Explain about the generation of Programming Language

Explain about the generation of Programming Language
Ans: According to the development and modification in programming language, the generation of programming language can be described as :
(i) Machine language: The history of programming language starts with machine language. The only command that computer can understand is the machine code or '0' and '1'.
Machine language consists of bits of 0s and 1s that electrically set the switches, where 0 represents off (or low) and 1 represents on (high voltage). Initially the program used to be written using this language.
(ii) Assembly language: A programming language developed to replace machine code o and 1 is known as assembly language. It consists of many symbols and abbreviation. The program written using this language is converted into machine code by Assembler. The drawback of this language is that the program written for one computer does not work in another computer and it was a tough job for the programmer to remember the codes.
(iii) Procedural Language: General purpose programming languages are called procedural languages or procedure-oriented programming (POP). They are language such as Pascal, BASIC, COBAL and FORTRAN which are designed to express the logic, the procedure of a problem. In the procedure-oriented approach, the problem is viewed as a sequence of things to be done such as reading, calculating and printing. A number of functions are written to accomplish these tasks. The primary focus is on functions. The list of instructions grouped is known as function.
Some characteristics of POP are:
Emphasis is on doing thing(algorithms)
Large programs are divided into smaller programs known as functions.
Most of the functions share global data
Data move openly around the system from function to function.
Functions transform data from one form to another.
Employs top-down approach in program design.
(iv) Problem Oriented Language: Problem oriented languages are designed to solve specific problems or develop specific applications by enabling us to describe what we want rather than step by step procedures (v) Natural Language: Natural languages are still in the development stages, but they promise to have profound effect, particularly in the areas of artificial intelligence and export systems.