Classification by "Level" (Abstraction)

• Low-Level Languages: These are "hardware-centric."
  • Machine Code: The actual binary (0s and 1s) the CPU executes.
  • Assembly: Uses short mnemonics (like MOV or ADD) to represent machine instructions. It is specific to the processor architecture.
• High-Level Languages: These use English-like syntax and are "programmer-centric." They abstract away memory management and hardware details. Examples include Python, Java, and Ruby.
• Mid-Level Languages: Often used to describe languages like C and C++. They provide high-level syntax but allow low-level access to memory via pointers.

Classification by Paradigm (The "Style")

A paradigm is a philosophy of how a program should be structured.

Imperative (How to do it)

The programmer provides a step-by-step list of instructions to change the computer's state.

• Procedural: Based on the concept of "procedure calls" (functions). (e.g., C, Fortran, Pascal)
• Object-Oriented (OOP): Organized around "objects" (data) rather than "actions" (logic). It uses concepts like classes, inheritance, and encapsulation. (e.g., Java, C++, Python, C#)

Declarative (What to do)

The programmer describes the result they want, rather than the explicit steps to get there.

• Functional: Treats computation as the evaluation of mathematical functions and avoids changing state or mutable data. (e.g., Haskell, Lisp, Elixir)
• Logic: Based on formal logic; you state facts and rules. (e.g., Prolog)
• Database/Query: Specifically for interacting with data. (e.g., SQL)

Classification by Execution Method

Classification by Type System

This defines how the language handles data types (integers, strings, etc.).