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The evolution of programming languages

You use different computer applications on a daily basis. These applications were created using a programming language. Are programming languages obsolete? It is probably best for you if the answer to this question is no if you want to adapt to new trends in terms of technological developments (EDI, etc.). It is therefore very important for IT leaders to have up-to-date information about these new languages to benefit the most from the technological integration of their new products. Below is a short overview of how these languages have evolved.

Since the introduction of the microcomputer, programming languages and methods have constantly evolved. These developments are partially due to continuing research in the field, but also due to the increasing complexity of requirements and demands in the market. Just like equipment that evolves at head-spinning speeds, programming languages have also changed considerably. Fortran, COBOL, BASIC and Turbo Pascal are things of the past. Although we talked about Visual Basic and Visual C++ not so long ago, the trend is now towards .NET and C#.

Well before the Internet, various programming languages were being used to create new applications. Today, the force behind development tools is the Internet. However, this does not necessarily involve the development of applications that require a browser. What is most interesting is the design of applications that can, in full or in part, be located somewhere other than in the user’s local environment. New tools therefore appeared on the market to enable the development of applications that take advantage of the strengths of the Internet.

As with the equipment, the new languages and development environments are constantly evolving in an attempt to make the programmer’s job of using emerging technologies easier.

Windev and Delphi: Mixture of databases and development environments. It should be noted that Windev is a French product, widely used in Europe, but with a more limited market penetration in America. For its part, Delphi is an incarnation of Turbo Pascal.

BBX: Still in use by many applications developed during the 1980s. To benefit from Windows environments, many PBX code interpreters appeared on the market, such as Providex and Visual Pro/5.

XML: With the division of applications into various components, the exchange of information between each portion must be managed and this must be done efficiently. This explains the development of XML (eXtensible Markup Language) data formats. The first version was released in 1998. It was quickly adopted as the standard for exchanging information between applications.

Visual Studio: First launched in 1998, Visual Studio is a complete development environment that provides access to various tools and programming languages, such as Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual FoxPro, etc. Microsoft developed it to make it easier to exploit Windows environments. In 2008, Visual Studio was completely rewritten in .NET, with a new language, C# (c-sharp), a new version of XML named XAML (pronounced Zammel), WCF (Windows Communication Foundation) and WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation and Silverlight).

XAML (eXtensible Application Markup Language) is an XML development that also allows applications to use the information exchange mode, but within the applications. XAML is the foundation for other technologies, such as WCF and WPF.

What does the future hold for us? This is still difficult to determine. However, one thing is certain—increasingly, users want to be able to access their information wherever they are, but they also want to enter this information and share it with their colleagues, family and others. Furthermore, this must be possible using mobile communication methods, such as BlackBerry, iPhone, Treo and others. This is called decentralized computing in terms of usage, but centralized as it concerns data directories.

Naturally, development tools are slowly adapting to these requirements, allowing development teams to deliver applications that meet the changing needs of society.

For more information on the history of programming languages, please refer to our maestro*LIVRE BLANC - History of Programming Languages.