Programming LanguageA programming language is a language used to write lines of code (a program) to direct the operations of a computer. Programming languages are used to write the scripts that control Web servers and the routers throughout the network. Common programming languages include BASIC, Pascal, FORTRAN, COBOL, C/C++, dBASE, and Perl.
Modern computer programs are generally written in a high-level programming language that uses words and phrases. The output is translated module by module (compiled) or line by line (interpreted) into an assembly language, a lower-level language using symbolic instructions (mnemonics). The assembly language is then translated (assembled) into binary machine code ( machine language or object code).
Programming languages include a means for defining variables, inputting and outputting data, decision making, changing stored values, and altering the flow of the programs (e.g., looping). Programming languages incorporate, by necessity, various tools for debugging and analyzing the operation of the program.