Comparison of programming languages (basic instructions)

Programming language comparisons
General comparison Basic syntax Basic instructions Arrays Associative arrays String operations String functions List comprehension Object-oriented programming Object-oriented constructors Database access Database RDBMS
Evaluation strategy List of "hello world" programs
ALGOL 58's influence on ALGOL 60 ALGOL 60: Comparisons with other languages Comparison of ALGOL 68 and C++ ALGOL 68: Comparisons with other languages Compatibility of C and C++ Comparison of Pascal and Borland Delphi Comparison of Object Pascal and C Comparison of Pascal and C Comparison of Java and C++ Comparison of C# and Java Comparison of C# and Visual Basic .NET

Comparison of programming languages is a common topic of discussion among software engineers. Basic instructions of several programming languages are compared here.

Conventions of this article

The bold is the literal code. The non-bold is interpreted by the reader. Statements in guillemets (« … ») are optional. Tab ⇆ indicates a necessary indent.

Type identifiers

Integers

	8 bit (byte)		16 bit (short integer)		32 bit		64 bit (long integer)		Word size		Arbitrarily precise (bignum)
	Signed	Unsigned	Signed	Unsigned	Signed	Unsigned	Signed	Unsigned	Signed	Unsigned
ALGOL 68 (variable-width)	short short int	N/A	short int	N/A	int	N/A	long int	N/A	int	N/A	long long int
									bytes & bits
C (C99 fixed-width)	int8_t	uint8_t	int16_t	uint16_t	int32_t	uint32_t	int64_t	uint64_t	int	unsigned int	N/A
C++ (C++11 fixed-width)
C (C99 variable-width)	signed char	unsigned char	short	unsigned short	long	unsigned long	long long	unsigned long long
C++ (C++11 variable-width)
Objective-C	signed char	unsigned char	short	unsigned short	long	unsigned long	long long	unsigned long long	int or NSInteger	unsigned int or NSUInteger
C#	sbyte	byte	short	ushort	int	uint	long	ulong	N/A		System.Numerics.BigInteger (.NET 4.0)
Java	byte	N/A		char		N/A		N/A			java.math.BigInteger
Go	int8	uint8 or byte	int16	uint16	int32	uint32	int64	uint64	int	uint	big.Int
D	byte	ubyte	short	ushort	int	uint	long	ulong	N/A	N/A	BigInt
Common Lisp											bignum
Scheme
Pascal (FPC)	shortint	byte	smallint	word	longint	longword	int64	qword	integer	cardinal	N/A
Visual Basic	N/A	Byte	Integer	N/A	Long	N/A	N/A		N/A		N/A
Visual Basic .NET	SByte		Short	UShort	Integer	UInteger	Long	ULong			System.Numerics.BigInteger (.NET 4.0)
Python 2.x	N/A		N/A		N/A		N/A		int	N/A	long
Python 3.x	N/A		N/A		N/A		N/A		N/A		int
S-Lang	N/A		N/A		N/A		N/A		N/A		N/A
Fortran	INTEGER(KIND = n)	N/A	INTEGER(KIND = n)	N/A	INTEGER(KIND = n)	N/A	INTEGER(KIND = n)	N/A
PHP	N/A		N/A		int	N/A	N/A		N/A
Perl 5	N/A		N/A		N/A		N/A		N/A		Math::BigInt
Perl 6	int8	uint8	int16	uint16	int32	uint32	int64	uint64	Int	N/A
Ruby	N/A		N/A		N/A		N/A		Fixnum	N/A	Bignum
Windows PowerShell	N/A		N/A		N/A		N/A		N/A		N/A
OCaml	N/A		N/A		int32	N/A	int64	N/A	int or nativeint		open Big_int;; big_int
F#	sbyte	byte	int16	uint16	int32 or int	uint32		uint64	nativeint	unativeint	bigint
Standard ML	N/A	Word8.word	N/A		Int32.int	Word32.word	Int64.int	Word64.word	int	word	LargeInt.int or IntInf.int
Haskell (GHC)	«import Int» Int8	«import Word» Word8	«import Int» Int16	«import Word» Word16	«import Int» Int32	«import Word» Word32	«import Int» Int64	«import Word» Word64	Int	«import Word» Word	Integer
Eiffel	INTEGER_8	NATURAL_8	INTEGER_16	NATURAL_16	INTEGER_32	NATURAL_32	INTEGER_64	NATURAL_64	INTEGER	NATURAL	N/A

^a The standard constants int shorts and int lengths can be used to determine how many shorts and longs can be usefully prefixed to short int and long int. The actually size of the short int, int and long int is available as constants short max int, max int and long max int etc.
^b Commonly used for characters.
^c The ALGOL 68, C and C++ languages do not specify the exact width of the integer types "short", "int", "long", and (C99, C++11) "long long", so they are implementation-dependent. In C and C++ "short", "long", and "long long" types are required to be at least 16, 32, and 64 bits wide, respectively, but can be more. The "int" type is required to be at least as wide as "short" and at most as wide as "long", and is typically the width of the word size on the processor of the machine (i.e. on a 32-bit machine it is often 32 bits wide; on 64-bit machines it is often 64 bits wide). C99 and C++11^{[citation needed]} also define the "[u]intN_t" exact-width types in the stdint.h header. See C syntax#Integral types for more information.
^d Perl 5 does not have distinct types. Integers, floating point numbers, strings, etc. are all considered "scalars".
^e PHP has two arbitrary-precision libraries. The BCMath library just uses strings as datatype. The GMP library uses an internal "resource" type.
^f The value of "n" is provided by the SELECTED_INT_KIND intrinsic function.
^g ALGOL 68G's run time option --precision "number" can set precision for long long int's to the required "number" significant digits. The standard constants long long int width and long long max int can be used to determine actual precision.

