The Evolution of Programming

Languages
The total number of programming languages anywhere  between 250
and 9000.
What is a Programming Language?
You can think of a programming language as a computer language
used by programmers – or software developers – in order to
communicate with computers and other digital devices. It is
essentially a series of instructions, or algorithms, written within a
specific language environment like Python or  C, with a primary goal
of performing a wide range of specific tasks.   

Types of Programming Languages

Generally, all computer programming languages, whether brand new
or old, can be divided into two main categories:

Low Level Languages

Low level languages are used for writing computer instructions in
binary code – that is machine code made up of the numbers 0 and 1.
Examples of low level languages include machine language and
assembly language. Machine language is the first generation of
computer programming – using instructions in binary form that can be
directly interpreted by a CPU without a need for translation. Assembly
language is the second generation of low level computer
programming. This type of language allows programmers to write
computer instructions through the use of symbolic code instead of
binary code made up of just  0s and 1s. 
High Level Languages
High level languages are programming languages that enable software
developers to write computer instructions by using commands that
are written in human languages like English. Every high level
language has its own set of rules and grammar for writing instructions
to program any digital device. These unique sets of rules are generally
referred to as the ‘syntax’ of a particular programming language. In
contrast to low level languages, before running a program written in a
high level language, the coding instructions must first be translated
into machine code. Every high level programming language uses its
own built-in translation program. 

The Evolution of Computer Programming

Languages
In our digital age where almost anything is instantly possible with a
few clicks, it’s easy to forget how far we have traveled on a journey of
incredible technological advancement. Let’s have a look at some key
evolutionary milestones of computer programming languages:   

1843 – Ada Lovelace programs for Charles Babbage’s

analytical engine
Considered by some to be the ‘father of the computer’, in 1837,
Charles Babbage proposed the analytical engine, a mechanical
general-purpose computer. By 1843, Ada Lovelace, the world’s first
computer programmer, was the first to recognise that the analytical
engine could do much more than just calculations, and she published
the first algorithm that was intended to run on it. 

1949 – Assembly becomes first widely-used programming

language type
As mentioned above, this type of low level programming language is
significant because it was the first to enable programmers to write
code by using symbols instead of binary code. Even today, the same
type of computer programming is used in real-time software like
simulation flight navigation systems and medical monitoring
equipment, or for creating computer viruses. 

1952 – Autocode becomes first compiled computer

programming language
First developed by Alick Glennie for the Mark 1 computer, Autocode
is a term used for a family of ‘simplified coding systems’ – later
renamed to programming languages – which eventually came to
include examples like Cobol and Fortran. Even if Fortran is not widely
used in industry today, it is still used by NASA and it is still popular
with science and engineering applications.

𝔻𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕟𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕒 𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕟𝕖𝕣 𝕔𝕒𝕡𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕠𝕗 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕕𝕦𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕙𝕚𝕘𝕙

𝕢𝕦𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕀𝕋 𝕕𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕠𝕡𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕥 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕒𝕟𝕪? 𝔸𝕥
𝔹𝕠𝕔𝕒𝕤𝕒𝕪, 𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕕𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕞𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕕𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕣𝕤
𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕔𝕦𝕥𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕖𝕕𝕘𝕖 𝕤𝕠𝕗𝕥𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕤𝕠𝕝𝕦𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕗𝕠𝕣
𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕤 𝕒𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕. 𝔾𝕖𝕥 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕠𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕠 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕕
𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕙𝕠𝕨 𝕨𝕖 𝕔𝕒𝕟 𝕙𝕖𝕝𝕡 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕪𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕟𝕖𝕩𝕥 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕛𝕖𝕔𝕥.

1957 – Fortran is designed for numeric computation and

scientific computing
Developed by John Backus and IBM, Fortran is considered the first
high level language, designed to be relatively easy to learn and widely
applicable. Most importantly, Fortran allowed programmers to
develop software 500% faster than when writing code in Assembly or
machine language. The software that ran NASA’s Voyager 1 and 2
spacecraft was written in Fortran 5.
1959 – Cobol established as Common Business-Oriented
Language
Becoming the top-choice for business applications, and owing much
of its popularity to IBM, by 1997, 80% of the world’s business was
running on Cobol. As recently as 2020, the US internal revenue
service scrambled its path to a Cobol-based IMF (individual master
file), in order to support citizens and companies as part of the
coronavirus pandemic aid and relief package.

1964 – BASIC (Beginners’ All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction

Code)
Designed by John G. Kennedy and Thomas E. Kurtz, the BASIC
programming language was intended to be as accessible as possible,
and it is not surprising that it eventually came to dominate the home
computer market that emerged in the 1970’s. By 1991, Microsoft had
developed Visual Basic by combining an updated version of BASIC
with a visual forms builder.

1972 – C begins to shape the future of the personal computer

C is the mother of almost all high level languages and it is still one of
the world’s most popular to this day. It can be used for implementing
a computer operating system, an embedded system, as well as in web
environments by using the Common Gateway Interface (CGI). C’s
offspring programming languages include C#, D, Go, Java, JavaScript,
Limbo, Python and others. 

