An overview of nonprocedural languages

This paper attempts to describe some of the basic characteristics and issues involving the class of programming languages commonly referred to as "nonprocedural " or "very high level". The paper discusses major issues such as terminology, rela-tiveness, and arbitrary sequencing. Five features of nonprocedural languages are described, and a number of specific languages are discussed brief-ly. A short history of the subject is included. I t is characteristic of the programming f ie ld that much time and energy has been, and wi l l con-tinue to be, spent on terminology. This is per-haps an indication of the youth as well as th