Floating point

	Single precision	Double precision	Processor dependent
ALGOL 68	real	long real	short real etc. & long long real etc.
C	float	double	N/A
Objective-C
C++ (STL)
C#	float		N/A
Java
Go	float32	float64
D	float	double	real
Common Lisp
Scheme
Pascal (Free Pascal)	single	double	real
Visual Basic	Single	Double	N/A
Visual Basic .NET
Python	N/A	float
JavaScript		Number	N/A
S-Lang
Fortran	REAL(KIND = n)
PHP		float
Perl
Perl 6	num32	num64	Num
Ruby	N/A	Float	N/A
Windows PowerShell
OCaml	N/A	float
F#	float32
Standard ML	N/A	real
Haskell (GHC)	Float	Double
Eiffel	REAL_32	REAL_64

^a The standard constants real shorts and real lengths can be used to determine how many shorts and longs can be usefully prefixed to short real and long real. The actually size of the short real, real and long real is available as constants short max real, max real and long max real etc. With the constants short small real, small real and long small real available for each type's machine epsilon.
^b declarations of single precision often are not honored
^c The value of "n" is provided by the SELECTED_REAL_KIND intrinsic function.
^g ALGOL 68G's run time option --precision "number" can set precision for long long real's to the required "number" significant digits. The standard constants long long real width and long long max real can be used to determine actual precision.

Complex numbers

	Integer	Single precision	Double precision	Half and Quadruple precision etc.
ALGOL 68	N/A	compl	long compl etc.	short compl etc. & long long compl etc.
C (C99)	N/A	float complex	double complex	N/A
C++ (STL)	N/A	«std::»complex<float>	«std::»complex<double>
C#	N/A	N/A	System.Numerics.Complex (.Net 4.0)
Java	N/A	N/A	N/A
Go	N/A	complex64	complex128
D	N/A	cfloat	cdouble
Objective-C	N/A	N/A	N/A
Common Lisp
Scheme
Pascal	N/A	N/A
Visual Basic	N/A	N/A
Visual Basic .NET	N/A	N/A	System.Numerics.Complex (.Net 4.0)
Perl			Math::Complex
Perl 6		complex64	complex128	Complex
Python			complex	N/A
JavaScript	N/A	N/A
S-Lang	N/A	N/A
Fortran		COMPLEX(KIND = n)
Ruby	Complex	N/A	Complex
Windows PowerShell	N/A	N/A
OCaml	N/A	N/A	Complex.t
F#			System.Numerics.Complex (.Net 4.0)
Standard ML	N/A	N/A	N/A
Haskell (GHC)	N/A	Complex.Complex Float	Complex.Complex Double
Eiffel	N/A	N/A	N/A

^a The value of "n" is provided by the SELECTED_REAL_KIND intrinsic function.

Other variable types

	Text		Boolean	Enumeration	Object/Universal
	Character	String
ALGOL 68	char	string & bytes	bool & bits	N/A - User defined	N/A
C (C99)	char wchar_t	N/A	bool	enum «name» {item1, item2, ... };	void *
C++ (STL)		«std::»string
Objective-C	unichar	NSString *	BOOL		id
C#	char	string	bool	enum name {item1, item2, ... }	object
Java		String	boolean		Object
Go	rune	string	bool	const ( item1 = iota item2 ... )	interface{}
D	char	string	bool	enum name {item1, item2, ... }	std.variant.Variant
Common Lisp
Scheme
Pascal (ISO)	char	N/A	boolean	(item1, item2, ...)	N/A
Object Pascal (Delphi)		string			variant
Visual Basic	N/A	String	Boolean	Enum name item1 item2 ... End Enum	Variant
Visual Basic .NET	Char				Object
Python	N/A	str	bool		object
JavaScript	N/A	String	Boolean		Object
S-Lang
Fortran	CHARACTER(LEN = *)	CHARACTER(LEN = :), allocatable	LOGICAL(KIND = n)		CLASS(*)
PHP	N/A	string	bool		object
Perl	N/A
Perl 6	Char	Str	Bool	enum name <item1 item2 ...> or enum name <<:item1(value) :item2(value) ...>>	Mu
Ruby	N/A	String	Object		Object
Windows PowerShell
OCaml	char	string	bool	N/A	N/A
F#				type name = item1 = value | item2 = value | ...	obj
Standard ML				N/A	N/A
Haskell (GHC)	Char	String	Bool	N/A	N/A
Eiffel	CHARACTER	STRING	BOOLEAN	N/A	ANY

^a specifically, strings of arbitrary length and automatically managed.
^b This language represents a boolean as an integer where false is represented as a value of zero and true by a non-zero value.
^c All values evaluate to either true or false. Everything in TrueClass evaluates to true and everything in FalseClass evaluates to false.
^d This language does not have a separate character type. Characters are represented as strings of length 1.
^e Enumerations in this language are algebraic types with only nullary constructors
^f The value of "n" is provided by the SELECTED_INT_KIND intrinsic function.

Derived types

Array

Further information: Comparison of programming languages (array)

	fixed size array		dynamic size array
	one-dimensional array	multi-dimensional array	one-dimensional array	multi-dimensional array
ALGOL 68	[first:last]«modename» or simply: [size]«modename»	[first1:last1,first2:last2]«modename» or [first1:last1][first2:last2]«modename» etc.	flex[first:last]«modename» or simply: flex[size]«modename»	flex[first1:last1,first2:last2]«modename» or flex[first1:last1]flex[first2:last2]«modename» etc.
C (C99)
C++ (STL)	«std::»array<type, size>(C++11)		«std::»vector<type>
C#	type[]	type[,,...]	System.Collections.ArrayList or System.Collections.Generic.List<type>
Java	type[]	type[][]...	ArrayList or ArrayList<type>
D	type[size]	type[size1][size2]	type[]
Go	[size]type	[size1][size2]...type	vector.Vector
Objective-C	NSArray		NSMutableArray
JavaScript	N/A	N/A	Array
Common Lisp
Scheme
Pascal	array[first..last] of type	array[first1..last1] of array[first2..last2] ... of type or array[first1..last1, first2..last2, ...] of type	N/A	N/A
Object Pascal (Delphi)			array of type	array of array ... of type
Visual Basic
Visual Basic .NET			System.Collections.ArrayList or System.Collections.Generic.List(Of type)
Python			list
S-Lang
Fortran	type :: name(size)	type :: name(size1, size2,...)	type, ALLOCATABLE :: name(:)	type, ALLOCATABLE :: name(:,:,...)
PHP			array
Perl
Perl 6			Array[type] or Array of type
Ruby			Array
Windows PowerShell	type[]	type[,,...]
OCaml	type array	type array ... array
F#	type [] or type array	type [,,...]	System.Collections.ArrayList or System.Collections.Generic.List<type>
Standard ML	type vector or type array
Haskell (GHC)

^a In most expressions (except the sizeof and & operators), values of array types in C are automatically converted to a pointer of its first argument. Also C's arrays can not be described in this format. See C syntax#Arrays.
^b The C-like "type x[]" works in Java, however "type[] x" is the preferred form of array declaration.
^c Subranges are used to define the bounds of the array.
^d JavaScript's array are a special kind of object.

