Introduction
As our society becomes increasingly technology-driven, programming languages are used by various individuals and businesses to perform specific tasks or functions. When computer users interact with services such as social media or email, they use code from a programming language (typically through commands) to complete these tasks.
The first programming language
In 1843, before the invention of the computer, the first programming language was created by Ada Lovelace, one of the first female mathematicians. Since then, programming languages have made significant advances, but this was undoubtedly a turning point in the development of programming languages.
Historical milestones in the evolution of programming languages
Programming languages have existed since before the invention of human-readable code, which we now use to complete routine technological tasks. The following are some important events in the development of programming languages that you may find interesting.
Invention of machine algorithms by Ada Lovelace in 1843
The first computer algorithm was invented by Ada Lovelace in 1843. Interestingly, Charles Babbage designed the machine for which this algorithm was intended.
Konrad Zuse founded the company Plankalkul in the 1940s
Konrad Zuse created the programming language Plankalkul in the 1940s. It was the first high-level computer programming language ever developed and contained many coding sequences that engineers commonly used to perform basic tasks.
1949 – Assembly language, a precursor to today's coding, is created.
The first computer to use assembly language was the Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator in 1949. Assembly language is a low-level programming language designed to simplify machine code for writing instructions for processors. This shows that modern computers are easier to program than the computers of 1949.
John McCauley mentioned shortcode in 1949, but it was not implemented until 1949 and 1950 by W. Schmitt to improve the performance of the BINAC and UNIVAC computers.
In 1952, Autocode was the first compiled programming language.
In 1952, Alic Glennie coined the term Autocode to refer to a set of programming languages. Glennie was a computer scientist who used Autocode primarily for the Mark 1 computer. It was the first compiled programming language, used to translate machine code through a special application called a compiler.
In 1957, John Backus created FORTRAN.
One of the first programming languages ever created, FORTRAN, was developed in 1957 and is still in use today. Developed to solve scientific and mathematical problems, the FORTRAN programming language has stood the test of time.
In 1958, ALGOL and LISP were both invented.
In 1958, two programming languages were created: Algorithmic Language (ALGOL) and List Programming Language (LISP). American and European computer scientists came together to create ALGOL, which is believed to be the origin of popular programming languages such as C, C++, Java, and Pascal.
McCarthy created LISP for use in his artificial intelligence programs, and it is one of the oldest computer programming languages still in use. Many people and companies still prefer LISP over other programming languages like Ruby or Python.
In 1959, Dr. Grace Murray Hopper developed COBOL, a high-level programming language for business.
Dr. Grace Murray Hopper created COBOL in 1959. It became the first third-generation programming language and was originally designed for business applications, but is now used for many different tasks. In 1989, it was estimated that COBOL was used by over 100 million people and is still widely used in banking systems today.
In 1964, BASIC was created as a computer programming language for beginners.
In 1964, students at Dartmouth College created the Beginner's General Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code (BASIC). It was developed for those with limited computer skills and is still in use today. Paul Allen and Bill Gates further developed it, making it Microsoft's first commercially successful product.
1970 saw the implementation of PASCAL by Niklaus Wirth
Niklaus Wirth developed PASCAL, which he named after the famous mathematician Blaise Pascal. Originally designed to help users learn programming languages, Apple was one of the leading companies to adopt it due to its simple and straightforward process.
Smalltalk, SQL, and C were all born in 1972.
The Smalltalk language was designed and created to help programmers refine programming languages, resulting in various programs including Java, Python, and Ruby.
Dennis Ritchie developed C and named it because it is a language derived from B. Some of the famous technology companies that still use C include Apple, Google, and Facebook.
Donald Chamberlain and Raymond Boyce created SQL, a structured query language that helps modify and view important computer data. Today, many companies such as Microsoft and Accenture continue to use SQL.
Jean Ichebia began developing Ada in the early 1980s.
Ada was created by Jean Echebia and named after the first person to use computer languages. Ada is a specific programming language used to regulate air traffic in many different countries, including Belgium, Australia, and Germany.
C++ and Objective-C were created in 1983 when C++ was born.
