A programming language is a computer language programmers use to develop software programs, scripts, or other sets of instructions for computers to execute.

Although many languages share similarities, each has its own syntax. Once a programmer learns the language's rules, syntax, and structure, they write the source code in a text editor or IDE. Then, the programmer often compiles the code into machine language that can be understood by the computer. Scripting languages do not require a compiler and use an interpreter to execute the script.

5 Major types of programming languages

There are lots of ways to classify various programming languages, they mainly come down under five major categories.

i. Procedural programming languages

Procedural language follows a sequence of statements or commands to achieve a desired output. Each series of steps is called a procedure, and a program written in one of these languages will have one or more procedures within it. Common examples of procedural languages include:

C and C++

Java

ii. Functional programming languages

Rather than focusing on the execution of statements, functional languages focus on the output of mathematical functions and evaluations. Each function–a reusable module of code–performs a specific task and returns a result. The result will vary depending on what data you input into the function. Some popular functional programming languages include:

Scala

Erlang

iii. Object-oriented programming languages

This type of language treats a program as a group of objects composed of data and program elements, known as attributes and methods. Objects can be reused within a program or in other programs. This makes it a popular language type for complex programs, as code is easier to reuse and scale. Some common object-oriented programming (OOP) languages include:

Java

Python

C++

iv. Scripting languages

Programmers use scripting languages to automate repetitive tasks, manage dynamic web content, or support processes in larger applications. Some common scripting languages include:

Ruby

Python

Node.js

v. Logic programming languages

Instead of telling a computer what to do, a logical programming language expresses a series of facts and rules to instruct the computer on how to make decisions. Some examples of logic languages include:

Prolog

Absys

Datalog

This is not an exhaustive list there are many programming languages beyond the ones listed above.