Other types

	Simple composite types		Algebraic data types	Unions
	Records	Tuple expression
ALGOL 68	struct (modename «fieldname», ...);	Required types and operators can be user defined		union (modename, ...);
C (C99)	struct «name» {type name;...};	N/A	N/A	union {type name;...};
Objective-C
C++	struct «name» {type name;...};	«std::»tuple<type1..typen>
C#	struct name {type name;...}			N/A
Java	N/A
JavaScript		N/A
D	struct name {type name;...}		std.variant.Algebraic!(type,...)	union {type name;...}
Go	struct { «name» type ... }
Common Lisp		(cons val1 val2)
Scheme	N/A
Pascal	record name: type; ... end	N/A	N/A	record case type of value: (types); ... end
Visual Basic
Visual Basic .NET	Structure name Dim name As type ... End Structure
Python	N/A	«(»val1, val2, val3, ... «)»		N/A
S-Lang	struct {name [=value], ...}
Fortran	TYPE name type :: name ... END TYPE
PHP	N/A
Perl	N/A			N/A
Perl 6	N/A
Ruby	OpenStruct.new({:name => value})
Windows PowerShell
OCaml	type name = {«mutable» name : type;...}	«(»val1, val2, val3, ... «)»	type name = Foo «of type» | Bar «of type» | ...	N/A
F#
Standard ML	type name = {name : type,...}	(val1, val2, val3, ... )	datatype name = Foo «of type» | Bar «of type» | ...
Haskell	data Name = Constr {name :: type,...}		data Name = Foo «types» | Bar «types» | ...

^a Only classes are supported.
^b structs in C++ are actually classes, but have default public visibility and are also POD objects. C++11 extended this further, to make classes act identically to POD objects in many more cases.
^c pair only
^d Although Perl doesn't have records, because Perl's type system allows different data types to be in an array, "hashes" (associative arrays) that don't have a variable index would effectively be the same as records.
^e Enumerations in this language are algebraic types with only nullary constructors

Variable and constant declarations

	variable	constant	type synonym
ALGOL 68	modename name «:= initial_value»;	modename name = value;	mode synonym = modename;
C (C99)	type name «= initial_value»;	enum{ name = value };	typedef type synonym;
Objective-C
C++		const type name = value;
C#	type name «= initial_value»; or var name = value;	const type name = value; or readonly type name = value;	using synonym = type;
D	type name «= initial_value»; or auto name = value;	const type name = value; or immutable type name = value;	alias type synonym;
Java	type name «= initial_value»;	final type name = value;	N/A
JavaScript	var name «= initial_value»;	const name = value;
Go	var name type «= initial_value» or name := initial_value	const name «type» = initial_value	type synonym type
Common Lisp	(defparameter name initial_value) or (defvar name initial_value) or (setf (symbol-value 'symbol) initial_value)	(defconstant name value)	(deftype synonym () 'type)
Scheme	(define name initial_value)
Pascal	name: type «= initial_value»	name = value	synonym = type
Visual Basic	Dim name As type	Const name As type = value
Visual Basic .NET	Dim name As type«= initial_value»		Imports synonym = type
Python	name = initial_value	N/A	synonym = type
S-Lang	name = initial_value;		typedef struct {...} typename
Fortran	type name	type, PARAMETER :: name = value
PHP	$name = initial_value;	define("name", value); const name = value (5.3+)	N/A
Perl	«my» $name «= initial_value»;	use constant name => value;
Perl 6	«my «type»» $name «= initial_value»;	«my «type»» constant name = value;	::synonym ::= type
Ruby	name = initial_value	Name = value	synonym = type
Windows PowerShell	«[type]» $name = initial_value
OCaml	let name «: type ref» = ref value	let name «: type» = value	type synonym = type
F#	let mutable name «: type» = value
Standard ML	val name «: type ref» = ref value	val name «: type» = value
Haskell		«name::type;» name = value	type Synonym = type
Forth	VARIABLE name (in some systems use value VARIABLE name instead)	value CONSTANT name

^a Pascal has declaration blocks. See Comparison of programming languages (basic instructions)#Functions.
^b Types are just regular objects, so you can just assign them.
^c In Perl, the "my" keyword scopes the variable into the block.
^d Technically, this does not declare name to be a mutable variable—in ML, all names can only be bound once; rather, it declares name to point to a "reference" data structure, which is a simple mutable cell. The data structure can then be read and written to using the ! and := operators, respectively.

