timeline

Question 1

Perl

Answer 1

This scripting language is noted for its powerful and flexible string handling capacity

goal = flexible text processing

Question 2

Ada

Answer 2

The result of a huge design effort, this language emphasizes reliability

goal = reliability in embedded systems

Question 3

BASIC

Answer 3

Goal was ease of learning by liberal arts students
First language to consider programmer time was more important than computer time

Because it was easy to learn & simple to implement, this became the most popular programming language in early home computing

Question 4

APL

Answer 4

Optimized for matrix operations, this language is particularly compact - almost unreadably so

needed a specific keyboard

Question 5

Java

Answer 5

INTENDED for embedded systems, this became the programming language of the early web instead

goal = cross platform / more reliable version of C++

Question 6

ALGOL

Answer 6

influenced almost languages that followed, it was never widely adopted in the US

First language designed to be cross-platform. Formalized ideas of data type, compound statements

Question 7

PL/1

Answer 7

INTENDED as a language that could do anything scientific, businesses, or system computing

first implemented pointers as data types

poor and overly large / complex

Question 8

System/360

Answer 8

A line of computers of varying sizes, all capable of the same program

Question 9

C

Answer 9

goal = Fast executing system code

Question 10

C++

Answer 10

features = Virtual methods, method name & operator overloading, references as a type. As design goals included usability anywhere C could be used, few features from C were removed, even those considered unsafe

Question 11

COBOL

Answer 11

goal = business programming / report generating

Question 12

FORTRAN

Answer 12

Goal = scientific / technical computing

first implemented arrays

Question 13

JOVIAL

Answer 13

language of the US air force for 25 years

Question 14

LISP

Answer 14

features = Lists. Code & data homoiconic (represented same way), meaning a program could write code that could then be interpreted. Dominated AI computing for 20+ years

first implemented functional programming language. First JIT compiler demonstrated 1968

Question 15

PASCAL

Answer 15

goal = teaching language based on ALGOL

lacked several key features

Question 16

Python

Answer 16

features = Strong dynamic typing. Includes lists, immutable lists (tuples), associative arrays (dictionaries). List comprehensions

Question 17

Smalltalk

Answer 17

first implemented object oriented programming OOP

Question 18

PROLOG

Answer 18

goal = programming using formal logic / proof

Question 19

Plankalkul

Answer 19

First high level language