The First Programming Language: A Timeline

Programming languages stand as the bridge between human innovation and machine functionality. These languages power our technology and narrate a compelling story of origin and evolution. Understanding where it all began is not just about code; it's a fascinating journey through the minds of visionaries who shaped the digital landscape.

The first programming language

Let's explore the origins of programming languages, where Plankalkül takes the spotlight as the first high-level language, created by Konrad Zuse between 1942 and 1945. Although innovative, Plankalkül did not have an associated compiler until Corrado Böhm created a language with one in 1951 for his PhD thesis. However, Fortran (FORmula TRANslation) emerged as the first commercially available high-level programming language. 

Developed by a team led by John Backus at IBM, Fortran made its commercial debut in 1956 (with the first manual appearing the same year, although initial development began in 1954). Fortran's introduction marked a crucial moment in the history of programming languages as it enabled complex scientific calculations and became the precursor to a new era of digital innovation. The availability of Fortran paved the way for programmers to transcend the limitations of low-level machine code, opening the doors to a future where coding would become more accessible and versatile.

The history of programming languages

Exploring the history of programming languages isn't just a stroll through the past; it's an exciting journey that unveils the roots of our digital age. It's a tale of innovation, problem-solving, and the creative spirit that has propelled us into today's advanced coding landscape.

The Beginning: Ada Lovelace and the Birth of Programming Concepts (1843)

In the 19th century, Ada Lovelace, often referred to as the first programmer, was an exceptional British aristocrat who challenged societal norms by pursuing mathematics and science, which was unusual for women in her era. Although she did not work directly with Charles Babbage on his Difference Engine in the 1820s, Lovelace made significant contributions to the computing world by introducing visionary ideas.

In 1843, Lovelace's ideas took shape when she created the first machine algorithm. Rather than inventing a new device, she recognised the broader potential of Babbage's machine and expanded its role beyond calculation. Lovelace envisioned it as a general-purpose machine, realising that numbers could represent more than just mathematical values.

The first languages

During the 1940s, electrically powered computers emerged, but their limited speed and memory led programmers to craft hand-tuned assembly language programs. However, it became clear that programming in assembly language required significant intellectual effort.

Konrad Zuse proposed an early high-level language called Plankalkül between 1942 and 1945, but it remained unimplemented.

In the early 1950s, the first functioning programming languages were born. One of the pioneers was John Mauchly's Short Code, which was proposed in 1949. It represented mathematical expressions in an understandable form, but its interpretation of machine code made it slower than direct execution.

Alick Glennie's Autocode, developed at the University of Manchester in the early 1950s, is the first compiled programming language. It evolved into the "Mark 1 Autocode" in 1954, with R. A. Brooker leading the development. At the same time, Douglas Hartree's EDSAC 2 Autocode emerged in 1961, demonstrating advanced object code optimisation.

In 1954, IBM introduced FORTRAN, the first widely used high-level general-purpose language with a functional implementation. Initially met with scepticism, FORTRAN eventually gained recognition for its efficiency, becoming a cornerstone for high-performance computing.

Grace Hopper's FLOW-MATIC, designed between 1955 and 1959, addressed business users' discomfort with mathematical notation. Released in 1958, it significantly influenced the creation of COBOL.

The late 1950s marked other milestones: John McCarthy's LISP (1958) and the creation of the Short Range Committee's COBOL (1959). The ALGOL 60 Report also defined key language innovations, including nested block structure and lexical scoping.

The influence of ALGOL 60 persisted, leading to the development of ALGOL 68, which introduced more orthogonal syntax and formal definition using Van Wijngaarden grammar.

Notable languages from this period include IPL (1954), LISP (1958), FORTRAN (1957), ALGOL 58 (1958), COBOL (1959), APL (1962), Simula (1962), SNOBOL (1962), CPL (1963), BASIC (1964), PL/I (1964), Logo (1967), and others. 

The late 60's and the 70's

From the late 1960s to the late 1970s, there was a significant growth in programming languages, which introduced major paradigms that still influence modern programming. Here are some notable languages from that period and their respective release years.

• Speakeasy (1964)

  • Developed by Stanley Cohen at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL).

  • An object-oriented programming system (OOPS) with a Fortran foundation syntax.

  • Initially designed for efficient physics computing, it was modified for research use as "Modeleasy" for the Federal Reserve Board.

• Simula (Late 1960s)

  • Ole-Johan Dahl and Kristen Nygaard invented it.

  • A superset of ALGOL 60, Simula was the first language explicitly designed to support object-oriented programming.

• FORTH (1969)

  • Created by Charles Moore while at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO).

  • The earliest concatenative programming language, initially designed as a personal development system, demonstrated the innovative use of concatenation to enhance code readability and functionality.

• C (1972)

  • Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson developed it at Bell Labs between 1969 and 1973.