Control flow

Conditional statements

	if	else if	select case	conditional expression
ALGOL 68 & "brief form"	if condition then statements «else statements» fi	if condition then statements elif condition then statements fi	case switch in statements, statements«,... out statements» esac	( condition | valueIfTrue | valueIfFalse )
	( condition | statements «| statements» )	( condition | statements |: condition | statements )	( variable | statements,... «| statements» )
C (C99)	if (condition) {instructions} «else {instructions}»	if (condition) {instructions} else if (condition) {instructions} ... «else {instructions}»	switch (variable) { case case1: instructions «break;» ... «default: instructions» }	condition ? valueIfTrue : valueIfFalse
Objective-C
C++ (STL)
D
Java
JavaScript
PHP
C#			switch (variable) { case case1: instructions; «jump statement;» ... «default: instructions; «jump statement;»» }
Windows PowerShell		if (condition) { instructions } elseif (condition) { instructions } ... «else { instructions }»	switch (variable) { case1 { instructions «break;» } ... «default { instructions }»}
Go	if condition {instructions} «else {instructions}»	if condition {instructions} else if condition {instructions} ... «else {instructions}» or switch { case condition: instructions ... «default: instructions» }	switch variable { case case1: instructions ... «default: instructions» }
Perl	if (condition) {instructions} «else {instructions}» or unless (notcondition) {instructions} «else {instructions}»	if (condition) {instructions} elsif (condition) {instructions} ... «else {instructions}» or unless (notcondition) {instructions} elsif (condition) {instructions} ... «else {instructions}»	use feature "switch"; ... given (variable) { when (case1) { instructions } ... «default { instructions }» }	condition ? valueIfTrue : valueIfFalse
Perl 6	if condition {instructions} «else {instructions}» or unless notcondition {instructions}	if condition {instructions} elsif condition {instructions} ... «else {instructions}	given variable { when case1 { instructions } ... «default { instructions }» }	condition ?? valueIfTrue !! valueIfFalse
Ruby	if condition instructions «else instructions» end	if condition instructions elsif condition instructions ... «else instructions» end	case variable when case1 instructions ... «else instructions» end	condition ? valueIfTrue : valueIfFalse
Common Lisp	(when condition instructions) or (unless condition instructions) or (if condition (progn instructions) «(progn instructions)»)	(cond (condition1 instructions) (condition2 instructions) ... «(t instructions)»)	(case expression (case1 instructions) (case2 instructions) ... «(otherwise instructions)»)	(if condition valueIfTrue valueIfFalse)
Scheme	(when conditioninstructions) or (if condition (begin instructions) «(begin instructions)»)	(cond (condition1 instructions) (condition2 instructions) ... «(else instructions)»)	(case (variable) ((case1) instructions) ((case2) instructions) ... «(else instructions)»)
Pascal	if condition then begin instructions end «else begin instructions end»	if condition then begin instructions end else if condition then begin instructions end ... «else begin instructions end»	case variable of case1: instructions ... «else: instructions» end
Visual Basic	If condition Then instructions «Else instructions» End If	If condition Then instructions ElseIf condition Then instructions ... «Else instructions» End If	Select Case variable Case case1 instructions ... «Case Else instructions» End Select	IIf(condition, valueIfTrue, valueIfFalse)
Visual Basic .NET				If(condition, valueIfTrue, valueIfFalse)
Python	if condition : Tab ⇆ instructions «else: Tab ⇆ instructions»	if condition : Tab ⇆ instructions elif condition : Tab ⇆ instructions ... «else: Tab ⇆ instructions»	N/A	valueIfTrue if condition else valueIfFalse (Python 2.5+)
S-Lang	if (condition) { instructions } «else { instructions }»	if (condition) { instructions } else if (condition) { instructions } ... «else { instructions }»	switch (variable) { case case1: instructions } { case case2: instructions } ...
Fortran	IF (condition) THEN instructions ELSE instructions ENDIF	IF (condition) THEN instructions ELSEIF (condition) THEN instructions ... ELSE instructions ENDIF	SELECT CASE(variable) CASE (case1) instructions ... CASE DEFAULT instructions END SELECT
Forth	condition IF instructions « ELSE instructions» THEN	condition IF instructions ELSE condition IF instructions THEN THEN	value CASE case OF instructions ENDOF case OF instructions ENDOF      default instructions ENDCASE	condition IF valueIfTrue ELSE valueIfFalse THEN
OCaml	if condition then begin instructions end «else begin instructions end»	if condition then begin instructions end else if condition then begin instructions end ... «else begin instructions end»	match value with pattern1 -> expression | pattern2 -> expression ... «| _ -> expression»	if condition then valueIfTrue else valueIfFalse
F#	if condition then Tab ⇆ instructions «else Tab ⇆ instructions»	if condition then Tab ⇆ instructions elif condition then Tab ⇆ instructions ... «else Tab ⇆ instructions»
Standard ML	if condition then «(»instructions «)» else «(» instructions «)»	if condition then «(»instructions «)» else if condition then «(» instructions «)» ... else «(» instructions «)»	case value of pattern1 => expression | pattern2 => expression ... «| _ => expression»
Haskell (GHC)	if condition then expression else expression or when condition (do instructions) or unless notcondition (do instructions)	result | condition = expression | condition = expression | otherwise = expression	case value of { pattern1 -> expression; pattern2 -> expression; ... «_ -> expression» }
	if	else if	select case	conditional expression

^a A single instruction can be written on the same line following the colon. Multiple instructions are grouped together in a block which starts on a newline (The indentation in required). The conditional expression syntax does not follow this rule.
^b This is pattern matching and is similar to select case but not the same. It is usually used to deconstruct algebraic data types.
^c In languages of the Pascal family, the semicolon is not part of the statement. It is a separator between statements, not a terminator.

