Programming Languages

Programming Languages are the coding systems that are used to control the microprocessor in a computer. A basic distinction in language types splits computer languages into HIGH and LOW level languages. The low level languages are assembler and machine code languages which directly control the microprocessor in its binary code,whereas high level languages are those which are more legible to human beings. Another distinction which can be made is between INTERPRETED and COMPILED languages. The former are decoded as the computer runs the program and the latter are decoded before the computer runs the program. Programs in Windows may be shown as .EXE or .COM or .BAT which are various levels of coding programs.

Low Level Languages
These sorts of languages are specialist programming languages for those people who understand the language that the processor inside the computer uses and understands.These days there are many hybrid forms of language and the boundary between a low and high level language is becoming indistinct,but the conceptual difference is that a low level language is geared towards the processors benefit and rendering speed from a limited amount of decoding required by the processor.

Assembler Language - An assembler language is that which uses some sort of coded representation to indicate the actual instruction set used by the processor.
Example of Assembler Language

High Level Languages
These sorts of languages are geared towards the human operator and as such tend to read rather like English words when typed on the screen.Depending on whether they are interpreted or compiled they can be quite slow in their operation. Compiled programs tend to be faster,as the whole point of them is to produce an output file that reads to the processor in terms of it's actual instruction set,in this way,it is similar to an assembler program.

Interpreted Languages
Interpreted Languages are those which are decoded as the program runs - which means if there is a fault in the program,the computer will not know about it until it meets the fault. BASIC (Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Insruction Code) is a good example of this,although these days BASIC tends to be compiled - especially if it is the modern Visual Basic.

BASIC - A simple language which was used by 8-bit computers during the days of Personal Computers to allow programming at home to be done relatively easily.
Example of BASIC.

Compiled Languages
Compiled Languages are those which need an source program - that is - one which is the target of the compilation process.The computer then reads this code and change it into an object program,which is the program that is finally run. The benefit of this process is that failures in the program are found before the program is actually used by the computer.

VISUAL BASIC - A more up to date version of basic which uses a graphical interface to program the computer. Programming is done partially by writing code and partially by adding preset controls to frames from a toolbox.
Example of VISUAL BASIC.

Hybrid Languages
Hybrid languages combine elements of existing languages in order to make the best use of techniques from several lines of development.

AI Languages
AI languages may use heuristic techniques and run on neural networks which model the brain.These types of programs learn about their environment and develop intelligent decsion-making strategies on their own without human intervention.

Control Languages

Web Publishing Languages
There are now several types of languages being used within the framework of web-publishing - these include JAVAscript,VBscript and HTML. The latter notably is the one which creates webpages and is the one used to display the pages you are seeing now.The others maybe used to implement small programs within the webpage itself. The form of such languages is very similar to the high level programming languages.

MACRO languages
These are languages used to carry out automated functions within programs,and maybe cut-down versions of existing languages such as Visual Basic. Use of these may allow extra functions to be added to existing programs by the user of the program.

Points to remember about Programming Languages:

There are two "levels" of language - low and high.
Languages can be "interpreted" or "compiled".
Low level languages suit the computer,high level ones suit human programmers.
Ultimately all languages are some form of binary code.