  • An early systems programming language, C laid the groundwork for many modern programming languages.

• Smalltalk (Mid-1970s)

  • Provided a complete ground-up design of an object-oriented language.

  • Contributed significantly to the development of graphical user interfaces.

• Prolog (1972)

  • Designed by Alain Colmerauer, Phillipe Roussel, and Robert Kowalski.

  • The first logic programming language, Prolog, played a crucial role in artificial intelligence.

• ML (1973)

  • Developed by Robin Milner.

  • Built a polymorphic type system on Lisp, pioneering statically typed functional programming languages.

• Scheme (1975)

  • Created by Gerald Jay Sussman and Guy L. Steele Jr.

  • A minimalist dialect of Lisp, Scheme focused on simplicity and efficiency.

• SQL (1978)

  • SQL is a query language initially developed by Donald D. Chamberlin and Raymond F. Boyce at IBM.

  • It has evolved into a standard language for managing and manipulating relational databases.

These languages shaped the programming landscape of their time and laid the foundations for the diverse and dynamic languages we use today. Each brought unique innovations and perspectives, contributing to the ongoing evolution of programming paradigms.

The 80's: Pioneering languages

During the 1980s, imperative languages underwent a refinement and consolidation period. The focus was improving ideas from the previous decade instead of introducing new paradigms. As a result, several languages emerged, each building on existing concepts. Here are some notable languages from this era.

• C++ (1980, renamed in 1983)

  • Developed as an extension of the C language, C++ combined object-oriented and systems programming. It became a powerful and versatile language widely used for various applications.

• Ada (1983)

  • Standardised by the United States government, Ada was designed for systems programming, particularly for defence contractors. It emphasised reliability, safety, and maintainability.

• Common Lisp (1984)

  • Common Lisp is an extended version of the Lisp programming language to standardise various dialects. It played a crucial role in artificial intelligence and symbolic mathematical computation.

• MATLAB (1984)

  • Initially developed for numerical computing, MATLAB became a versatile language in various scientific and engineering disciplines.

• Eiffel (1985)

  • Designed for software engineering, Eiffel focused on creating robust and reusable software components. It introduced the concept of design by contract.

• Objective-C (1986)

  • Blending Smalltalk and C, Objective-C became famous for its object-oriented features. It gained prominence in Apple's macOS and iOS development.

• LabVIEW (1986)

  • LabVIEW, a visual programming language, provided a graphical development environment for measurement and control systems. It enabled users to program using graphical symbols instead of text.

• Erlang (1986)

  • Developed for telecommunications systems, Erlang introduced concurrent programming and fault tolerance. It later found application in building scalable and fault-tolerant systems.

• Perl (1987)

  • Perl, the Practical Extraction and Reporting Language, became known for its text-processing capabilities and versatility. It gained popularity for web development and system administration.

• Tcl (1988)

  • Tcl, or Tool Command Language, was created for easy integration into applications and as a scripting language. It played a significant role in developing graphical user interfaces.

• FL (1989)

  • Created by John Backus, FL (Function Level), it focused on functional programming and influenced subsequent languages in this paradigm.

These languages, born in the 1980s, addressed specific programming needs and contributed to the evolution of software development practices and techniques. 

The 90's: Internet Expansion and Language Innovation

During the 1990s, the Internet experienced significant growth, leading to the emergence of innovative programming languages. This era saw the introduction of new languages that gained prominence and were widely adopted, thanks to the platform created by the Internet.

• Haskell (1990)

  • Haskell is a functional programming language that combines simplicity with expressive power. It played a crucial role in popularising functional programming concepts.

• Python (1990)

  • Python, known for its readability and versatility, emerged as a powerful, general-purpose language. Its design philosophy prioritised code readability and ease of use.

• Visual Basic (1991)

  • Visual Basic, developed by Microsoft, became famous for its ease of use and rapid application development capabilities. It played a significant role in Windows application development.

• Lua (1993)

  • Lua, designed for embedded systems and embedded development, gained recognition for its lightweight nature and simplicity. It found extensive use in gaming and other embedded applications.

• R (1993)

  • R, a programming language and free software environment, became a staple in statistical computing and data analysis.

• CLOS (1994)

  • The Common Lisp Object System (CLOS) became part of ANSI Common Lisp, enhancing object-oriented programming capabilities in Lisp.

• Ruby (1995)

  • Ruby, known for its elegant syntax and object-oriented approach, gained popularity for web development and scripting.

• Ada 95 (1995)

  • An upgraded version of Ada, Ada 95 focused on enhancing support for systems programming and real-time applications.

• Java (1995)

  • Java, a versatile and platform-independent language, rose to prominence with its "Write Once, Run Anywhere" capability. It played a pivotal role in web development.

• Delphi (Object Pascal) (1995)

  • Delphi, a high-level, object-oriented Pascal-based language, was developed by Borland. It facilitated rapid application development for Windows.

