Xah Talk Show 2026-02-04 Ep756 Levels of Programming Languages. ASM, C, Go, Python, JavaScript, Lisp, Wolfram
- random chat. and start to code Wolfram language for
- xah-wolfram-mode in emacs lisp.
- the problem is, list all symbols, and given a symbol, determine if it is a function name, or option name, or other.
- casual talk. come ask questions.
Video Summary (Generated by AI, Edited by Human.)
This video, Xah Ep756 random. Wolfram language coding and stuff, features Xah Lee discussing several topics, including Wolfram Language, political commentary, and theoretical computer science.
Here's a breakdown of the discussion:
- Wolfram Language and Coding Challenge (0:51-9:42): Xah Lee explains his task of coding in Wolfram Language, specifically identifying function and option names from its 7,000 built-in symbols for his Emacs Lisp "xah-wolfram-mode." He highlights Wolfram Language as a high-level programming language.
- Political Commentary (1:35-2:25): The speaker briefly expresses his disappointment with the current political climate in the U.S., referencing the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement and the release of certain files.
- Levels of Programming Languages (19:50-31:18): Xah Lee categorizes programming languages by their "level," from machine language (lowest) to Wolfram Language (highest). He provides examples like assembly, C, Go, Rust, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, Lisp, and OCaml, explaining "higher level" in terms of code conciseness and abstraction.
- Theoretical Computer Science and Wolfram's Work (9:49-18:37, 33:00-33:32): The speaker delves into the works of Stephen Wolfram, particularly his articles on "ruliology," P versus NP problem, lambda calculus, and combinators. He emphasizes the importance of theoretical computer science, contrasting it with typical industry programming (43:51).
- Personal Anecdotes and Learning Process (37:09-43:40, 47:04-48:53): Xah Lee shares personal experiences, such as solving the eight queens problem on an HP calculator 30 years ago and his lack of interest in low-level programming. He also discusses the importance of solving already-solved problems as part of the learning process.
the level of programing language
the lowest is machine language, it looks like this
11100010000001101010000101
it's just 0 and 1s.
next, is assembly language. it basically looks like this:
x = 3
move 3 y
next higher level is c idiots
next higher level is cpp , golang, rust.
next higher level of programing language is bash, python, JavaScript, ruby, tcl, lua
next higher level of programing language is lisp, ocaml, fsharp, haskell.
next higher level of programing language, by a magnitude, is Wolfram language