Chapter 14. Programming Language Features

Ever since 1949, when John Mauchly developed Short Order Code, the first high-level programming language, software developers have debated which programming language was best. Most experienced software developers, however, will agree that every programming language has its pros and cons, depending on the application. There is no single language that is best for all software projects. Apart from language features, many external factors such as programmer familiarity , hardware platform, development tool support, and legacy code interface issues impact a project's language choice. In addition, different types of applications will be better suited to one language or another. This chapter provides a brief overview of the features available in some of the more common programming languages. The main benefits of each language are discussed, along with disadvantages that the language may present to your software project.