In connection with the “Computers From a Layman’s POV series” that I’ve been publishing lately, let’s now take a look at the most powerful software classification of all: Programming Languages. Computers can never function without software. To create it, a programming language must be employed.
A PL can be simply defined as the software that can be used for making other software, including other programming languages. Programming is by far, the most difficult field of study in all of computer science, and mastering it requires the most precise thinking and the greatest work ethic. Decades ago, only scientists are capable and allowed to make programs in highly secured facilities. But due to the ease that today’s software interfaces are offering, almost anyone with the guts and willingness can make decent powerful programs at home.
Here are some of the most popular programming languages in history. Some of them are still in use, though some of them can just be fit for a digital/virtual museum, if something like it exists.
Ada
Most people don’t know it, but the first programmer recorded in history is a woman- Augusta Ada Lovelace. To give honor to her name, a programming language was built and named after her. It is a massive language developed in the 1970s for the US Department of Defense.
Ada improves code safety and maintainability by finding real errors that are detrimental to program execution. Unfortunately, it never attained popularity outside the walls of the military establishment, though it could have been one of the most powerful software had it gathered more usage among programmers.
Visual Studio
With BASIC which brought programming to the common man, Microsoft created Visual Studio – the easiest programming tool to learn yet. More fit to be called as a “development environment” rather than a programming language, It is used to develop computer programs for Windows environments, as well as internet applications and web services.
With the ease and comfort it’s giving, some programmers said that a time will soon come that programmers won’t be needed anymore because making programs in Visual Studio can already be achieved with very little or almost no coding at all. Within VStudio, you can find Visual Basic -- one of the "easiest to learn PLs in existence."
Like Windows, it is also a product of Microsoft, and one of the easiest to learn PLs in existence. It has the nickname “Rapid Application Development”, which suggests that any programmer who wishes to make Windows-based applications in the fastest way possible should choose Visual Basic.
Because the program interface can just be easily drawn within the VB environment, modern programming has never been easier. Although it was initially designed for beginners, its newer versions can be used for creating powerful applications as well.
PROLOG
Like LISP, it was designed for artificial intelligence programming. Just as its name suggests, PROLOG was built for logical relationships among facts – the most crucial task of all AI systems. Unlike most programming languages of its time which are based on performing sequences of commands, Prolog is based on defining and then solving logical patterns. Today, robots are not only what’s cool to have because expert systems are also a must. They make human tasks less tedious and not to mention, safer. Automated systems are here, and PROLOG was instrumental to their existence.
C
During the 1970s, there was a popular operating system called UNIX, and the demand to program such a system was quite high then. Thus came C, which was developed at Bell Labs. It’s a difficult software to learn, but its power flexibility and efficiency have made it the language of choice for most professionals. Over the decades, more powerful variants have emerged, but a majority of experts claim that C should be declared as the most influential programming language in history.
Not contented with the power of C, the developers concocted an even more powerful version -- C++ It is highly regarded as the most powerful and most influential programming language of all time. Many of the most popular applications and OSs that we know of are made using C++. Created by Bjarne Stroustrup, C++ was the PL of choice by many professional programmers of its time. Its flexibility in handling many complex computing problems has made has solidified its reputation as a general-purpose programming tool.
Like any other man-made system, no PL is ever perfect. To address the shortcomings of C++, other variants sprouted from it: C# and D.
Java
Computer science is the fastest-growing field of all known sciences and because of its growth rate, a programming tool that can cater to a multitude of speedy technological breakthroughs needs to be present. Accepting this, software developers at Sun Microsystems created Java – a next-generation language created in the tradition of C but with more flexibility in handling network computers and handheld digital devices. Java is currently one of the most popular programming languages being used these days. Web statistics claims it has about 10 million users.
By far, it is the most promising among all the modern PLs. Evidently, it is now replacing C++ as the language of choice by many professional programmers. Java is used in constructing many of the most trending applications as well as the prominent games in today’s cellphones and tablets.
Like VB, the latest Java versions are also integrating comprehensive GUI-style programming methods. In the next few years, some experts predict that Java might just end up as the best PL of all time.
Pascal
More like a student’s programming language like BASIC, it was proven to be so much better than the latter. With popularity during the mid-late '80s and early ’90s, enthusiasts who are just acquainted with programming became somehow convinced that the seemingly difficult field of programming can also be learned by those who are not so gifted with codes.
Many students who were into programming 20 years ago pursued professional programming careers with Pascal as their main programming tool. Surprisingly, many business firms bought their programs even though the tool behind it wasn’t really meant for professionals.
Now, about a monumental question, what’s the best programming language to use today? As of this writing, many experts unanimously claim that the answer to this should be…. Python.
The reason behind it is because of this PL’s versatility and power when we speak of web development, mobile app programming, and almost any other aspect you can think of where coding can be applied.
But the bottom line is this. Almost any popular programming language can be used with whatever kind of program you may think of making. It’s just a matter of how good you are in analysis and in unleashing the power of coding with your brainpower and your hands.
Here is an article I wrote about programming months ago: It should help you have a better understanding of the subject.
I will educate you some more about simple understanding of computer technology in the next days. Thanks for reading.
