Fourth-Generation Programming Language

A Fourth-Generation Programming Language is a Computer that ...

• See: Domain-Specific Language, Fifth-Generation Programming Language, Computer, Programming Language, Third-Generation Programming Language, Programming Language Generations, Abstraction Layer, Computer Hardware, Programmer, Bit, Byte, Database.

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References

2017

• (Wikipedia, 2017) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth-generation_programming_language Retrieved:2017-5-31.
  • A fourth-generation programming language (4GL) is a computer programming language envisioned as a refinement of the style of languages classified as third-generation programming language (3GL). Each of the programming language generations aims to provide a higher level of abstraction of the internal computer hardware details, making the language more programmer-friendly, powerful and versatile. While the definition of 3GL has changed over time, it can be typified by operating more with large collections of information at once rather than focusing on just bits and bytes. Languages claimed to be 4GL may include support for database management, report generation, mathematical optimization, GUI development, or web development. Some researchers state that 4GLs are a subset of domain-specific languages.

    The concept of 4GL was developed from the 1970s through the 1990s, overlapping most of the development of 3GL. While 3GLs like C, C++, C#, Java, and JavaScript remain popular for a wide variety of uses, 4GLs as originally defined found narrower uses. Some advanced 3GLs like Python, Ruby, and Perl combine some 4GL abilities within a general-purpose 3GL environment. Also, libraries with 4GL-like features have been developed as add-ons for most popular 3GLs. This has blurred the distinction of 4GL and 3GL.

    In the 1980s and 1990s, there were efforts to develop fifth-generation programming languages (5GL).

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