Higher-Level Languages

• First appeared in late 1950s: Lisp, Fortran, Algol.

• Each statement compiles to several instructions:

  x = 2*(y + z);
  

• System programming languages evolved from Algol:

  • PL/1, Pascal, C, C++, Java.
  • Develop more rapidly than with assembly language.
  • Small loss of efficiency.
  • Eventually replaced assembly language.

• Two key features of system programming languages:

  • Higher level.
  • Strong typing.

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