Skip to content
Search

Computer Language

lastmod 2025-12-10created 2014-06-159 edits

Subfields of computer language


Data Type


Algorithms


Data structures


Scripting language


Shell script


Markup language


Interface definition language (IDL)


High-Level


Low-Level


Formal language


Diagram


Programming Paradigms

  • Action
  • Agent-oriented
  • Array-oriented
  • Automata-based
  • Concurrent computing
    • Relativistic programming
  • Data-driven
  • Declarative (contrast: Imperative)
    • Constraint
      • Constraint logic
        • Concurrent constraint logic
    • Dataflow
      • Flow-based
      • Cell-oriented (spreadsheets)
      • Reactive
    • Functional
      • Functional logic
      • Purely functional
    • Logic
      • Abductive logic
      • Answer set
      • Concurrent logic
      • Functional logic
      • Inductive logic
  • Dynamic
  • End-user programming
  • Event-driven
    • Service-oriented
    • Time-driven
  • Expression-oriented
  • Feature-oriented
  • Function-level (contrast: Value-level)
  • Generic
  • Imperative (contrast: Declarative)
    • Literate
    • Procedural
  • Inductive programming
  • Language-oriented
    • Natural language programming
    • Discipline-specific
    • Domain-specific
    • Grammar-oriented
      • Dialecting
    • Intentional
  • Metaprogramming
    • Automatic
    • Reflective
      • Attribute-oriented
    • Homoiconic
    • Template
      • Policy-based
  • Non-structured (contrast: Structured)
    • Array
  • Nondeterministic
  • Parallel computing
    • Process-oriented
  • Point-free style
    • Concatenative
  • Semantic
  • Structured (contrast: Non-structured)
    • Block-structured
    • Modular (contrast: Monolithic)
    • Object-oriented
      • Actor-based
      • Class-based
      • Concurrent
      • Prototype-based
      • By separation of concerns:
    • Recursive
  • Query
  • Value-level (contrast: Function-level)
  • Probabilistic
  • Concept


The term computer language refers to the various kinds of languages used to communicate with computers, and is an extension of the meaning of the commonly used term programming language. Programming languages are a subset of computer languages.

For example, HTML is a markup language and a computer language, but it is not generally considered a programming language. Machine code is a computer language and can technically be used for programming (for example, the original bootstrapper code of Altair BASIC), but it is not generally considered a programming language.

If one had to classify them, computer languages can be divided into two classes: high-level languages and low-level languages. High-level languages are designed to be easier to use, more abstract, and more portable than low-level languages. In some languages, syntactically correct programs are compiled into a low-level language and then executed on the computer. Most software today is written in high-level languages. It is then compiled into object code and converted into machine code.

Computer languages can also be classified another way: into human-readable languages and languages that are not human-readable. Human-readable languages can be used by people directly to communicate with computers. Non-human-readable languages are designed to be more concise and easier to process, sacrificing readability to achieve these characteristics, although it is possible to partly read and understand them.

Category

Types of computer languages

Table of Computer Language

Table of Computer Language

Theory

Computer Language, Programming language, Fourth-generation programming language (4GL), Bytecode

Scripting language

Job control languages and shells

Bourne shell, Bash (Unix shell), Korn shell, zsh, C shell, psh, Command Prompt, Windows PowerShell, Hamilton C shell, 4NT, GMLCMD, Recovery Console, command.com, 4DOS, 4OS/2, AS/400 Control Language, iSeries QSHELL, Terminal.app, Apple DOS/Apple ProDOS, Cisco IOS, Junos

Application-specific languages

QuakeC, Emacs Lisp

Web browsers

JavaScript, VBScript, ASP, C (CGI), ColdFusion Markup Language, Java (JSP), Lua, Perl CGI, PHP, Python (Django), Ruby (Ruby on Rails), SMX, Lasso, WebDNA, Progress WebSpeed

Text processing languages

awk, sed, grep

General-purpose dynamic languages

ActionScript, BASIC, BeanShell, Clojure, ColdFusion, Lisp, Groovy, E programming language, JavaScript, VBScript, MATLAB, Octave, Lua, Objective-C, Perl, PHP, Powershell, Python, Ruby, Smalltalk, Tcl

Extension/embeddable languages

ActionScript, Tcl, Python, Perl, Ruby, Rexx, Lua, AngelScript, Squirrel, Ch

Transformation language

Concepts

data conversion, data element, data mapping, data migration, data transformation, metadata, model transformation, refinement (contrast)

Languages

ATL, AWK (tabular data transforms), Identity transform, QVT, TXL (general), XQuery (XML), XSLT (XML)

Template processor

Template engine (web)

Apache Velocity, ASP.net (Microsoft), ASP.net (Mono), AutoGen, Beilpuz, Blitz, Casper, CheetahTemplate, Chip Template Engine, CodeCharge Studio, ColdFusion, Cottle, csharptemplates, CTPP, dbPager, Deihro TemplateEngine, Dermis, Django, Djolt-objc, Dwoo, Dylan Server Pages, eRuby, Evoque Templating, FastTemplate, FreeMarker, Genshi (templating language), Google-ctemplate, Grantlee Template System, GvTags, H2o, HAH, Haml, Hamlets, Hyperkit PHP/XML Template Engine, Jade, Jasper framework, JavaServer Pages, Jenner, jin-template, Jinja, Jinja2, JScore, JSP Weaver, Kalahari, Kid (templating language), Mako, Mars-Templater, MiniTemplator, mTemplate, nTPL, Obyx, Open Power Template, Outline, PHAML, Phammable, PHP, PURE Unobtrusive Rendering Engine, pyratemp, QueryTemplates, RainTPL, Rythm, Scalate, Scurvy, Simplate, Smarty, StampTE, StringTemplate, SUIT Framework, Template Attribute Language, ATal, Template Blocks, Template Toolkit, Thymeleaf, TinyButStrong, Toupl, Twig, uBook Template, Vemplator, vlibTemplate, WebMacro, Younicycle, ZeniTPL, BabaJS