Loop statements

	while	do while	for i = first to last	foreach
ALGOL 68	«for index» «from first» «by increment» «to last» «while condition» do statements od			for key «to upb list» do «typename val=list[key];» statements od
	«while condition»     do statements od	«while statements; condition»     do statements od	«for index» «from first» «by increment» «to last» do statements od
C (C99)	while (condition) { instructions }	do { instructions } while (condition)	for («type» i = first; i <= last; ++i) { instructions }	N/A
Objective-C				for (type item in set) { instructions }
C++ (STL)				«std::»for_each(start, end, function) (C++11) for (type item : set) { instructions }
C#				foreach (type item in set) { instructions }
Java				for (type item : set) { instructions }
JavaScript			for (var i = first; i <= last; i++) { instructions }	for (var index in set) { instructions } or for each (var item in set) { instructions } (JS 1.6+)
PHP			foreach (range(first, last-1) as $i) { instructions } or for ($i = first; $i <= last; $i++) { instructions }	foreach (set as item) { instructions } or foreach (set as key => item) { instructions }
Windows PowerShell			for ($i = first; $i -le last; $i++) { instructions }	foreach (item in set) { instructions using item }
D			foreach (i; first ... last) { instructions }	foreach («type» item; set) { instructions }
Go	for condition { instructions }		for i := first; i <= last; i++ { instructions }	for key, item := range set { instructions }
Perl	while (condition) { instructions } or until (notcondition) { instructions }	do { instructions } while (condition) or do { instructions } until (notcondition)	for«each» «$i» (0 .. N-1) { instructions } or for ($i = first; $i <= last; $i++) { instructions }	for«each» «$item» (set) { instructions }
Perl 6	while condition { instructions } or until notcondition { instructions }	repeat { instructions } while condition or repeat { instructions } until notcondition	for first..last -> $i { instructions } or loop ($i = first; $i <= last; $i++) { instructions }	for set« -> $item» { instructions }
Ruby	while condition instructions end or until notcondition instructions end	begin instructions end while condition or begin instructions end until notcondition	for i in first...last instructions end or first.upto(last-1) { |i| instructions }	for item in set instructions end or set.each { |item| instructions }
Common Lisp	(loop while condition do instructions) or (do () (notcondition) instructions)	(loop do instructions while condition)	(loop for i from first to last «by 1» do instructions) or (dotimes (i N) instructions) or (do ((i first (1+ i))) ((>= i last)) instructions)	(loop for item in set do instructions) or (dolist (item set) instructions) or (mapc function list) or (map 'type function sequence)
Scheme	(do () (notcondition) instructions) or (let loop () (if condition (begin instructions (loop))))	(let loop () (instructions (if condition (loop))))	(do ((i first (+ i 1))) ((>= i last)) instructions) or (let loop ((i first)) (if (< i last) (begin instructions (loop (+ i 1)))))	(for-each (lambda (item) instructions) list)
Pascal	while condition do begin instructions end	repeat instructions until notcondition;	for i := first «step 1» to last do begin instructions end;	N/A
Visual Basic	Do While condition instructions Loop or Do Until notcondition instructions Loop	Do instructions Loop While condition or Do instructions Loop Until notcondition	For i = first To last «Step 1» instructions Next i	For Each item In set instructions Next item
Visual Basic .NET			For i «As type» = first To last «Step 1» instructions Next i	For Each item As type In set instructions Next item
Python	while condition : Tab ⇆ instructions «else: Tab ⇆ instructions»	N/A	for i in range(first, last): Tab ⇆ instructions «else: Tab ⇆ instructions»	for item in set: Tab ⇆ instructions «else: Tab ⇆ instructions»
S-Lang	while (condition) { instructions } «then optional-block»	do { instructions } while (condition) «then optional-block»	for (i = first; i < last; i++) { instructions } «then optional-block»	foreach item(set) «using (what)» { instructions } «then optional-block»
Fortran	DO WHILE (condition) instructions ENDDO	DO instructions IF (condition) EXIT ENDDO	DO I = first,last instructions ENDDO	N/A
Forth	BEGIN « instructions » condition WHILE instructions REPEAT	BEGIN instructions condition UNTIL	limit start DO instructions LOOP	N/A
OCaml	while condition do instructions done	N/A	for i = first to last-1 do instructions done	Array.iter (fun item -> instructions) array List.iter (fun item -> instructions) list
F#	while condition do Tab ⇆ instructions	N/A	for i = first to last-1 do Tab ⇆ instructions	for item in set do Tab ⇆ instructions or Seq.iter (fun item -> instructions) set
Standard ML	while condition do ( instructions )	N/A		Array.app (fn item => instructions) array app (fn item => instructions) list
Haskell (GHC)	N/A		Control.Monad.forM_ [0..N-1] (\i -> do instructions)	Control.Monad.forM_ list (\item -> do instructions)
Eiffel	from setup until condition loop instructions end

^a "step n" is used to change the loop interval. If "step" is omitted, then the loop interval is 1.

Exceptions

Further information: Exception handling syntax

	throw	handler	assertion
C (C99)	longjmp(state, exception);	switch (setjmp(state)) { case 0: instructions break; case exception: instructions ... }	assert(condition);
C++ (STL)	throw exception;	try { instructions } catch «(exception)» { instructions } ...
C#		try { instructions } catch «(exception)» { instructions } ... «finally { instructions }»	Debug.Assert(condition);
Java		try { instructions } catch (exception) { instructions } ... «finally { instructions }»	assert condition;
JavaScript		try { instructions } catch (exception) { instructions } «finally { instructions }»	?
D		try { instructions } catch (exception) { instructions } ... «finally { instructions }»	assert(condition);
PHP		try { instructions } catch (exception) { instructions } ...	assert(condition);
S-Lang		try { instructions } catch «exception» { instructions } ... «finally { instructions }»	?
Windows PowerShell		trap «[exception]» { instructions } ... instructions or try { instructions } catch «[exception]» { instructions } ... «finally { instructions }»	[Debug]::Assert(condition)
Objective-C	@throw exception;	@try { instructions } @catch (exception) { instructions } ... «@finally { instructions }»	NSAssert(condition, description);
Perl	die exception;	eval { instructions }; if ($@) { instructions }	?
Perl 6		try { instructions CATCH { when exception { instructions } ...}}	?
Ruby	raise exception	begin instructions rescue exception instructions ... «else instructions» «ensure instructions» end
Common Lisp	(error "exception") or (error (make-condition type arguments))	(handler-case (progn instructions) (exception instructions) ...) or (handler-bind (condition (lambda instructions «invoke-restart restart args»)) ...)	(assert condition) or (assert condition «(place) «error»») or (check-type var type)
Scheme (R6RS)	(raise exception)	(guard (con (condition instructions) ...) instructions)	?
Pascal	raise Exception.Create()	try Except on E: exception do begin instructions end; end;	?
Visual Basic	N/A		?
Visual Basic .NET	Throw exception	Try instructions Catch «exception» «When condition» instructions ... «Finally instructions» End Try	Debug.Assert(condition)
Python	raise exception	try: Tab ⇆ instructions except «exception»: Tab ⇆ instructions ... «else: Tab ⇆ instructions» «finally: Tab ⇆ instructions»	assert condition
Fortran	N/A
Forth	code THROW	xt CATCH ( code or 0 )	N/A
OCaml	raise exception	try expression with pattern -> expression ...	assert condition
F#		try expression with pattern -> expression ... or try expression finally expression
Standard ML	raise exception «arg»	expression handle pattern => expression ...
Haskell (GHC)	throw exception or throwError expression	catch tryExpression catchExpression or catchError tryExpression catchExpression	assert condition expression

^a Common Lisp allows with-simple-restart, restart-case and restart-bind to define restarts for use with invoke-restart. Unhandled conditions may cause the implementation to show a restarts menu to the user before unwinding the stack.