Python
Close to 50% of software developers use the Python programming
language today. This is a high-level, readable language endorsed by
Google, Pinterest, Wikipedia, Instagram and others.
JavaScript
JavaScript is a multi-paradigm and dynamic programming language
chosen by almost 65% of today’s programmers. It is endorsed by
Microsoft, Paypal, Netflix, Uber, Facebook and others.

Java
Java, one of the most demanded and classic programming languages
used today, is embraced by companies like Spotify and Amazon for
enabling fast software development and cost-efficiency.  

PHP
Almost 22% of global professionals use the PHP language for
scripting and web development. This is an open-source language
characterized by simplicity, cost-efficiency and accessibility.  

Typescript
Simplifying Javascript by making it easier to read and debug, as of
2022, TypeScript has been one of the ten most used professional
programming languages for several years in a row.

1883: The Journey starts from here…!!

 In the early days, Charles Babbage had made the device, but he was
confused about how to give instructions to the machine, and then Ada
Lovelace wrote the instructions for the analytical engine.
 The device was made by Charles Babbage and the code was written
by Ada Lovelace for computing Bernoulli’s number.
 First time in history that the capability of computer devices was
judged.
1949: Assembly Language
 It is a type of low-level language.
 It mainly consists of instructions (kind of symbols) that only machines
could understand.
  In today’s time also assembly language is used in real-time programs
such as simulation flight navigation systems and medical equipment
eg – Fly-by-wire (FBW) systems.
 It is also used to create computer viruses.
1952: Autocode
 Developed by Alick Glennie.
 The first compiled computer programming language.
 COBOL and FORTRAN are the languages referred to as Autocode.
1957: FORTRAN
 Developers are John Backus and IBM.
 It was designed for numeric computation and scientific computing.
 Software for NASA probes voyager-1 (space probe) and voyager-2
(space probe) was originally written in FORTRAN 5.
1958: ALGOL
 ALGOL stands for ALGOrithmic Language.
 The initial phase of the most popular programming languages of C, C+
+, and JAVA.
 It was also the first language implementing the nested function and
has a simple syntax than FORTRAN.
 The first programming language to have a code block like “begin” that
indicates that your program has started and “end” means you have
ended your code.
1959: COBOL
 It stands for COmmon Business-Oriented Language.
 In 1997, 80% of the world’s business ran on Cobol.
 The US internal revenue service scrambled its path to COBOL-based
IMF (individual master file) in order to pay the tens of millions of
payments mandated by the coronavirus aid, relief, and economic
security.
1964: BASIC
 It stands for beginners All-purpose symbolic instruction code.
 In 1991 Microsoft released Visual Basic, an updated version of Basic
 The first microcomputer version of Basic was co-written by Bill Gates,
Paul Allen, and Monte Davidoff for their newly-formed company,
Microsoft.
1972: C
 It is a general-purpose, procedural programming language and the
most popular programming language till now.
 All the code that was previously written in assembly language gets
replaced by the C language like operating system, kernel, and many
other applications.
  It can be used in implementing an operating system, embedded
system, and also on the website using the Common Gateway Interface
(CGI).
 C is the mother of almost all higher-level programming languages like
C#, D, Go, Java, JavaScript, Limbo, LPC, Perl, PHP, Python, and
Unix’s C shell.
Some other programming languages that are popular among programmers are
listed below.

YEAR OF PROGRAMMING
RELEASE LANGUAGES FACTS

SQL was developed at IBM by Donald D.

Chamberlin and Raymond F. Boyce. The
earlier name was SEQUEL (Structured
1972  SQL English Query Language).

It stands for MATrix LABoratory. It is used

for matrix manipulation, implementation of
1978 MATLAB an algorithm, and creation of a user interface.

C++ is the fastest high-level programming

language.
Earlier, Apple Inc uses Objective-C to make
applications.
1983 Objective-C, C++

It is a purely functional programming

1990 Haskell language.

The language is very easy to understand.

Famous language among data scientists and
1991 Python analysts.

1995 JAVA, PHP, JavaScript JAVA is everywhere. JAVA is the platform-

independent language. 
PHP is a scripting language mainly used in
web programming for connecting databases.
JavaScript enables interactive web pages. JS
is the most popular programming language.
 YEAR OF PROGRAMMING
RELEASE LANGUAGES FACTS

JS is famous for building a web application.

It makes our page interactive.

C#(C-sharp) is mainly used for making

games. Unity engine uses C# for making
2000 C# amazing games for all platforms

GO language is developed in Google by

Robert Griesemer, Rob Pike, and Ken
2009 GO Thompson. 

Kotlin is developed by JetBrains. It is used

2011 Kotlin for making an android application.

Swift language is developed by Apple Inc. It

2014 Swift is a general-purpose programming language.