, C++, etc.

4. Scripting languages

A scripting language is where the commands/ instructions are written for and interpreted in the runtime environment. There is no need to compile these languages since they are interpreted. Some common scripting languages are Python, Perl, PHP, Bash, etc.

5. Logic languages

In such languages, programs are written as a set of logical relations instead of rigid/ technical commands or instructions. Examples of logic languages are Prolong, Alma-0, Absys, etc.

6. Front-end languages

Front-end programming languages as the name suggests, pertain to the user side or front-end web development side. In other words, they are used to create what the users see in their browsers, i.e. images, text, colors, etc. A front-end developer uses these languages to create a seamless user experience for the visitors/ users. Some examples of front-end development languages are- CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), JavaScript, React, etc.

7. Back-end languages

Back-end programming languages are used in the back-end development end of a website, app, program, etc. These languages are used to address the server-side requests that ultimately produce what the user sees on the front end. Some common languages used by back-end developers are PHP, JavaScript, PHP, Python, etc.

8. Compiled languages

As we've mentioned before, for some languages we use a compiler to convert programming language code into machine language which the processor then implements/ executes. These are referred to as compiled programming languages. Some common programming languages in this category are- C, C++, Rust, etc.

9. Interpreted languages

These are those languages that skip the compiler step and instead are interpreted at the time of execution/ at runtime, by an interpreter (think back to the explanation of scripting languages). Some friendly languages in this category are Python, JavaScript, PHP, etc.

Now that we know about the basics of what is a programming language, as well as various categorizations for the same, let's have a look at some of the most popular programming languages and their advantages.

Most Commonly Used Programming Languages

With dozens of programming languages available out there, a lot of you might be confused as to which programming language to learn first. Well, to help you navigate this world of confusion, here is a list of the most popular languages that you must know:

We will study the five most common programming languages in detail:

1. C

C is a well-known easy, flexible, and simple general-purpose programming language for computers. Dennis M. Ritchie developed it in 1972 for AT&T. The language is a mix of both low-level programming language, as also a high-level programming language. It is utilized to design applications such as Text editors, compilers, network devices, and many more.

Advantages of C

• C language is simple to master.
• It's quick and efficient, it is mobile, easy to expand, and is a powerful and flexible, beginner-friendly language.
• It's used to do complicated calculations and operations, like MATLAB.
• It uses dynamic memory allocation that allocates memory in real time.

Code Example:

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
int num1, num2, sum;
printf("Enter two integers: ");
scanf("%d %d", &num1, &num2);
sum = num1 + num2;
printf("Sum of %d and %d is %d", num1, num2, sum);
return 0;
}

OUTPUT:

Enter two integers: 2
3
Sum of 2 and 3 is 5

Explanation:

This C program sums the two integers that the user has entered.
Three integer variables, num1, num2, and sum, are initially declared.
Then, it uses the printf() and scanf() functions to ask the user for two integer inputs before scanning them.
The two integers are kept in the corresponding fields num1 and num2.
The two integers are then added together, and the result is saved in the total variable.
The sum of the two numbers is then shown using the printf() function. A return statement marks the program's end.

2. JavaScript

JavaScript is a type of scripting language that can be used on both the client-side and server side. It was developed by the 1990s to be used the 1990s for the Netscape Navigator web browser. It allows programmers to incorporate complex features that make websites live. It assists programmers in creating dynamic websites as well as mobile applications, servers and games, animated graphics, and more. It is considered the most suitable language for mobile application development.

Advantages of JavaScript

• JavaScript allows us to add interaction and behavior to websites.
• It is a method to reduce the time it takes to load on the server.
• It helps in building attractive and dynamic/ interactive websites with rich interfaces.
• JavaScript is a basic, flexible, and light programming language.
• JavaScript along with its syntax is simple to comprehend.
• A wide variety of applications can be created by JS.

Code

// Prompt the user for their name
var userName = prompt("Please enter your name:");

// Check if the user entered a name
if (userName !== null && userName !== "") {
// Display a greeting with the user's name
alert("Hello, " + userName + "! Welcome to our website.");
} else {
// Display a generic greeting if no name is provided
alert("Hello, guest! Welcome to our website.");
}

OUTPUT:

Please enter your name: Priya
Hello, Priya! Welcome to our website.

Explanation:

The code starts by using the prompt() function to display a dialog box that prompts the user to enter their name. The entered name is stored in the variable userName.

The code then checks if the userName variable is not null and not an empty string using the !== operator.

If the userName variable is not null and not an empty string, the code displays a greeting message using the alert() function that includes the user's name.

If the userName variable is null or an empty string, the code displays a generic greeting message using the alert() function.

3. Python

Python is one of the most commonly used languages and is a user-friendly and easy-to-use general-purpose language. It is an open-source and simple-to-master programming language that was created in the early 1990s. It is a functional programming language most commonly employed to develop machine learning, artificial intelligence, game development, Big Data, GUI-based desktop applications, as well as Robotics. The only drawback is it is not suitable for mobile application development.

Advantages of Python

• Python has an extremely simple syntax and is simple to read, comprehend, and write.
• It is compatible with other languages of programming such as C, C++, and Java.
• Python executes code line-by-line making it easy for the programmer to the mistake that was made in the code.
• Python is a platform-independent language, meaning you can write your code once and execute it everywhere.

Code

print("Hello, world!")

OUTPUT:

Hello, world!

Explanation:

The string "Hello, world!" is shown on the console using the built-in print() function in this code.

Strings are encapsulated in single, double, or triple quotations in Python. We can display texts, integers, equations, and more with the print() method.

