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Programming languages are classified into generations based on their distance from machine code and ease of use. First generation is machine code, second is assembly language, and third is standard languages like C and Java. Fourth and fifth generations have different definitions and are mostly academic. Higher generation numbers are used for marketing purposes.
Programming language generations are a way of classifying computer programming languages according to their overall distance from the actual machine code being generated and, in some way, their ease of use by a programmer. There are three generally accepted generations of programming languages, and some whose definitions are not clearly agreed upon. A first generation computer programming language is simple machine code with no abstractions. Second generation languages are abstract machine codes, such as assembly language, that are tied to a specific system architecture but are human readable and must be compiled. Third generation languages are the most common form, including standard languages such as C and Java®, while fourth generation or later languages have different definitions.
When generations of programming languages were created to describe languages, the term was mostly used to refer to third generation languages. This means that first and second generation languages have been classified as such only to highlight the capabilities of third generation languages. Fourth and fifth generation programming languages have been widely used as terms in relation to marketing for languages under development. In marketing and some academic areas, language generations with higher numbers are used non-standardly to indicate that one language is newer or has more features than another.
The first of the generations of programming language means machine code. This means writing a program as a sequence of bytes or, in extreme cases, bits that can be executed directly by a computer. In most cases, this refers to a system that accepts input through coded switches or other physical mechanisms.
Second generation programming languages are considered assembly-style languages. These are languages written with human-readable code and commands that are still tied to specific system architectures but feature a simpler development environment and some abstractions. Assembly languages have been in constant use since 2011, and not only are they extremely powerful, but they can also be used as inline instructions in higher-level programming languages, making false the idea that generating a language matches its speed or power.
Third generation programming languages have decoupled the code from the processor to an even greater extent, allowing for the development of code that uses more readable instructions. In addition, compilers have been developed that can transform a single line of code into multiple assembly instructions across multiple platforms, and eventually into dozens or more machine code instructions. Almost all computer languages capable of compiling native binary executables and libraries are considered third generation languages.
In general, a fourth generation language is seen as a language intended to use a type of programming language that is very natural to the user. It can also be defined as a language that uses visual elements to build the final program. A third definition is a programming language created for a specific purpose, such as a database programming language or rapid application development (RAD) language.
A generic definition of a fifth generation computer language is one that allows a programmer to present a problem to the computer which it then attempts to solve. Most of the languages listed as fifth generation languages are mostly academic in nature. Other generations of programming languages, such as the sixth and seventh generations, have been used by commercial language developers for marketing purposes.
