What is 4 generation programming language?

Answer 1

There is no standard which defines what 4GL (fourth generation language) actually means. The terms 1GL, 2GL and 3GL were introduced retrospectively but they have no actual meaning because we never classify a programming language by generation. If we did, C++ would be a 10th generation language!

The term 4GL was formally introduced in 1981 to refer to high-level, non-procedural languages but marketing types were quick to describe their client's procedural languages as being 4GL -- because 4GL is "better" than 3GL -- without having to actually explain what 3GL meant. It was nothing more than meaningless jargon.

There have been many unsuccessful attempts to standardise the meaning of 4GL, but none have succeeded. Part of the problem is that 1GL is usually used to classify machine code (as used on first-generation computers) while 2GL is used to classify assembly languages 9despite assembly language being used on first-generation hardware), leaving 3GL for all the high-level languages (portable languages). Attempting to distinguish one portable language from another by calling it 4GL is somewhat pointless given there are already far better ways to classify languages.

High-level languages are best classified by the paradigms they support: declarative; imperative; structured; procedural; object-oriented; functional; logical; and so on. We can also classify by the domains they were primarily intended for: general-purpose; database management; applications software; Artificial Intelligence; and so on. Dividing high-level languages into two distinct groups (3GL and 4GL) tells us next to nothing about a language's capabilities, particularly when no-one can agree on what 3GL or 4GL actually means -- despite Wikipedia's repeatedly unsuccessful attempts to the contrary.

Answer 2

C#