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Classification of Programming Languages

Programming languages can be classified into various categories based on their usage, application area, features, and programming paradigm. Here we outline a few commonly used classifications of programming languages.

Procedural Programming Languages

Procedural programming languages use a step-by-step approach to solve problems and are based on the top-down design approach. Examples of procedural programming languages include C, Pascal, and Fortran.

Example

#include <stdio.h>

int main() {
  int num1 = 10, num2 = 5, sum;
  
  sum = num1 + num2;
  
  printf("The sum of %d and %d is: %d\n", num1, num2, sum);
  
  return 0;
}

Output

The sum of 10 and 5 is: 15

Declarative Programming Languages

Declarative programming languages focus on what the user wants to accomplish and not how it should be done. Examples of declarative programming languages include SQL, Prolog, and Lisp.

Example

SELECT customer_name, order_date, total_amount
FROM orders
WHERE customer_id = 123;

Output

customer_name    order_date    total_amount
John Smith      2022-01-01    250.00
John Smith      2022-01-15    125.00

Object-Oriented Programming Languages

Object-oriented programming languages are based on the concept of objects and classes. Programmers create and manipulate objects and define the classes that describe them. Examples of object-oriented programming languages include Java, C++, and Python.

Example

class Animal:
  def __init__(self, name, age):
    self.name = name
    self.age = age

  def sound(self):
    print("The animal makes a sound.")

class Cat(Animal):
  def sound(self):
    print("The cat meows.")

cat1 = Cat("Whiskers", 3)
print("Name: ", cat1.name)
print("Age: ", cat1.age)
cat1.sound()

Output

Name:  Whiskers
Age:  3
The cat meows.

Functional Programming Languages

Functional programming languages are based on the concept of mathematical functions. They treat computation as the evaluation of functions and avoid changing state and mutable data. Examples of functional programming languages include Haskell, Scheme, and Clojure.

Example

factorial :: Integer -> Integer
factorial 0 = 1
factorial n = n * factorial (n - 1)

main = do
  let result = factorial 5
  putStrLn ("Factorial of 5 is: " ++ show result)

Output

Factorial of 5 is: 120

Important Points

  • Programming languages can be classified based on their usage, application area, features, and programming paradigm.
  • Programming paradigms include procedural, declarative, object-oriented, and functional programming.
  • Examples of procedural programming languages include C, Pascal, and Fortran.
  • Examples of declarative programming languages include SQL, Prolog, and Lisp.
  • Examples of object-oriented programming languages include Java, C++, and Python.
  • Examples of functional programming languages include Haskell, Scheme, and Clojure.

Summary

Understanding the different types of programming languages and their associated paradigms can be helpful for programmers in selecting the right language for their project and for developing a deeper understanding of their own programming practices. Knowing which category a programming language falls under can help to determine how it should be used, as well as what benefits and limitations it may have.

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