Machine Level Language
First-generation language is the lowest Machine level computer language. Information is conveyed to the computer by the programmer as binary instructions. Binary instructions are the equivalent of the on/off signals used by computers to carry out operations. The language consists of zeros and ones. In the 1940s and 1950s, computers were programmed by scientists sitting before control panels equipped with toggle switches so that they could input instructions as strings of zeros and ones.
Advantages
- Fast and efficient
- Machine oriented
- No translation required
Disadvantages
- Not portable
- Not programmer friendly
- Difficult to understand
Assembly Language
Assembly or assembler language was the second generation of computer language. By the late 1950s, this language had become popular. Assembly language consists of letters of the alphabet. This makes programming much easier than trying to program a series of zeros and ones.
assembly language makes use of mnemonics, or memory aids, which are easier for the human programmer to recall than are numerical codes.
Advantages – use of mnemonics , Easy to understand as compared to machine level lang.
Low – High Level Language
The introduction of the compiler in 1952 spurred the development of third-generation computer languages. These languages enable a programmer to create program files using commands that are similar to spoken English. Third-level computer languages have become the major means of communication between the digital computer and its user. By 1957, the International Business Machine Corporation (IBM) had created a language called FORTRAN (FORmula TRANslater). This language was designed for scientific work involving complicated mathematical formulas. It became the first high-level programming language (or “source code”) to be used by many computer users.
Advantages
- Portable or machine independent
- Programmer-friendly
Disadvantages
- Need to be translated
Examples : C, C++, Java, FORTRAN, Visual Basic, and Delphi.
