What are programming languages? Describe the various generations of programming languages.

A Programming Language is a set of commands and syntax used to create a computer program. The various generations of programming languages are:

1. First Generation Programming Language — Machine language is the first-generation programming language (1GL). It is made up of binary number 0 (Zero) and 1 (One) so instructions in Machine language are sequences of zeros and ones. It is a low-level language.
2. Second Generation Programming Language — Assembly language is second-generation language (2GL). It uses symbolic operations called mnemonics instead of binary digits that can have up to maximum of five letters. Assembly language is also a low-level language.
3. Third Generation Programming Language — A third-generation language (3GL) is close to English in vocabulary. These languages are easier to read and require less time to write programs. Third-generation programming languages are high-level programming languages, such as FORTRAN, Java, C, and C++.
4. Fourth Generation Programming Language — A fourth-generation language (4GL) is closer to a natural language (for example, English) than a third- generation language. These languages are non-procedural. It means that the programmer specifies what is required as opposed to how it is to be done. Database languages such as Structured Query Language (SQL), report generators such as Oracle Reports, and Python are examples of fourth-generation languages.
5. Fifth Generation Programming Language — A fifth-generation language (5GL) is designed to solve a given problem using constraints given to the program, rather than using an algorithm written by a programmer. The fifth-generation languages are mainly used in Artificial Intelligence. Smalltalk, Prolog, and Mercury are good examples of the fifth-generation languages.