Types of Programming Languages

A programming language is a systematic set of instructions used by a computer. The code written in these languages is what allows software to operate. The primary classes of programming languages are Low-Level languages and High-Level languages.
Low-Level Languages: These are classified into two forms: Assembly language and Machine language. Machine language consists of binary codes understood by a computer, and it is very difficult for humans to read or write. Assembly language employs short mnemonic codes for instructions and allows symbolic naming of operands.
Assembly Language: This is a low-level language that symbolically represents a computer’s machine code. It is specific to a particular hardware platform and less abstractive. Symbols and abbreviations are used to replace binary codes.
Machine Language: This is the basic language for any electronic computing device and is processed using binary code. It allows you to programme a computer at a fundamental level but is difficult and time-consuming for programmers to use.
High-Level Languages: These languages are more easily read and written by humans. They offer more abstraction from the hardware. They are further categorised into Procedural, Object-Oriented, and Declarative languages.
Procedural Languages: These are based on the concept of the procedure call. Each procedure accomplishes a particular task, and the programmes are made up of such procedures. Examples include C, Basic, Fortran, and Pascal.
Object-Oriented Languages: In this paradigm, the focus is on objects, instances of a class, which encapsulate both data and procedures that should be able to access or manipulate that data. Examples of these languages include Java, Python, and C++.
Declarative Languages: These languages describe what the programme should accomplish, rather than describing how to accomplish it. They are divided into Logical, Functional and Database query languages. Examples include SQL, Haskell, and Prolog.
Scripting Languages: These are often used to connect individual software components, or to create short programmes. They’re designed for specific runtime environments, and can automate the execution of tasks. Examples include JavaScript, Perl, and PHP.
Markup Languages: Rather than programming processes, these languages annotate text so that the computer can manipulate that text in some way. These languages are generally designed to structure and present information on the web. Examples include HTML, XML, and SGML.

Remember, regardless of the type, a good understanding of how each language operates and where they are best used is crucial to effective problem solving and efficient coding.