What makes different programming languages “better” than others? Or more powerful? Why have different languages developed over time? Are they all based on the same thing?
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There’s some good answers here, but I’m not sure they are at the ELI5 level… so here we go:
Programming languages are like vehicles. Some languages are like race cars and are good for speed. Some languages are like trucks. They are real work horses and get the job done, but they aren’t elegant or sexy. Some languages are like cars with an automatic transmission, so they are easy to drive, while others have a manual transmission (stick shift) and you have to do all the work yourself. Some languages are so “low level” that all you get is basically a set of wheels on a frame, like a dune buggy. If you wanted turn signals or a windshield, well, I guess you have to add that yourself. Some languages are luxury cars with fancy options like self-parking and lane-assist to keep you from hurting yourself.
There are so many kinds of cars and trucks and go-karts and all the rest because they all fulfill different needs, and it’s the same with programming languages.
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