4. PHP

PHP is a shorthand for Hypertext Preprocessor. It is an open-source, powerful server-side scripting language that is primarily used to build static and dynamic websites. It was developed in 1994 by Rasmus Laird in the year 1994, is still a popular go-to language for many out there. Within the PHP software, we are able to code HTML, CSS as well as JavaScript codes. To save PHP files, the extension file .php is utilized.

Advantages of PHP

• PHP is an easy-to-use and secure programming language.
• It is able to support the most powerful online libraries.
• It is compatible with different operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and Mac.
• It has high compatibility with cloud services like cloud computing, cloud hosting, etc.

Code

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>My First PHP Page</title>
</head>
<body>
<?php
echo "Hello, world!";
?>
</body>
</html>

OUTPUT:

<!DOCTYPE html>

<html>

<head>

<title>My First PHP Page</title>

</head>

<body>

Hello, world!</body>

</html>

Explanation:

This is the document type declaration (DOCTYPE), which specifies that the document is an HTML5 document.

The opening <html> tag signifies the beginning of the HTML document.

The <head> section contains metadata about the document, such as the title.

<title>My First PHP Page</title> line sets the title of the web page. The text "My First PHP Page" will appear in the browser's title bar or tab.

The <body> section contains the content of the web page that is visible to users.

<?php ... ?> PHP tags delimit a PHP script embedded within the HTML document. PHP code enclosed within these tags will be executed on the server before the page is sent to the browser.

echo "Hello, world!";: This is a PHP statement. The echo function is used to output the text "Hello, world!" to the web page.

5. Ruby

Ruby is an open-source, general-purpose completely object-oriented, pure programming language that was released by the company in 1993. It is employed for front-end and back-end web development. It was developed to create CGI (Common Gateway Interface) scripts.

Advantages of Ruby

• Ruby has support for a variety of GUI (Graphical User Interface) tools, such as GTK as well as OpenGL.
• It's used to build both web-based and intranet applications.
• Ruby code is written Ruby is very small and contains smaller lines.

Code

puts "Hello, world!"

OUTPUT:

Hello, world!

Explanation:

The code is a Ruby program that displays "Hello, world!" on the console.

The puts statement is used to print the string "Hello, world!" on the console.

How to Decide Which Programming Language to Learn?

It might be difficult to choose which programming language to learn, especially for newcomers. Here are some tips and factors to consider when deciding which programming language to learn:

1. Current skill level: If you are new to programming, it's best to select a language that is beginner-friendly.
2. End goals: You may want to learn a programming language to accomplish a specific task, for example, creating a video game.
3. Project idea: If a project idea sparked your interest, pick a language that helps you best complete it.
4. Job market: Consider the job market and demand for specific programming languages in your area. This will provide you with information on in-demand skills that can help you land a job. 
5. Personal interest: Consider your personal interests and passions when choosing a programming language.
6. Difficulty level: Some languages have a steeper learning curve than others, so consider your learning style and preferences.
7. Popularity: Popular languages like Python, JavaScript, and Ruby have a large community of developers and resources available. This can make it easier to learn a new language since you have a support group.  
8. Compatibility: Consider the compatibility of the language with other technologies and platforms.

Conclusion

We hope this clarifies any questions regarding 'what is a programming language?' and what is the purpose of different types of language. The prospects of careers in the coding and programming industry are extremely bright. There are many interesting profiles like full-stack developers, database developers, entry-level developers, advanced developers, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What does a logic programming language show?

A logic programming language shows the following features:
Declarative approach: Logic programming languages use a declarative approach to programming, which means that the programmer specifies what the program should do, rather than how it should do it.
Facts and rules: Programs in logic programming languages consist of facts and rules. Facts are statements about the problem domain, while rules are inferences about the facts.
Logical clauses: Rules are written as logical clauses with a head and a body. The head specifies the conclusion, while the body specifies the conditions under which the conclusion is true.

Q. Define backend development.

Web development that focuses on the server side of web applications is known as back-end development. It includes creating and maintaining the databases, APIs, server-side logic, and other elements that go into a website or application's backend. The backend of a program, including data storage, security, and server-side operations, is the responsibility of backend developers. Programmers use languages like Python, Ruby, Java, and PHP to produce clear, manageable code that permits communication between the front-end and back-end of the application.

Q. What is the software development lifecycle?

High-quality software is designed, developed, tested, and maintained using a process known as the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). Every stage of the software development process has distinct deliverables, and the SDLC offers a methodical management structure.

Q. What are version control systems?

Software technology known as a version control system (VCS) aids in managing source code changes made over time by software development teams. It is a part of software configuration management and goes by the names of source control, revision control, and source code management.

Q. Mention some advantages of assembly language.

Some advantages of assembly language are:

1. Speed and control: Assembly language is quicker and more effective than other programming languages because it offers direct access to the computer's hardware.
2. Low-level access: Assembly language grants access to a computer's internal workings, enabling the optimization and fine-tuning of certain activities.
3. Smaller code size: Code written in assembly language is shorter and easier to manage and maintain than code written in higher-level programming languages.
4. Greater security: Assembly language can be used to create more secure software, as it allows for fine-grained control over memory and other system resources.

Q. What is a binary language?

Only two symbols, usually the numbers 0 and 1, are used in binary languages to represent data. It serves as the foundation for all binary code utilized in computing systems. Computers interpret user input and operational instructions using binary language, which they then employ to offer the user accurate results. Each decimal number is represented in binary by a group of four binary digits or bits.

Q. Show a basic program in C language.

Code

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
printf("Hello, World!\n");
return 0;
}

OUTPUT:

Hello, World!

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