The Languages of a Computer Science Degree Many people don’t realize it, but there are a lot of different ways that computers communicate with one another. And if you’re looking to earn a computer science degree in San Diego, you’re going to learn most, if not all of them. But even more, you’ll learn that different programming languages serve different purposes.
Web languages One of the most common uses for computer languages is to design and write web pages. Rather than languages that are used to program applications on your hardware, web languages are made specifically to transmit this kind of data. And they do their jobs well. One of the first—and the one that set the gold standard for years—is HTML. It’s the core of the Internet, and is usually one of the first programming languages that students learn. Other web languages are ones like XML, Javascript, VBScript, PHP and Java. If you haven’t started learning any of these, it might seem overwhelming, but it is possible, and you don’t need to be a genius to do it.
Software languages These languages are used for creating applications—the programs you use all the time. These languages are not quite as common as web languages anymore, but they are no less useful. A lot of people have heard of these languages, although they might not know exactly what they do. Some of them are C, C++, Visual Basic and Java (not to be confused with Javascript). These are used to develop and program applications from word processors to games, and everything between.
Language generations These languages act in a different way than people usually think of. Like the way we communicate with one another, processes break down the language on the surface so the machine can understand it. As the generation of the language progresses, it starts to resemble verbal and written language that we use. Here is a short description of the five generations: First generation This is the most basic computer language consists of ones and zeroes. This is the language the computer understands, and is alternately called machine language and binary.
Second generation This is a step up from the first generation. They allow programmers to use symbolic names instead of just numbers, and are usually converted to binary. Third generation The third generation is another step up. This is the stage where programmers can start using words and commands instead of just symbols and numbers. It’s at this point that programming languages are considered “high-level” languages. Fourth generation The fourth generation is very close to human language in its syntax and usage. These are usually used to access databases, and tend to be able to take care of much more complex operations. Fifth generation Fifth generation languages are currently used in neural networks, which is a form of artificial intelligence that attempts to imitate how the human mind works. And in order to be used like this, it has to be much more complex than even the step before. Will there be another generation at some point? Probably. These are all things that you will be expected to learn if you’re looking to earn a computer science degree in San Diego. In addition, you’ll learn how to create your own programming language, and will be able to do everything you need, from building a website to programming a game. Photo Credit: Wikimedia.org,