The Benefits and Risks of Open-Source Frameworks
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Today, we invite you to join us on a journey to explore the vibrant universe of high-level programming languages – where innovation meets creativity to drive the technology world forward.
From definition to the difference between high-level and low-level languages, from real-world impact to practical execution - today’s article will dive into every aspect you need to know about high-level programming languages.
According to Techopedia, “A high-level language (HLL) is a kind of programming language that aims to make computer programming easier to understand and more user-friendly for people.”
High-level languages are designed to make writing and reading codes easy for humans, both in terms of syntax and semantics. Syntax refers to the collection of guidelines defining the symbol combinations deemed appropriate for properly designed programs. Semantics are the meaning of the symbols.
This approach allows developers time and energy to focus on solving problems rather than wrestling with the intricacies of computer architecture.
While low-level programming languages are machine-friendly, high programming languages are human-friendly. The following cardinal characteristics illustrate this:
Since high-level languages are human-friendly, one of their most important features is relieving users of the burden of understanding machine language complexities. This enables developers to focus on the programming logic instead of memory management or CPU instructions, for example, to boost productivity and efficiency.
High-level languages are defined by syntax that resembles natural human language, meaning the structures are intuitive and easy to understand. Let’s take the “print” command in Python; it is similar to a command in plain language, making the programming process easier.
While low-level languages are made to fit hardware configurations, high-level languages are concentrated on solving problems and working with computational tasks. Each line of code that makes up the high-level language is made to carry out various tasks, which aims to make the development process simple and productive.
Simply put, machine codes are numerical instructions (consisting of 0s and 1s) given to a computer. However, since machine codes are extremely tedious and error-prone, in the low-level programming language world, we have assembly language - human-readable representation that uses symbolic names to represent these instructions. Even though it is easier to understand than raw machine code, assembly language is still quite difficult to work with.
Therefore, compilation is added to high-level programming languages. Compilation is the procedural step that converts high-level code into machine code before execution. This translation guarantees that the source code is converted from a human-readable format into computer-processable instructions.
High-level programming languages are not only popular but also have a wide range of use cases, including:
Co-existing with high-level programming languages are low-level languages. Here is a quick comparison between the two.
High-level programming language | Low-level programming language |
---|---|
Human-friendly, close to human languages | Machine friendly |
Easy execution | Difficult execution |
Portable from one device to another | Not portable from one device to another |
Developers don’t need hardware knowledge to work with the language | Developers need to have hardware knowledge |
Easy and simple maintenance | Complex maintenance |
In addition to being human-friendly, the following reasons make high-level programming languages important:
Some high-level languages are interpreted. When you write code in these languages, an interpreter (a special program) reads the code and executes the code line by line. The interpreter is the middleman who translates the codes and tells the computer what to do step by step. Python, JavaScript, and Ruby are interpreted languages.
Unlike interpreted languages, compiled languages have a compiler. The code written isn’t executed line by line. Instead, it is translated into machine code - a low-level language code. The machine code generation provides the computer with direct instructions to execute the code all at once. The compilation creates an executable file to run on the computer. Java, C, and C++ are compiled languages.
Transcompilation is a process where source code from one programming language is translated into equivalent code in another. It is typically used in high-level programming languages, where the syntax is similar but different.
For instance, TypeScript, a superset of JavaScript, is translated into JavaScript code that web browsers or other JavaScript environments can execute.
Knowing the top high-level programming languages gives developers, especially aspiring developers, a competitive edge. To start, understanding the industry trends gives you more job prospects and job opportunities. Next, you can work to align your skills with the current requirements of the industry. Being willing to familiarize yourself with a variety of programming languages means you have an array of documentation at hand to learn and grow your skill sets.
With that being said, here are the top 5 high-level programming languages you need to know.
All in all, high-level languages have made programming easier, faster, and more effective by abstracting the complexity of the hardware. They are behind many of the websites and applications that we can’t live without today.
Creating impactful and meaningful software requires excellent leadership, an experienced and dedicated team, and, lastly, team members with a strong growth mindset. If what we described is just what you are looking for, and you are an aspiring developer, join Orient Software today and fully explore your potential! Not a developer but someone who wants to find a team of dedicated software engineers with holistic knowledge of high-level programming languages? Look no further; Orient Software will provide you with a team with the right blend of skills and experience! Talk to our experts today.
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