Prolog is a high-level fourth-generation programming language. It’s mainly used in artificial intelligence research, applications and software, and is usually only found in expert systems and very advanced tech.
It’s an acronym for PROgramming in LOGic, and is a declarative language. That means that rather than telling the computer exactly what steps to follow, the programmer describes the problem that needs to be solved instead.
Technipages Explains Prolog
In its essence, Prolog closely resembles query languages that work with databases and in database management systems like SQL. There is an important difference though – while a query language has information that can be retrieved, a programming language does not.
In SQL, it’s possible to ask a database ‘Is Susan Maier over 18?’ provided the information is present. In a declarative programming language, this isn’t possible, but instead it’s possible to solve mathematical problems by describing them closely.
Prolog is particularly suited for AI work and computational linguistics. Expressions and code is written in terms of relations, facts, rules and standards. An actual computation is then run by entering information that is treated according to those standards.
Prolog is also the most popular logic programming language and has been since its conception in 1972. Logic programming languages rely on clearly defined rules, making them very distinct from object-oriented programming (the type of language often used in user-oriented software).
Common Uses of Prolog
- Prolog is short for PROgramming in LOGic, and was first conceived in 1972 by Alain Colmerauer and his group in France.
- Today, Prolog is very popular in AI research and applications that support machine learning.
- Compared to languages like PHP or Java, Prolog is logic-oriented, meaning that it works via a precise set of rules unique to each application.
Common Misuses of Prolog
- Prolog is the first section of any piece of code.
