The question is simple:
What is the most system independent, processor independent, and legally unencumbered language?
Many people would spit out 'Java' in a heartbeat but what about Javasript, if there's a standard browser it should come up fine, or Java's weaker counterpart Lava? Or the kings of scripted languages Python Ruby and Perl? There's also Javascripts' cousins: PHP, HTML, XML, CSS, XHTML, and so on.
There is also the compiled ones: C, C++, D, GO!, Ada, (my fav) Fortran, etc..
There are also other criteria:
If sriPted what platforms are supported? Java only has three and only 32 and 64 bit kinds.
Does it have a 16,8 and older bit versions? Mostly 16 bit
Will t'he compiled binaries work over systems?
Will the source code work on other systems?
How well is the system command handled?
Does it support all three giants? Windows OSX and Linux/BSD/HURD
does it support DOS?
does it have a 64bit version?
All must be taken into account.
Even ASM has a chance here because it does well if you use commands that alot of prossesors (mainly x86 mabey a little PowerPC) use.
BATCH FILES ARE OUT I KNOW IM GIVIN ASSEMBLY A CHANCE BUT NOT BATCH/BASH/SHELL SCRIPTING ARE OUT!!
There is also personal opinion!
What is the highest language?

And the point of this is..?

Writing a paper and need some input, Reading about each individual one wouldn't service well because they never show downsides or the ones that do dont give them accurately; EX 'Come to the C side (C++, Objective C, D, C) we have Pointers' is not accrete because some people HATE pointers. And some downsides (EX Compileing and debugging takes forever) also isn't accrete because in some situation it really isn't a bother.
The people here have learned at least one of the languages above (most others must be obscure to leave my sight BASIC is unstamdarized and doesn't really count) and know the true pices of info.
And a quote from this awesome article: "Linux was made by geeks and hackers for geeks and hackers"
So most people on this forum also know a language.
And I'm looking to learn a third (therecticaly fourth) language.

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xml, html, css are not programming languages. Not even related to javascript.

java unencumbered? Er... It's owned by *Oracle*.

All the ones you mention are the commercial/fashionable ones.
if you really want something different try something like lisp.
or haskell, or prolog i.e. non procedural.


Why run on multiple systems? Why would you want to?
This basically means removing all the clever stuff from a unix machine so it can run on windows.

If you want to play a game or type a letter use windows.
If you want to do some computing, use unix.
innit?

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English. You can't go higher than that.

Write down instructions on paper, give them to programmer to "process", receive implementation in any computer language later.

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I thought I shot down java...
HTML, and the others are related in that they are used for web development.
They may not be programing languages but can sure do some nifty things, and I sorta ment with conjunction of each other.
Now back to the question.

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Python and other scripting languages might come close to being supported on many platforms, by virtue of being interpreted, but I doubt if any modern programming language would support DOS or other older architectures.

Basically computers have changed so much over the decades that it might be impossible to find a single programming language that covers the entire spectrum of machines and architecures.

Oh, BASIC might also be a contender. BASIC variants go back a long way and there might be modern free BASIC compilers/interpreters that would work provided you stick to elementary BASIC.

C is obviously ubiquitous if not high level.

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Huh ? How can a PowerPC binary run on x86 or on Alpha or on ARM ?

good post

The post is actually senseless. Here is a Russian joke on programmers translated into English:

A programmer's wife gives her husband shopping instruction: "Go to the grocery store and buy a pack of eggs. And if you see muffins, then two".

The programmer returns home with two packs of eggs. His wife is quite surprised. The programmer explains: "As you told me, I saw packs of eggs, and since I also muffins, I bought two packs of eggs".

...

I think I've mentioned in this forum "metal bird cage" - prove to me that the word "metal" is related "cage" (you won't be able, even through common sense - if you try, I'll tell you a true story).

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Yup, good old BASIC. It is high level by any reasonable standard. It has been implemented for every personal computer I'm aware of in one form or another. Even some smaller devices like calculators have BASIC built in.

No one mentioned
SMALLTALK - a valid option with both free and $$$ implementations
P/L-B or DBC - though the open-source options are immature and incomplete

Some of the things you mentioned are not really languages, or are but without the criteria you specified (as noted by others above).

I would vote for PERL or BASIC for procedural languages (though I favor FORTRAN a bit myself). It should be noted that BASH, ZSH, CSH, and KSH have versions or ports for so many platforms now that they cannot be totally ignored.

The Object based languages are such a fast moving mix: but all of the P's including Pascal, PERL, PYTHON, PHP as well as the much more mature SMALLTALK certainly deserve mention. Java does not.

[rant-mode]
Javascript should not even be in the same sentence as any of the others. I consider it an obscenity and block it globally, allowing it only where it is required and appears reasonably well-behaved. I once built web facilities using javascript, and the language itself is not the problem. The problem that it has been misused beyond all reason.
[/rant-mode]

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Well then his post wasn't senseless, it's just that you can't be sure you'll write your english 'code' right first time, there's ambiguity that's found while interpreting, and a good interpreter will highlight this or have a default choice.
You have the same back & forth with who you're specifying for/to as if you were directly coding, it's just that you end up with a well-defined requirement/specification rather than an implementation (which should then be trivial, of course)

What does "legally unencumbered language" mean? That there are no operators or functions that use foul words?
You know none of the 7 words prohibited from u.s. radio.

Also, sorry to nitpick, but what's "therecticaly" mean? Freudian slip? I think VB would be considered rectal.

Try erlang it's great for multicore hardware.

When you start development of a project from scratch, you receive the spec from client/employer describing program behavior. If a client is smart/experienced, spec will be written and detailed. If he's not experienced, then you'll get vague verbal description. If development is continuous, spec will keep changing. This is actual program - in english or whatever language client uses. Programmer's job is to translate it into programming language, resolving ambiguities and extracting definitions and explanations from client in the process (by any means necessary). It is pretty similar to the way compiler translates program into machine code - you request to do certain thing, but you don't know for certain how exactly compiler will implement it. So yeah, human language is the highest level.

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