Common programming languages – Java, Python and C

In this section, you’ll get a quick overview of three different common programming languages – Java, Python and C.

This should help you to understand why we have different programming languages, some of the basic differences between them and why programmers who use these languages might prefer to have a language-specific IDE.

High-level vs low-level

In the next section, you’ll look at high-level and low-level languages – these are the two main types of programming language, so it is important to understand a little bit about the differences between them.

High-level languages are programming languages that are designed to be easy for humans to understand and write. They are closer in appearance to spoken language, like English, than low-level languages. High-level languages are often used for building applications, web development, data analysis and other tasks that don’t require direct interaction with computer hardware. This makes them slower to run, but easier to work with.

Low-level languages are designed to give programmers more control over the hardware of a computer. They are often used for system-level programming, such as operating systems and embedded systems. Low-level languages are more difficult to learn and use than high-level languages because they require a deeper understanding of computer architecture and hardware. These languages produce code which is faster to run, but harder to work with.

Java

Java is a high-level programming language that is used to build applications that can run on any device or operating system. It is widely used in web and mobile applications such as e-commerce (shopping) systems. Java is known for its platform independence, which means that code written in Java can run on lots of different types of computer. It is also relatively easy to learn due to its simple syntax and simple command words.

Python

Python is a high-level programming language that is used for a wide range of applications, including web development, scientific computing, data analysis, and artificial intelligence. It is easy to learn and has a simple layout, which makes it a popular choice for beginners. There are also many different libraries available, which make things like creating web apps easy even for beginners.

C

C is a low-level programming language that is used to build operating systems and other system software. It is known for its speed and efficiency, as it can access a machine’s hardware directly and give programmers a lot of control over memory. C is not as user-friendly as Python or Java but it is a powerful tool for developers who need to build high-performance systems.

Differences

In summary, Java is used for building applications that can run on any platform, Python is used for scientific computing and data analysis, and C is used for building operating systems and other system software.

Python and Java are often considered easy to learn and read but are relatively slow to run, while C is more complicated to learn but also faster to run and gives the programmer more control over the computer’s hardware.