Beginner’s Guide to Programming Languages

To a beginner, a diversity of programming languages can be overwhelming and even confusing. Choosing one to learn and work with becomes a challenging endeavor. Like different spoken languages used in different countries, different programming languages are used to accomplish different tasks.

Some languages are used to communicate directly with the computer or central processing unit (CPU) and are extremely difficult to understand so-called low-level languages. On the other hand, there are high-level programming languages that use natural language and way easier to understand and therefore learn.

Below we want to discuss the main types of programming languages in greater detail to help you pick one.

Procedural Programming Language

This is the first programming language that beginners usually interact with. The codes in this language instruct a device to complete tasks in a logical order. The procedural programming language divides programs into procedures.

This programming language is process-oriented. Problems are solved using sequence, and programs are broken down into several functions with clear purposes. The functions in this programming language share global data.

The main advantages of the procedural programming language include supporting generic programming. The source code in this language is portable.

Unlike the functional programming language, the code in procedural programming can be reused, eliminating the need for copying it. Coding and implementation are simple, making it ideal for beginners.

The language consumes less memory compared to the other types of programming languages. You can keep track of the program flow in this programming language. The structured nature of the language makes it easy for the programmer to read and modify a program.

Some of the disadvantages of the programming language are that it is harder to write than other programming languages. Sometimes the code might not be reusable.

The language would not be ideal for data-sensitive cases as it focuses on the operation and not data. Data is also exposed when using the programming language, diminishing safety.

Procedural programming languages are often used by software and script programs to design programs that give desired outputs. Examples of procedural programming languages include Java, Pascal, FORTRAN, C, and BASIC.

Functional Programming Language

A functional programming language is based on mathematical functions and is focused on results instead of the process. It focuses on what is being computed.

More so, iteration is not supported by functional programming language. It is immutable and breaks down problems into functions.

The functional programming language has several advantages. It helps the programmers avoid errors when coding. It is very simple to test and also execute. The functional programming language also provides excellent modularity using a shortcode.

It is fault-tolerant and also allows the deployment of hot code. Concurrency and parallel processing are also possible with the functional programming language. Lambda calculus can also be effectively used.

The functional programming language has its limitations too. The language is hard to maintain as the objects often evolve. More so, it is effort-intensive when it comes to the environmental setup and mocking. The other limitation is that the functional code is complex and might prove challenging to understand for beginners.

The functional programming language is used in academics as opposed to commercial software development. It is employed when developing applications linked to parallelism, applications that offer to order essay for me writing services, artificial intelligence applications, etc. It is also used for mathematical computation, modeling of speech and vision, language processing,  etc.

Examples of functional programming languages include Python, Haskell, Lisp, Erlang, Clojure, etc.

Logic Programming Language

A logic programming language uses symbolic logic. The programs in this language are declarative, and machines are given the liberty to determine the declarations’ outcomes. Predicate calculus is the basis of the logic programming language.

Unlike the procedural programming language, the logic programming language does not state the results. The machine is given relevant information from which it can determine an outcome. The advantages of this language include the development of understandable, flexible, and compressed programs.

This is mainly because the language allows the expression of knowledge without necessarily depending on the implementation.

The logic programming language can also be extended or modified. It can also be used in non-computational environments.

The logic programming language’s primary drawback is that it does not provide a way to present computational concepts as it is in conventional programming languages.

The logic programming language is ideal for planning, machine learning, fault diagnosis, and natural language processing. Some of the logic programming languages include Oz, Ciao, Mercury, XSB, and ALF, to mention a few.

Scripting Programming Language

Scripting languages in programming are interpreted as opposed to compiled and used in run-time environments. The scripting language is characterized by being in a source form since it is not compiled. The language can also be extended and is specific to the applications.

It is flexible and can be developed rapidly. The language is also typed dynamically. There are several benefits that programmers enjoy by using the scripted programming language. It is easy to use and learn.

Scripting programming languages are also open source. Users can get them for free, and they can also modify them. They are portable and also have a low memory requirement. They also allow the automation of tasks both remotely and locally.

However, scripting programming languages are limited when it comes to optimizations, which also weighs down their performance. These programming languages are slower than the traditional ones when it comes to execution.

Scripting languages are great for multimedia, system administration, gaming applications, and the creation of extensions. Some of the common scripting languages are Ruby, PHP, JavaScript, and Python.

To Sum Up

Programming languages are grouped into four main categories. That is functional, procedural, logic, and scripting programming languages.

The above-discussed differences and features will go a long way in helping aspiring programmers choose the ideal language to learn. Some of the programming language courses are found online and also offered in on-site colleges.

There are more languages in computer programming worth exploring. It is vital first to understand the languages and how they are used before choosing one to learn.