Other control flow statements

	exit block(break)	continue	label	branch (goto)	return value from generator
ALGOL 68	value exit; ...	do statements; skip exit; label: statements od	label: ...	go to label; ... goto label; ... label; ...	yield(value) (Callback - example)
C (C99)	break;	continue;	label:	goto label;	N/A
Objective-C
C++ (STL)
D
C#					yield return value;
Java	break «label»;	continue «label»;		N/A
JavaScript					yield value«;»
PHP	break «levels»;	continue «levels»;		goto label;
Perl	last «label»;	next «label»;
Perl 6
Go	break «label»	continue «label»		goto label
Common Lisp	(return) or (return-from block) or (loop-finish)		(tagbody tag ... tag ...)	(go tag)
Scheme
Pascal(ISO)	N/A		label:	goto label;	N/A
Pascal(FPC)	break;	continue;
Visual Basic	Exit block	N/A	label:	GoTo label
Visual Basic .NET		Continue block
Python	break	continue	N/A		yield value
S-Lang	break;	continue;
Fortran	EXIT	CYCLE	label	GOTO label	N/A
Ruby	break	next
Windows PowerShell	break« label»	continue
OCaml	N/A
F#
Standard ML
Haskell (GHC)

^a Pascal has declaration blocks. See Comparison of programming languages (basic instructions)#Functions.
^b label must be a number between 1 and 99999.

Functions

See reflection for calling and declaring functions by strings.

	calling a function	basic/void function	value-returning function	required main function
ALGOL 68	foo«(parameters)»;	proc foo = «(parameters)» void: ( instructions );	proc foo = «(parameters)» rettype: ( instructions ...; retvalue );	N/A
C (C99)	foo(«parameters»)	void foo(«parameters») { instructions }	type foo(«parameters») { instructions ... return value; }	«global declarations» int main(«int argc, char *argv[]») { instructions }
Objective-C
C++ (STL)
C#				static void Main(«string[] args») { instructions } or static int Main(«string[] args») { instructions }
Java				public static void main(String[] args) { instructions } or public static void main(String... args) { instructions }
D				int main(«char[][] args») { instructions} or int main(«string[] args») { instructions} or void main(«char[][] args») { instructions} or void main(«string[] args») { instructions}
JavaScript		function foo(«parameters») { instructions } or var foo = function («parameters») {instructions } or var foo = new Function («"parameter", ... ,"last parameter"» "instructions");	function foo(«parameters») { instructions ... return value; }	N/A
Go		func foo(«parameters») { instructions }	func foo(«parameters») type { instructions ... return value }	func main() { instructions }
Common Lisp	(foo «parameters»)	(defun foo («parameters») instructions) or (setf (symbol-function 'symbol) lambda)	(defun foo («parameters») ... value)	N/A
Scheme		(define (foo parameters) instructions) or (define foo (lambda (parameters) instructions))	(define (foo parameters) instructions... return_value) or (define foo (lambda (parameters) instructions... return_value))
Pascal	foo«(parameters)»	procedure foo«(parameters)»; «forward;» «label label declarations» «const constant declarations» «type type declarations» «var variable declarations» «local function declarations» begin instructions end;	function foo«(parameters)»: type; «forward;» «label label declarations» «const constant declarations» «type type declarations» «var variable declarations» «local function declarations» begin instructions; foo := value end;	program name; «label label declarations» «const constant declarations» «type type declarations» «var variable declarations» «function declarations» begin instructions end.
Visual Basic	Foo(«parameters»)	Sub Foo(«parameters») instructions End Sub	Function Foo(«parameters») As type instructions Foo = value End Function	Sub Main() instructions End Sub
Visual Basic .NET			Function Foo(«parameters») As type instructions Return value End Function	Sub Main(«ByVal CmdArgs() As String») instructions End Sub or Function Main(«ByVal CmdArgs() As String») As Integer instructions End Function
Python	foo(«parameters»)	def foo(«parameters»): Tab ⇆ instructions	def foo(«parameters»): Tab ⇆ instructions Tab ⇆ return value	N/A
S-Lang	foo(«parameters» «;qualifiers»)	define foo («parameters») { instructions }	define foo («parameters») { instructions ... return value; }	public define slsh_main () { instructions }
Fortran	foo («arguments») CALL sub_foo («arguments»)	SUBROUTINE sub_foo («arguments») instructions END SUBROUTINE	type FUNCTION foo («arguments») instructions ... foo = value END FUNCTION	PROGRAM main instructions END PROGRAM
Forth	«parameters» FOO	: FOO « stack effect comment: ( before -- ) » instructions  ;	: FOO « stack effect comment: ( before -- after ) » instructions  ;	N/A
PHP	foo(«parameters»)	function foo(«parameters») { instructions }	function foo(«parameters») { instructions ... return value; }	N/A
Perl	foo(«parameters») or &foo«(parameters)»	sub foo { «my (parameters) = @_;» instructions }	sub foo { «my (parameters) = @_;» instructions... «return» value; }
Perl 6	foo(«parameters») or &foo«(parameters)»	«multi »sub foo(parameters) { instructions }	«our «type» »«multi »sub foo(parameters) { instructions... «return» value; }
Ruby	foo«(parameters)»	def foo«(parameters)» instructions end	def foo«(parameters)» instructions «return» value end
Windows PowerShell	foo« parameters»	function foo «(parameters)» { instructions }; or function foo { «param(parameters)» instructions }	function foo «(parameters)» { instructions … return value }; or function foo { «param(parameters)» instructions … return value }
OCaml	foo parameters	let «rec» foo parameters = instructions	let «rec» foo parameters = instructions... return_value
F#				[<EntryPoint>] let main args = instructions
Standard ML		fun foo parameters = ( instructions )	fun foo parameters = ( instructions... return_value )
Haskell		foo parameters = do Tab ⇆ instructions	foo parameters = return_value or foo parameters = do Tab ⇆ instructions Tab ⇆ return value	«main :: IO ()» main = do instructions
Eiffel	foo («parameters»)	foo («parameters») require preconditions do instructions ensure postconditions end	foo («parameters»): type require preconditions do instructions Result := value ensure postconditions end

^a Pascal requires "forward;" for forward declarations.
^b Eiffel allows the specification of an application's root class and feature.
^c In Fortran, function/subroutine parameters are called arguments (since PARAMETER is a language keyword); the CALL keyword is required for subroutines.

