When looking at programming languages today we can divide them into two classes, Compiler and Interpreter. A compiler is when you take a high-level language into a low-level representational object code. This is held in RAM only for the time it takes to translate the source code into an object code. An interpreter reads code as it runs, making it slower. It reads each line of code and translates into machine language where it is executed. 

Another division we can see in programming languages is how it is programmed. If the program is imperative, that means it has been programmed with a sequence of instructions on how the computer is to achieve a certain goal, it is an object-oriented program. The alternative is a declarative program, this is when the programmer declares the properties of the desired result, but not how to solve it. The programmer creates many very small functions that are designed to be used together to create a more complex behaviour.

Swift was developed for Apple in 2010 by Chris Lattner along with Doug Gregor, John McCall, Ted Kremenek, and Joe Groff. Using Swift, you can create apps for every single Apple device, most popular websites will have their website and then an app made with Swift for Apple users such as LinkedIn, WordPress, and Kickstarter. It was inspired by many other programming languages that had already been developed and has gone through many of its own changes throughout the years since its initial release. In 2016 Swift 3.0 changed its syntax and with Swift 4.0 version you could update previously written code in Swift using migration functionality built into Xcode. Swift is a compiler language that is a functional program. Writing in Swift can actually give you the option of writing in imperative and declarative code. Swift can be used to write imperative code or you can use higher order functions to write mapping in Swift allowing you to write declarative code depending on what your needs might be.

Java was developed in the early 90’s by James Gosling and his team the “Green Team”, it was originally designed to interact with your TV but was too advanced for the time. Today Java is used for internet programming, mobile devices, games, e-business solutions, and more. Java is a simple, object oriented, program that is imperative and platform independent. This means that Java can be run on multiple platforms making it a compiler. Countless websites uses Java, Netflix, Uber, and Pinterest are just a few examples.

Python was started in December 1989 by Guido Van Rossum at CWI in the Netherlands and was published in 1991. It was released in 1994, it is an interpreter program and has gone through many updates that are continuing on today. Python is considered easy to learn as it is very close to the English language and is used for writing data analysis and processing, artificial intelligence, games, hardware, and desktop applications. Python is an imperative program and can be used to write a simple calculator but it is also used by Google and Youtube.

In 1994 Rasmus Lerdorf created PHP (Hpertext Preprocessor) and it was released in 1995. It is an interpreter program making it faster than its competitors ASP and JSP. PHP is used to manage the dynamic content of a website and it can be embedded into HTML like such sites as Etsy. It is an imperative language used not just by websites, it can be used in standalone graphical applications and even in robotic drone control.

Ruby was created in Japan in the mid 1990’s by Yukihiro Matsumoto, it was designed for programmers in mind. The goal was to make it fun and easy to understand for humans. Today Ruby is used for desktop applications, static websites, data processing services, and even automation tools, some examples being Airbnb, Hulu, and GitHub. Ruby is an interpreter language, reading code on the fly, it is also an imperative language.