Code generation

CodeSmith Generator, ZumCoder/MDA, Acceleo, Accelerator, GenerateXY, actifsource, Agile Platform, Apeel PHP Code Generator Pro, AtomWeaver, GNU AutoGen, Cog, CodeGenerator360, CodeOnTime, C++ Middleware Writer, DMS Software Reengineering Toolkit, gSoap, Iron Speed Designer, Jostraca, JCodeBox, Microsoft Visual Studio LightSwitch, MyGeneration, OMS.Ice - T4 Text Template Generator, PHPRunner, Pro*C, Spring Roo, T4, Umple, Appsroller Web Form Generator, Velocity apache, XDocLet, XACT X4MR

Documentation generator

ApiGen, Appledoc, Asciidoc, Autoduck, BI Documenter, classdoc, CppDoc, DB Manual, DBDesc, DBScribe, Ddoc, devscribe, Doc-O-Matic, DOC++, Document! X, Doxygen, Epydoc, ForgeDoc, fpdoc, GenHelp, Haddock, HeaderDoc, Help Generator, HyperSQL, IDLdoc, Imagix 4D, Javadoc, jGrouseDoc, JSDoc, JsDoc Toolkit, KDOC, Markdown, Natural Docs, NDoc, Pandoc, phpDocumentor, phpSimpleDoc, Project Analyzer, RDoc, ROBODoc, Sandcastle, SoDa, Sphinx, SQL Documentor, ThimbleDoc, TwinText, VBDOX, VSdocman, Universal Report, YARD

Style sheet language

Modes

Desktop publishing, Web development, User interfaces

Standard

CSS, DSSSL, XSL

Non-standard

JSSS, FOSI, Qt Style Sheets, Sass, LESS, SMIL Timesheets

Specification language

Languages

CASL, VDM, Z notation, LePUS3, Perfect

Modeling language

Graphical types

~

Non-graphical types

~

Query language

Languages

.QL, ISBL, OQL, XPath, XQuery, SQL

Markup language

SGML type

SGML, HTML, XML, XHTML, SVG, MathML

TEX type

TEX, LATEX, PTEX

User Interface

MXML, UIML, XUL, WTKX, XAL, SVG, TUIX, XAML, I3ML, OpenLaszlo (LZX), HMVCUL, WasabiXML, MARIA

Programming language

Low-level programming language

Assembly

High-level programming language

ActionScript-3.0, Ada, Aldor, ALGOL 58, ALGOL 60, ALGOL 68, Ateji PX, APL, Assembly language, AutoHotkey, AutoIt, BASIC, BBj, BeanShell, BLISS, BlitzMax, Boo, C/C++, C#, Clarion, Clean, Clojure, CLU, COBOL, Cobra, ColdFusion(CFML), Common Lisp, COMAL-80, Crystal 1.0.0, Cython, D, Dylan, DYL-280, Eiffel, Erlang, Euphoria, Factor, Falcon, FP, F#, Forth, Fortran, G2, Gambas, Game Maker Language, GLBasic, Go, Gosu, GraphTalk, Groovy, Harbour, Haskell, haXe, HyperNext, Io, ISLISP, J, JADE, Java, JavaScript, Joy, LabVIEW-(G), Lisp, Logtalk, Lua, Mathematica, MATLAB, Modula-2, Modula-3, Oberon, Objective-C, OCaml, Object Pascal(Delphi), Occam, Opa, Oxygene, Oz, Pascal, Pawn, Perl, PHP, PL/I, Plus, Prolog, PureBasic, Python, Racket, REALbasic, REBOL, RPG (IBM), Ruby, Rust, S, S-Lang, Scala, Scheme, Simula, Smalltalk, SNOBOL, Standard ML, Tcl, Visual Basic, Visual Basic .NET, Visual Prolog, Windows PowerShell, XL

Architecture description language (ADL)

Primary candidates

~

Secondary candidates

~

Others (unclassified)

~

Hardware description language (HDL)

Digital circuit design

ABEL, AHDL (Altera HDL), Confluence, CUPL, HDCaml, JHDL, Lava, Lola, MyHDL (based on Python), PALASM, RHDL (based on Ruby), Verilog, VHDL

Analogue circuit design

Verilog-AMS, VHDL-AMS

Printed circuit board design

PHDL

Configuration file formats

Languages

INI files (initialization), JSON, YAML, XML

Data serialization formats

Languages

ASN.1, Bencode, BSON, Candle Markup, Comma-separated values (CSV), D-Bus Message Protocol, JSON, MessagePack, Netstrings, OGDL, Property list, Protocol Buffers, S-expressions, Structured Data eXchange Formats, Thrift, eXternal Data Representation, XML, XML-RPC, YAML

Formal language

Languages

~

Favorite site

sitemap