4GL

Often abbreviated 4GL, fourth-generation languages are programming languages closer to human languages than typical high-level programming languages. Most 4GLs are used to access databases. For example, a typical 4GL command is

FIND ALL RECORDS WHERE NAME IS "SMITH"

The other four generations of computer languages are

first generation: machine language

second generation: assembly language

third generation: high-level programming languages, such as C, C++, and Java.

fifth generation: languages used for artificial intelligence and neural networks.