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There are a number of programming languages worldwide. Some languages were developed for
specific computers, others were developed for specific uses such as scientific or business applications.
Computer languages are classified into two major categories:
Computer Languages
Low-Level Language High-Level Language
Machine Assembly Third-Generation Fourth-Generation Natural
Language (1GL) Language (2GL) Language (3GL) Language (4GL) Language (5GL)
Low-Level Language (LLL)
A low-level language is a programming language that is machine-dependent. A program written in a
machine-dependent language runs only on one particular type of computer. There are two categories
of low-level languages:
Machine Language
Machine language is the only language understood by computer. It is also known as the first
generation language (1GL). Machine language is very difficult for programmers to use because it
only consists of two digits, 0 and 1, called binary digits or bits. The bit '0' represents the OFF state and
the bit '1' represents the ON state.
Assembly Language
Assembly language is also known as second generation language (2GL). It is the language in
which program codes are written in the form of alphanumeric symbols called �Mnemonics�
instead of 0 and 1. In the assembly language, a programmer writes abbreviations such as A for
addition, C for compare, L for load, and M for multiply. Because of this feature, it is also known as
‘Symbolic Language‘.
High-Level Language (HLL)
High-level language is a programming language that enables a programmer to write programs that
are machine-independent. This type of languages are considered as high-level languages because
they are closer to human languages and away from machine languages.
The main advantages of high-level languages over low-level languages are that they are easier to
read, write and maintain. Let's discuss about some high-level languages.
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