Today there are hundreds of programming languages, each with its own unique features. But why do we need so many code options?
What is the world of programming languages, and the reason for using so many.
The field of coding is constantly evolving to keep up with what's new in the world of applications, computers and digital devices that are advancing year after year.
We now have hundreds of programming languages, and they are growing with new languages emerging all the time.
In this content, we'll dive into why there are so many programming languages, how they're used, and what the future holds for coding.
Kotlin, Rust, and Julia. No, these are not pet dog names; It is a small example of the more than 250 programming languages available today. if,
Why do we need so many ways to communicate with machines?
Why isn't just one enough? The reason is that communicating in languages created for a specific task saves more time compared to using a generic language for all tasks.
As computer programming evolved, so did the ways programmers create programs. The same is true of specialized technical languages that have developed in many different fields.
For example, doctors need certain terminology to speak accurately about patients and medical conditions, just as engineers use specific language to talk about design and materials.
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Some of the most popular programming languages in use today
Let's take a more detailed look at the basics of coding and some of its most popular applications. The simplest language that computers understand is known as "binary".
You may have heard this term before. The binary code consists of ones and zeros, and these are the only elements this language uses.
The easier it is for computers to understand this language, the more complex and difficult it is for us.
So we find that even the best programmers don't use it, but rather write in the programming language they prefer, which is then converted into a form that the machine understands.
We can categorize different programming languages based on their “levels of abstraction”. The lower the level of abstraction, the closer the language is to the ones and zeros of binary, and therefore more complex to humans.
And the higher the level of abstraction, the more language moved away from binary elements and the easier it became for humans to use and work with.
Here's an analogy to help you understand abstraction. Let's say you are designing a house.
It is much easier and quicker for you to make a basic outline of the design, building materials, and fittings, than to go into detail about each nail, stone, and plank of wood.
As long as you provide the basic information about that house, the architects and builders will understand what you want.
The main schema of the house can be said to represent a “high level of abstraction” or a high level programming language. The house is the same, but with a simpler avatar.
The high-resolution model or set of detailed house plans is a "low level abstraction", or low-level programming language. It is true that this model provides more detailed and comprehensive information, but its implementation requires extensive effort and more complex tasks.
What are the basic concepts behind binary coding?
Let's look at some languages with a low level of abstraction: “C” and “Assembly”: Computers can easily understand these two languages, which means that they are able to translate code very quickly and do not require much memory power to run programs.
This makes "C" and "Assembly" ideal languages for developing small computers that run devices such as cars, digital clocks, thermostats, and traffic lights.
Languages like "C++" and Swift are written at a higher level of abstraction, so they are easier for programmers to work with, but devices need additional resources to read them.
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Programmers use these languages to create programs like the mobile, tablet, and computer applications we use on a daily basis.
These languages vary greatly in view of the many different tasks that must be performed.
Data management is another important application of coding with the increasing amount of data we produce. Programmers use higher-level languages like “SQL” to capture that data, store it, analyze it, and arrange it in different ways.
If you look at how to code a social media app, behind all these images and updates you will find a huge database that securely stores data from millions of users.
By processing data with SQL, social networks can suggest new friends, target ads, and show you relevant content. But the most widely used programming language in the world is JavaScript.
If you're browsing a webpage and you see a game, an interactive graph, or a lot of animation, it's all down to JavaScript.
In fact, 95% of the 10 million most popular web pages in the world use this language. JavaScript is one of the “scripts” programming languages that are specifically designed so that programmers can use it easily.
Now that we know some of the applications of the code, let's take some time to research the computer programs that you use on a daily basis.
Become a detective and search the internet to find out what languages are used to develop these programs, and what happens behind the scenes.
Summary
There are many programming languages available, and each is used to achieve different goals. There is a mixture of low, medium and high level languages that enable programmers to write code for different purposes, whether it is “C” and “Assembly” for programming small devices, or “SQL” and “JavaScript” for database management. , and "JavaScript" to give an interactive style to websites.
Regardless of the language, the main goal of programming remains the same: instruct your computer to complete a specific task that will help you complete your application faster, easier, and more efficiently.