Development of programming technology

Programming technologies are a set of methods and tools used in software development. They include both technical aspects (programming languages, frameworks and libraries) and methodological aspects (development life cycle models, architectural patterns, etc.). The main goal of programming technologies is to ensure fast and high-quality software creation.

Programming technologies began to develop actively in the middle of the XX century. The key point in this process was the constant development and introduction of new technologies that improved the programming process and allowed to create more complex and large-scale projects.

At first, programs were written in low-level languages such as assembler. At that time, the main task was to write programs for scientific and mathematical calculations. Later, high-level languages such as Fortran and COBOL appeared, which allowed programmers to write programs in a more human-understandable language. Later, more high-level programming languages such as C and Pascal appeared, which made it easier to write code.

In the 1980s, software development methodologies such as the “cascading” model and the “spiral” model began to evolve rapidly. In the 1990s, new approaches such as agile development methodology (Agile and Scrum) and development through testing (TDD) emerged. In addition, technologies such as databases, networking technologies and web applications began to develop during this period.

Today’s stage of development of programming technology is associated with the emergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain and many others. Open source code and technologies such as Linux, Git, Docker, etc. have also become heavily utilized. These technologies allow developers to create software quickly and efficiently, thus increasing the productivity and quality of projects.

Key milestones

Let’s break down the stages of development point by point:

Early period (1940s to 1950s).
Use of machine language and assembly language to write programs.
Development of the first computers such as ENIAC and UNIVAC.
The emergence of Fortran (FORTRAN) in 1957 as the first high-level programming language.

The era of structural programming (1960s – 1970s).
The development of programming languages such as COBOL, ALGOL and PL/I.
The use of structural programming to improve program quality.
The development of the C (C) language in 1972, which became the basis for many modern languages.

The emergence of object-oriented programming (1980s to 1990s).
The development of programming languages such as Smalltalk, C++ and Java.
The emergence of the concept of object-oriented programming.
The use of object-oriented programming to create more flexible and modular programs.

The era of modern programming technologies (2000s and later).
The development of programming languages such as Python, JavaScript, and Ruby.
The emergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of Things.
The use of new technologies to create more complex and powerful programs.

Note that each stage of development of programming technology did not mean the complete replacement of previous technologies by new ones. Moreover, many of them are still used in various projects. Each stage is simply the next step in the development and improvement of programming technologies.