A C programmer named Bjarne Stroustrup modified the programming language and released it as C++ in 1983. The changes he made introduced new features such as templates, classes, and virtual jobs. In 2003, C++ was also awarded as one of the top programming languages. Microsoft Office, gaming platforms such as the PlayStation and Nintendo 64, Adobe Photoshop, and many other programs use C++.
Objective-C was created by Tom Law and Brad Cox in 1983 and has been the primary programming language for Apple platforms ever since. This includes iOS and macOS.
In 1987, Larry Wall developed the Perl programming language.
Larry Wall first created Perl in 1987. It was originally a text editor, but Perl is now used for a variety of functions across many different industries and sectors, including database applications, visual applications, network applications, and more.
Haskell first established itself in 1990.
Haskell was created in 1990 and named after the prominent mathematician Haskell Brooks Curry. This programming language is often used for mathematical operations but is also used to create video games.
Visual Basic and Python were both created in 1991.
Microsoft created Visual Basic in 1991 to make it easier for users to drag and drop scripts simultaneously. Individuals and businesses can choose from a wide range of drop-down menus and modify various codes with Visual Basic.
Python is one of the most widely used programming languages in the world today. Guido Van Rossum founded it in 1991 as an alternative to different programming styles. Yahoo, Spotify, and Google are just some of the successful companies that continue to make extensive use of this software.
In 1993, Yukihiro Matsumoto created Ruby.
Ruby was first developed in 1993 by Yukihiro Matsumoto. Used for programming web applications, Ruby is based on several other languages, such as Perl, Smalltalk, and Lisp. Brands such as Hulu, Groupon, and Twitter often use Ruby.
Java, JavaScript, and PHP were first introduced in 1995.
One of the best programming languages available is Java. It was created in 1991 by James Gosling for a software project for interactive television and is still very popular on mobile devices and PCs these days. JavaScript is another great programming language that was created by Brendan Eich in 1995. It is mainly used as a programming language in websites, including Gmail and Adobe Photoshop, but it can also be used to create web pages or PDF files (among other things).
PHP was originally introduced in 1995. Its purpose is to help individuals and companies create and maintain their websites, and this includes our personal homepage, Facebook, Wikipedia, and many others.
The C# compiler was created in 2000.
Microsoft created C# in 2000 with the goal of combining some of the benefits of C++ with the functionality of Visual Basic. It is worth noting that it is easier to use than Java while maintaining a lot of power. The only Microsoft tools and products that are not written in C# are outdated.
In 2003, Scala was founded and Groovy followed in 2003.
In 2003, Martin Odersky created the Scala programming language, which is compatible with Java. It is useful for programmers working with the Android system, and developers at LinkedIn, Netflix, Foursquare, and Twitter are among those who still use it.
Groovy is a computer language derived from Java and designed to improve productivity and efficiency. Starbucks and Craft Business Base are two well-known companies that use Groovy to perform daily tasks.
Google launched Go in 2009.
Google introduced its Go programming language in 2009 to solve and manage problems that can arise when dealing with large-scale software systems. Its modern and user-friendly structure has become popular among various organizations around the world, including Uber, Google, Twitch, and many others.
Apple developed Swift in 2014.
Developing new programming languages is no easy task. In 2014, Apple replaced Objective-C, C++, and C with Swift to create a language that is simpler than its predecessors. Specifically, Swift allows users to create apps that work on both mobile devices and computers, with better performance across the board.
Are there any old programming languages that are still in use?
Several computer programming languages have been retired, however many still exist. One of these is FORTRAN, which was introduced in 1953 and was most recently updated in 2018. FORTRAN was developed by IBM and has been enhanced to be compatible with modern computers. COBOL, another popular computer programming language, was created in 1959 and remains the language of choice for banks.
Which programming language is the most popular in the contemporary technology world?
Many new programming languages have been developed over the years. The need to use technology has increased faster than expected, and this has created a demand for more programming languages. The following are some of the most popular computer programming languages used by businesses today: SQL, JavaScript, Java, .NET/C#, and HTML/CSS.
Result
As you can see, the history of programming languages is very interesting and continues to evolve. It is incredible to know how a writing method from 1840 led to programming languages that are still in use today. They have evolved from academics using machine code to large corporations using high-level, human-readable code on supercomputers. And now, it is expected that computer programming will continue to evolve and evolve into new languages, some of which are considered some of the best in the history of language.