Type conversions

Where string is a signed decimal number:

	string to integer	string to long integer	string to floating point	integer to string	floating point to string
ALGOL 68 with general, and then specific formats	With prior declarations and association of: string buf := "12345678.9012e34 "; file proxy; associate(proxy, buf);
	get(proxy, ivar);	get(proxy, livar);	get(proxy, rvar);	put(proxy, ival);	put(proxy, rval);
	getf(proxy, ($g$, ivar)); or getf(proxy, ($dddd$, ivar));	getf(proxy, ($g$, livar)); or getf(proxy, ($8d$, livar));	getf(proxy, ($g$, rvar)); or getf(proxy, ($8d.4dE2d$, rvar));	putf(proxy, ($g$, ival)); or putf(proxy, ($4d$, ival));	putf(proxy, ($g(width, places, exp)$, rval)); or putf(proxy, ($8d.4dE2d$, rval)); etc.
C (C99)	integer = atoi(string);	long = atol(string);	float = atof(string);	sprintf(string, "%i", integer);	sprintf(string, "%f", float);
Objective-C	integer = [string intValue];	long = [string longLongValue];	float = [string doubleValue];	string = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%i", integer];	string = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"%f", float];
C++ (STL)	«std::»istringstream(string) >> number;			«std::»ostringstream o; o << number; string = o.str();
C++11	integer = «std::»stoi(string);	long = «std::»stol(string);	float = «std::»stof(string); double = «std::»stod(string);	string = «std::»to_string(number);
C#	integer = int.Parse(string);	long = long.Parse(string);	float = float.Parse(string); or double = double.Parse(string);	string = number.ToString();
D	integer = std.conv.to!int(string)	long = std.conv.to!long(string)	float = std.conv.to!float(string) or double = std.conv.to!double(string)	string = std.conv.to!string(number)
Java	integer = Integer.parseInt(string);	long = Long.parseLong(string);	float = Float.parseFloat(string); or double = Double.parseDouble(string);	string = Integer.toString(integer);	string = Float.toString(float); or string = Double.toString(double);
JavaScript	integer = parseInt(string);		float = parseFloat(string); or float = new Number (string) or float = Number (string) or float = string*1;	string = number.toString (); or string = new String (number); or string = String (number); or string = number+"";
Go	integer, error = strconv.Atoi(string) or integer, error = strconv.ParseInt(string, 10, 0)	long, error = strconv.ParseInt(string, 10, 64)	float, error = strconv.ParseFloat(string, 64)	string = strconv.Itoa(integer) or string = strconv.FormatInt(integer, 10) or string = fmt.Sprint(integer)	string = strconv.FormatFloat(float) or string = fmt.Sprint(float)
Common Lisp	(setf integer (parse-integer string))		(setf float (read-from-string string))	(setf string (princ-to-string number))
Scheme	(define number (string->number string))			(define string (number->string number))
Pascal	integer := StrToInt(string);		float := StrToFloat(string);	string := IntToStr(integer);	string := FloatToStr(float);
Visual Basic	integer = CInt(string)	long = CLng(string)	float = CSng(string) or double = CDbl(string)	string = CStr(number)
Visual Basic .NET
Python	integer = int(string)	long = long(string)	float = float(string)	string = str(number)
S-Lang	integer = atoi(string);	long = atol(string);	float = atof(string);	string = string(number);
Fortran	READ(string,format) number			WRITE(string,format) number
PHP	integer = intval(string); or integer = (int)string;		float = floatval(string); or float = (float)string;	string = "number"; or string = strval(number); or string = (string)number;
Perl	number = 0 + string;			string = "number";
Perl 6	number = +string;			string = ~number;
Ruby	integer = string.to_i or integer = Integer(string)		float = string.to_f or float = Float(string)	string = number.to_s
Windows PowerShell	integer = [int]string	long = [long]string	float = [float]string	string = [string]number; or string = "number"; or string = (number).ToString()
OCaml	let integer = int_of_string string		let float = float_of_string string	let string = string_of_int integer	let string = string_of_float float
F#	let integer = int string	let integer = int64 string	let float = float string	let string = string number
Standard ML	val integer = Int.fromString string		val float = Real.fromString string	val string = Int.toString integer	val string = Real.toString float
Haskell (GHC)	number = read string			string = show number

^a JavaScript only uses floating point numbers so there are some technicalities.
^b Perl doesn't have separate types. Strings and numbers are interchangeable.

