3GL

3GL stands for third-generation programming language. It refers to high-level programming languages designed to be readable and writable by humans, providing abstractions over machine code and enabling developers to express algorithms without managing hardware details. Like other high-level languages, they require a compiler or interpreter to translate code into executable instructions, and they typically run on multiple hardware platforms with the appropriate tooling.

Characteristics include imperative or procedural programming, support for variables, control structures, functions, and data structures. They emphasize portability and maintainability, trading off some raw control over hardware for easier development and readability. While earlier generations included assembly language and machine code, 3GLs abstract away most hardware-specific details and allow developers to focus on logic and algorithms.

Common examples include C, C++, Fortran, Pascal, and Ada. Java is frequently described as a 3GL, with a large ecosystem of compilers and runtimes. In practice, classification can vary, and some modern languages straddle boundaries with features that resemble both 3GL and higher-level paradigms. 3GLs were widely adopted from the 1970s through the 1990s and remain central for performance-critical software, system programming, and large-scale applications.

Relation to other generations: 4GLs, introduced later, aim to further reduce programming effort by providing higher-level abstractions or domain-specific languages, such as SQL for databases or MATLAB for numerical computation. 3GLs are generally more flexible and general-purpose than 4GLs but typically require more explicit programming and longer development cycles.