- Programming languages can be divided into the following three types.
[1] Machine language:
- Machine language is the only language that can be understood by the computer.
- It contains two symbols,0 and 1.
- Each command in a machine language contains a series of 0’s and 1’s.
- Programming in machine language is much more complex because we have to remember each and every binary code for the programming language commands.
- A machine language program executes much faster compare to the programs written in other languages.
- It does not require translator program to convert from programming language to machine language code.
- It is difficult to perform debugging process because we have to check entire program code to find out errors.
- It is also difficult to perform modification in the program written in machine language.
[2] Low level language:
- A low level programming language is one step above the machine language. In assembly language we use pre-defined keywords instead of binary code.
- These keywords are known as pneumonic op-code.
- Pneumonicop-codes are easier to remember compare to machine code, because they are in a string format.
- It needs an assembler program to convert pneumonic op-code to its binary code.
- An assembler performs translation of pneumonic op-code into its binary representation at compile time.
- Since program has to convert into its machine code, execution speed of an assembly program is slower than machine language program.
- Programming in assembly language is easy compare to machine language because programmer does not need to remember each andevery binary code.
- Simple pneumonic op-code such as move, add, copy are use which are easy to remember.
- Debugging process is also easy compare to machine language.
- Modification in program is also easy.
[3] High level language:
- High level programming language is one step above the low level language.
- It is much more easy compare to machine level language and low level language.
- It uses simple English like statements.
- Finding and solving error is also easy in high level language.
- Modification can be performing easily without looking to entire program.
- It needs to be converted from high level language to machine level language for the execution.
- A program such as compiler and interpreter are required to convert high level program into machine language.
- Program written in high level language has the slowest execution speed.
- Examples of high level programming languages are C, C++, Java, PHP, etc.