By Arslan Mirza
Today, we’re embarking on a thrilling journey to explore the decade’s top 10 dying programming languages.
Segment I: The Eulogy Begins
1. COBOL: The Granddaddy of the Programming World
Hello, COBOL! How are you feeling today?
COBOL: “Well, I was born in 1959, and I’ve had a good run, but I think I might be approaching the end of the road.”
COBOL, the Common Business-Oriented Language, is one of the oldest programming languages. Despite its age, COBOL is still used in critical business applications like banking and insurance.
However, with modern languages on the rise, COBOL is slowly getting pushed to the sidelines.
2. Objective-C: The Apple of Yesteryear’s Eye
Hey, Objective-C! How’s the afterlife treating you?
Objective-C: “Well, it’s lonely here since Apple moved on to Swift.”
Objective-C was once the go-to language for Apple development, but with the introduction of Swift in 2014, Objective-C lost its luster.
Today, Objective-C remains relevant only for maintaining legacy codebases, making it one of the dying programming languages of the decade.
Segment II: A Trip Down Memory Lane
3. Perl: The Swiss Army Chainsaw That Lost Its Edge
Perl, the “Practical Extraction and Reporting Language”, was once hailed as a versatile and powerful scripting language.
But alas, with its complex syntax and a lack of modern features, Perl has fallen out of favor.
Perl, do you have any regrets?
Perl: “I should’ve made myself more readable and maintained a cleaner syntax. Oh, and that one time I tried to use regex to parse HTML… not my proudest moment.”
4. Tcl: The Tool Command Language Losing Its Grip
Tcl, pronounced “tickle,” was designed to be a simple, embeddable scripting language. While Tcl had its moment in the sun, it’s been overshadowed by more popular languages like Python.
Tcl, what’s the hardest part about being a dying language?
Tcl: “Honestly, it’s watching Python get all the love and attention. But hey, at least I still have Tk, my GUI toolkit buddy!”
Segment III: The Curious Case of the Dying Languages
5. Haskell: The Pure and (Im)practical Language
Haskell, an advanced purely-functional programming language, boasts impressive theoretical features but has struggled to find widespread adoption.
Haskell, why do you think you’re on this list?
Haskell: “Well, I might be a tad too academic for some programmers. But I swear, once you understand monads, I’m a hoot!”
6. Visual Basic: The BASICally Forgotten Language
Visual Basic, once a popular language for developing Windows applications, has faded into obscurity with the rise of modern languages like C# and .NET!
Visual Basic, any last words?
Visual Basic: “If only I could’ve evolved like my siblings C# and F#. But hey, at least I made programming more accessible for beginners!”
Segment IV: The Ancient Ones
7. Fortran: The Formula Translator Running Out of Formulas
Fortran, short for “Formula Translation”, was the first high-level programming language and played a crucial role in scientific computing.
However, with modern languages like Python offering extensive scientific libraries, Fortran’s star has waned.
Fortran, do you have any wisdom to share with the young languages?
Fortran: “Ah, you whippersnappers! Just remember, without me, you wouldn’t be here! And always respect your elders!”
8. Ada: The Lady Who Lost Her Charm
Ada, named after Ada Lovelace, was designed to be a safe and reliable language for critical systems. Despite being a pioneer in safety and security features, Ada has struggled to maintain its position in a competitive programming landscape.
Ada, how do you feel about being on this list?
Ada: “Well, it’s a little disheartening. I’ve done so much for safety, but I guess it’s time to pass the torch to Rust and other modern languages.”
Programming Pioneers: The Unsung Heroes Who Shaped Our Digital World
Segment V: The Final Farewells
9. ActionScript: The Fallen Hero of Flash
ActionScript was the scripting language for Adobe Flash, which was once the king of web multimedia content. With the rise of HTML5 and the decline of Flash, ActionScript has become a relic of the past.
ActionScript, any regrets?
ActionScript: “Oh, where do I begin? I suppose I should’ve adapted to the changing times. But hey, I had a good run!”
10. Pascal: The Educator’s Language Left Behind
Pascal was once the go-to language for teaching programming concepts due to its simple syntax and structured approach. Unfortunately, as modern languages became more prominent, Pascal was left behind.
Pascal, what would you like to be remembered for?
Pascal: “I’d like to be remembered as the language that inspired generations of programmers. It’s been a pleasure teaching you all!”
And with that,
We’ve come to the end of our journey through the digital graveyard. Though these languages may be fading away, they’ve all made their mark on the history of programming.
Let us remember them fondly and cherish the lessons they’ve taught us. Farewell, brave languages!
May you rest in code!ing (Source)