Re: 4th generation languages

[Aron Felix Gurski <agurski@sn.no>]

Roger Martinez wrote:
> 
> I am taking a computer class and my instructor asked me to write a paper
> on "4th generation languages". Is this a common term to refer to a group
> of currently used languages? I am looking for opinions that will help me
> define what this term means. What languages make up the other
> generations?
> 
> Replies via email would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> TIA,
> Roger

1. Is this a common term to refer to a group of currently used
languages?
	Yes, but less and less frequently. Still most definitely in use in the 
	mainframe world.

2. What languages make up the other generations?
	1st generation: machine language (we actually programmed in decimal or 
	                octal machine code)

	2nd generation: assembler (you have no idea of what an improvement 
	                *this* was from the 1st generation!)

	3rd generation: the langauges that include FORTRAN, Algol, COBOL, LISP, 
                        as well as newer procedural langauges (e.g.
Pascal,
	                Modula-2, Modula-3, C(++), Ada 95, Eiffel)

	4th generation: usually proprietary languages that include FOCUS, the 
	                language used by SAS Institute's products, etc. and 
	                more recent languages like xBase (I'd classify APL as
	                4th generation -- these languages tended to have 
	                reserved words that performed *huge* operations, like
	                statistical analyses, in one statement)

Good luck with the paper!

						-- Aron