Often abbreviated 4GL, fourth-generation languages are programming languages closer to human languages than typical high-level programming languages. Most 4GLs are used to access databases. For example, a typical 4GL command is FIND ALL RECORDS WHERE NAME IS "SMITH"

But, the definition can apply to Perl, in that the language is much closer to English than C or Java. For example,

foreach $item (@list_of_stuff)
{
    next if $item eq "Something bad";
    do_stuff($item);
}
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And, from what I've read about Perl6, this will be even more the case. My feeling is that any language that provides the following is a candidate for being a 4th-generation lenguage.

• Abstracts away physical hardware (where possible), like memory management
• Provide higher-order constructs as first-order variables (like hashes)
• Allows for flows that closely map to human thought processes

But, as always, this is just my opinion.

4GL => 4th generation languages. I've often heard Perl described as a fourth generation language. Of course, I should've looked up the definition first.

Often abbreviated 4GL, fourth-generation languages are programming languages closer to human languages than typical high-level programming languages. Most 4GLs are used to access databases. For example, a typical 4GL command is FIND ALL RECORDS WHERE NAME IS "SMITH"

By this definition, doesn't COBOL qualify as a 4GL?

-QM

--

Quantum Mechanic

Yes, yes it does. And with the screen handling features some versions have, it still does it better than many of the "4GLs" that came out of the '80s and '90s.

Whether that speaks more to the deficiencies of the 4GL wave or the prescience of COBOL I'll leave to someone else to decide.

Actually, according to their definitions, COBOL would be considered a third-generation language (as would be ForTran and BASIC, which were developed around the same time, if memory serves, as well as C/C++ and Java).