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
Common examples include C, C++, Fortran, Pascal, and Ada. Java is frequently described as a 3GL, with
Relation to other generations: 4GLs, introduced later, aim to further reduce programming effort by providing higher-level