Computer languages are classified as low-level, intermediate, or high-level. A low-level or machine language is the most basic because it is the only type that a computer can interpret directly, in hardware. In fact, each computer can directly interpret only that machine language which is particular to the details of its own physical structure. An intermediate language, such as assembly language, must be translated into machine language in order to be executed, but is similar to a low-level language because it lacks sophistication; in general, an intermediate language is closer to a low-level language than to a high-level language. A high-level language, sometimes called a high-order language, possesses the following four characteristics: (1) it is written to be independent of the hardware of a type or class of computers; (2) it is fairly close to human languages in structure and syntax; (3) it provides a level of sophistication significantly...