09-09-2017, 10:09 AM
A fourth generation programming language (4GL) is any computer programming language that belongs to a class of languages imagined as an advance in third generation programming languages (3GL). Each generation of programming language aims to provide a greater level of abstraction of the internal details of computer hardware, making the language more programmer friendly, powerful and versatile. While the definition of 4GL has changed over time, it can be typified by operating more with large collections of information at a time rather than focusing only on bits and bytes. Languages that are said to be 4GL may include support for database administration, reporting, mathematical optimization, GUI development, or web development. Some researchers claim that 4GLs are a subset of domain-specific languages.
The concept of 4GL evolved from the 1970s to the 1990s, superimposing most of the development of 3GL. While 3GLs such as C, C ++, C #, Java and JavaScript are still popular for a wide variety of uses, 4GLs as originally defined use more closely. Some advanced 3GLs like Python, Ruby and Perl combine some 4GL capabilities within a 3GL general-purpose environment. In addition, libraries with 4GL-like features have been developed as add-ons for the more popular 3GLs. This has blurred the distinction of 4GL and 3GL. In the 1980s and 1990s, efforts were made to develop fifth generation programming languages (5GL).
The concept of 4GL evolved from the 1970s to the 1990s, superimposing most of the development of 3GL. While 3GLs such as C, C ++, C #, Java and JavaScript are still popular for a wide variety of uses, 4GLs as originally defined use more closely. Some advanced 3GLs like Python, Ruby and Perl combine some 4GL capabilities within a 3GL general-purpose environment. In addition, libraries with 4GL-like features have been developed as add-ons for the more popular 3GLs. This has blurred the distinction of 4GL and 3GL. In the 1980s and 1990s, efforts were made to develop fifth generation programming languages (5GL).