Computer Languages for Odisha PSC

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Computer language or programming language is a coded syntax used by computer programmers to communicate with a computer.

Computer language establishes a flow of communication between software programs.

Two Basic Types of Computer Language

Low-Level Languages: A language that corresponds directly to a specific machine.

High-Level Languages: Any language that is independent of the machine.

There are also other types of languages, which include

System languages: These are designed for low-level tasks, like memory and process management.

Scripting languages: These tend to be high-level and very powerful.

Domain-specific languages: These are only used in very specific contexts.

Visual languages: Languages that are not text-based.

Esoteric languages: Languages that are jokes or are not intended for serious use.

Low-Level Languages

• Low-level computer languages either are machine codes or are very close them.

• A computer cannot understand instructions given to it in high-level languages or in English.

• It can only understand and execute instructions given in the form of machine language I.e. binary.

There are two types of low-level languages:

Machine Language: a language that is directly interpreted into the hardware.

Assembly Language: a slightly more user-friendly language that directly corresponds to machine language.

Machine Language

• Machine language is the lowest and most elementary level of programming language and was the first type of programming language to be developed.

• In fact, a manufacturer designs a computer to obey just one language, its machine code, which is represented inside the computer by a string of binary digits (bits) 0 and 1.

• The symbol 0 stands for the absence of an electric pulse and the 1 stands for the presence of an electric pulse.

Machine Language Advantages & Dis-advantages

Assembly Language

• Assembly language was developed to overcome some of the many inconveniences of machine language.

• This is another low-level but very important language in which operation codes and operands are given in the form of alphanumeric symbols instead of 0’s and l’s.

• These alphanumeric symbols are known as mnemonic codes and can combine in a maximum of five-letter combinations e.g. ADD for addition, SUB for subtraction, START, LABEL etc. Because of this feature, assembly language is also known as ‘Symbolic Programming Language.’

Assembly Language Advantages & Dis-advantages

High-Level Languages

• A high-level language is a programming language with strong abstraction from the details of the computer.

• The purpose of developing high-level languages was to enable people to write programs easily, in their own native language environment (English).

• High-level languages are symbolic languages that use English words and/or mathematical symbols rather than mnemonic codes.

• Each instruction in the high-level language is translated into many machine language instructions that the computer can understand.

High-Level Languages Advantages & Dis-advantages

• They are easier to learn and maintain.

• A program written in a high-level language can be translated into many machine languages and can run on any computer for which there exists an appropriate translator.

• The language is independent of the machine on which it is used i.e. programs developed in a high-level language can be run on any computer text.

Types of High-Level Languages

Many languages have been developed for achieving a variety of different tasks. Some are fairly specialized, and others are quite general.

These languages, categorized according to their use, are:

1) Algebraic Formula-Type Processing

These languages are oriented towards the computational procedures for solving mathematical and statistical problems.

Examples include:

• BASIC (Beginners All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code)

• FORTRAN (Formula Translation)

• PL/I (Programming Language, Version 1)

• ALGOL (Algorithmic Language)

• APL (A Programming Language)

2. Business Data Processing

These languages are best able to maintain data processing procedures and problems involved in handling files. Some examples include:

• COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language)

• RPG (Report Program Generator)

3. String and List Processing

These are used for string manipulation, including search patterns and inserting and deleting characters. Examples are:

• LISP (List Processing)

• Prolog (Program in Logic)

4. Object-Oriented Programming Language

In COP, the computer program is divided into objects. Examples are:

• C++

• Java

5. Visual Programming Language

These programming languages are designed for building Windows-based applications. Examples are:

• Visual Basic

• Visual Java

• Visual C