• Visual FoxPro (1995)

  • Visual FoxPro, developed by Microsoft, was a data-centric programming language for building database applications.

• JavaScript (1995)

  • JavaScript, closely associated with the growth of the web, became a fundamental language for client-side web development.

• PHP (1995)

  • PHP, a server-side scripting language, gained widespread use for developing dynamic web pages and web applications.

• OCaml (1996)

  • OCaml, an ML-derived language, contributed to the growth of functional programming and became known for its type inference system.

• Rebol (1997)

  • Rebol is a unique and lightweight language that expresses programming concepts in a human-readable form. It found applications in various domains.

Programming Languages of Now

Programming languages are an essential part of modern-day technology. Numerous programming languages are available, each with an innovative, adaptable, and interconnected ecosystem. During this time, it is necessary to understand the significant programming languages and their roles, connections, and the harmony they create in the technology-oriented world. 

Various applications rely on programming languages as their foundation. Python dominates data science and AI, while JavaScript rules web development. Many of the languages we use today are improved and evolved versions of older languages. They have inherited and built upon the foundations laid by their predecessors. For instance, Python was inspired by ABC, while TypeScript extends the capabilities of JavaScript. This intergenerational dialogue between programming languages ensures a seamless exchange of ideas and functionalities.

The Languages

Several significant languages have emerged after the year 2000.

• ActionScript (2000)

  • ActionScript, Adobe's scripting language, elevates the interactivity of Adobe Flash content and web applications.

• C# (2001)

  • Developed by Microsoft, C# is a crucial player in Windows application development, web services, and game development using the Unity game engine.

• D (2001)

  • D, born in the early 2000s, offers a blend of performance and productivity, finding applications in systems programming and game development.

• Scratch (2002)

  • Geared towards educational purposes, Scratch introduces programming concepts to beginners through a visual and interactive interface.

• Groovy (2003)

  • Groovy, a dynamic Java Virtual Machine (JVM) language, enhances Java development, promoting concise and expressive code.

• Scala (2003)

  • Scala, a fusion of object-oriented and functional programming, is employed for scalable and maintainable software development on the JVM.

• F# (2005)

  • F# finds its niche in functional programming on the .NET platform, particularly in data-oriented and analytical domains.

• PowerShell (2006)

  • Developed by Microsoft, PowerShell is integral for task automation and configuration management in Windows environments.

• Clojure (2007)

  • Clojure, a dialect of Lisp, is known for its focus on simplicity and immutability, making it a choice for concurrent programming.

• Nim (2008)

  • Nim combines high performance with expressive syntax in systems programming and game development domains.

• Go (2009)

  • Created by Google, Go is designed for simplicity and efficiency, finding its place in scalable and concurrent systems.

• Dart (2011)

  • Dart, developed by Google, is employed for web and mobile app development, particularly for building responsive and fast applications.

• Kotlin (2011)

  • Kotlin, which is interoperable with Java, is recognised for Android app development and offers concise syntax and enhanced safety features.

• Julia (2012)

  • Julia, designed for numerical and scientific computing, provides high-performance capabilities, particularly in data science and machine learning.

• TypeScript (2012)

  • TypeScript, a superset of JavaScript, enhances code maintainability in large-scale applications, particularly in web development.

• Elixir (2012)

  • Elixir, known for its fault-tolerant and scalable nature, is employed in building distributed and concurrent systems.

• Swift (2014)

  • Introduced by Apple, Swift is the language of choice for iOS and macOS app development, offering safety and performance.

• Hack (2014)

  • Developed by Facebook, Hack is employed for large-scale web development, providing static typing on top of PHP.

• Rust (2015)

  • Rust, lauded for its memory safety and performance, is utilised in systems programming, particularly in building efficient and safe systems.

• Raku (2015)

  • Formerly known as Perl 6, Raku is versatile, finding applications in web development, automation, and text processing.

• Ring (2016)

  • Ring, a functional language built on the JVM, is employed in web development, leveraging the power of Java libraries.

• Zig (2016)

  • Focusing on performance, Zig aims to be a pragmatic choice for low-level programming tasks and system development.

The Future Is Bright

As we end our exploration of programming languages, let's take a moment to appreciate the diverse range of languages that have graced the coding stage. It has been a captivating journey from Ada's 19th-century elegance to Carbon's contemporary debut. In this lively ensemble, Python navigates through data realms while JavaScript orchestrates the web, and every line of code contributes to a unique narrative. Whether you are a seasoned coder or a newcomer, remember that the code may be severe, but the adventure is always lighthearted.

And in the spirit of coding camaraderie, let's echo the timeless tradition with a friendly "Hello, world!" — a simple greeting that unites developers across the programming landscape. Cheers to the endless possibilities that each "Hello, world!" brings to this dynamic world of coding!