From the 1940s until today -- a period of only 50 years -- the computer's development has spurred the growth of technology into realms only dreamed of at the turn of the century. It has changed the way we live and how we do business. Today, we depend on computers to process our paychecks, send rockets into space, build cars and machines of all types, and help us do our shipping and banking. The computer program's role in this technology is essential; without a list of instructions to follow, the computer is virtually useless. Programming languages allow us to write those programs, and thus to communicate with computers.