Standard stream I/O

	read from	write to
	stdin	stdout	stderr
ALGOL 68	readf(($format$, x)); or getf(stand in, ($format$, x));	printf(($format$, x)); or putf(stand out, ($format$, x));	putf(stand error, ($format$, x));
C (C99)	scanf(format, &x); or fscanf(stdin, format, &x);	printf( format, x); or fprintf(stdout, format, x);	fprintf(stderr, format, x );
Objective-C	data = [[NSFileHandle fileHandleWithStandardInput] readDataToEndOfFile];	[[NSFileHandle fileHandleWithStandardOutput] writeData:data];	[[NSFileHandle fileHandleWithStandardError] writeData:data];
C++	«std::»cin >> x; or «std::»getline(«std::»cin, str);	«std::»cout << x;	«std::»cerr << x; or «std::»clog << x;
C#	x = Console.Read(); or x = Console.ReadLine();	Console.Write(«format, »x); or Console.WriteLine(«format, »x);	Console.Error.Write(«format, »x); or Console.Error.WriteLine(«format, »x);
D	x = std.stdio.readln()	std.stdio.write(x) or std.stdio.writeln(x) or std.stdio.writef(format, x) or std.stdio.writefln(format, x)	stderr.write(x) or stderr.writeln(x) or std.stdio.writef(stderr, format, x) or std.stdio.writefln(stderr, format, x)
Java	x = System.in.read(); or x = new Scanner(System.in).nextInt(); or x = new Scanner(System.in).nextLine();	System.out.print(x); or System.out.printf(format, x); or System.out.println(x);	System.err.print(x); or System.err.printf(format, x); or System.err.println(x);
Go	fmt.Scan(&x) or fmt.Scanf(format, &x) or x = bufio.NewReader(os.Stdin).ReadString('\n')	fmt.Println(x) or fmt.Printf(format, x)	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, x) or fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, format, x)
JavaScript Web Browser implementation		document.write(x)
JavaScript Active Server Pages		Response.Write(x)
JavaScript Windows Script Host	x = WScript.StdIn.Read(chars) or x = WScript.StdIn.ReadLine()	WScript.Echo(x) or WScript.StdOut.Write(x) or WScript.StdOut.WriteLine(x)	WScript.StdErr.Write(x) or WScript.StdErr.WriteLine(x)
Common Lisp	(setf x (read-line))	(princ x) or (format t format x)	(princ x *error-output*) or (format *error-output* format x)
Scheme (R6RS)	(define x (read-line))	(display x) or (format #t format x)	(display x (current-error-port)) or (format (current-error-port) format x)
Pascal	read(x); or readln(x);	write(x); or writeln(x);	N/A
Visual Basic	Input« prompt,» x	Print x or ? x
Visual Basic .NET	x = Console.Read() or x = Console.ReadLine()	Console.Write(«format, »x) or Console.WriteLine(«format, »x)	Console.Error.Write(«format, »x) or Console.Error.WriteLine(«format, »x)
Python 2.x	x = raw_input(«prompt»)	print x or sys.stdout.write(x)	print >> sys.stderr, x or sys.stderr.write(x)
Python 3.x	x = input(«prompt»)	print(x«, end=""»)	print(x«, end=""», file=sys.stderr)
S-Lang	fgets (&x, stdin)	fputs (x, stdout)	fputs (x, stderr)
Fortran	READ(*,format) variable names or READ(INPUT_UNIT,format) variable names	WRITE(*,format) expressions or WRITE(OUTPUT_UNIT,format) expressions	WRITE(ERROR_UNIT,format) expressions
Forth	buffer length ACCEPT ( # chars read ) KEY ( char )	buffer length TYPE char EMIT	N/A
PHP	$x = fgets(STDIN); or $x = fscanf(STDIN, format);	print x; or echo x; or printf(format, x);	fprintf(STDERR, format, x);
Perl	$x = <>; or $x = <STDIN>;	print x; or printf format, x;	print STDERR x; or printf STDERR format, x;
Perl 6	$x = $*IN.get;	x.print or x.say	x.note or $*ERR.print(x) or $*ERR.say(x)
Ruby	x = gets	puts x or printf(format, x)	$stderr.puts(x) or $stderr.printf(format, x)
Windows PowerShell	$x = Read-Host«« -Prompt» text»; or $x = [Console]::Read(); or $x = [Console]::ReadLine()	x; or Write-Output x; or echo x	Write-Error x
OCaml	let x = read_int () or let str = read_line () or Scanf.scanf format (fun x ... -> ...)	print_int x or print_endline str or Printf.printf format x ...	prerr_int x or prerr_endline str or Printf.eprintf format x ...
F#	let x = System.Console.ReadLine()	printf format x ... or printfn format x ...	eprintf format x ... or eprintfn format x ...
Standard ML	val str = TextIO.inputLIne TextIO.stdIn	print str	TextIO.output (TextIO.stdErr, str)
Haskell (GHC)	x <- readLn or str <- getLine	print x or putStrLn str	hPrint stderr x or hPutStrLn stderr str

^a Algol 68 additionally as the "unformatted" transput routines: read, write, get and put.
^b gets(x) and fgets(x, length, stdin) read unformatted text from stdin. Use of gets is not recommended.
^c puts(x) and fputs(x, stdout) write unformatted text to stdout.
^d fputs(x, stderr) writes unformatted text to stderr
^e INPUT_UNIT, OUTPUT_UNIT, ERROR_UNIT are defined in the ISO_FORTRAN_ENV module.

Reading command-line arguments

	Argument values	Argument counts	Program name / Script name
C (C99)	argv[n]	argc	first argument
Objective-C
C++
C#	args[n]	args.Length	Assembly.GetEntryAssembly().Location;
Java		args.length
D			first argument
JavaScript Windows Script Host implementation	WScript.Arguments(n)	WScript.Arguments.length	WScript.ScriptName or WScript.ScriptFullName
Go	os.Args[n]	len(os.Args)	first argument
Common Lisp	?	?	?
Scheme (R6RS)	(list-ref (command-line) n)	(length (command-line))	first argument
Pascal	ParamStr(n)	ParamCount	first argument
Visual Basic	Command	N/A	App.Path
Visual Basic .NET	CmdArgs(n)	CmdArgs.Length	[Assembly].GetEntryAssembly().Location
Python	sys.argv[n]	len(sys.argv)	first argument
S-Lang	__argv[n]	__argc	first argument
Fortran	DO i = 1,argc CALL GET_COMMAND_ARGUMENT (i,argv(i)) ENDDO	argc = COMMAND_ARGUMENT_COUNT ()	CALL GET_COMMAND_ARGUMENT (0,progname)
PHP	$argv[n]	$argc	first argument
Perl	$ARGV[n]	scalar(@ARGV)	$0
Perl 6	@*ARGS[n]	@*ARGS.elems	$PROGRAM_NAME
Ruby	ARGV[n]	ARGV.size	$0
Windows PowerShell	$args[n]	$args.Length	$MyInvocation.MyCommand.Name
OCaml	Sys.argv.(n)	Array.length Sys.argv	first argument
F#	args.[n]	args.Length	Assembly.GetEntryAssembly().Location
Standard ML	List.nth (CommandLine.arguments (), n)	length (CommandLine.arguments ())	CommandLine.name ()
Haskell (GHC)	do { args <- System.getArgs; return args !! n }	do { args <- System.getArgs; return length args }	System.getProgName

• ^a The command-line arguments in Visual Basic are not separated. A split function Split(string) is required for separating them.

Execution of commands

	Shell command	Execute program	Replace current program with new executed program
C	system("command");		execl(path, args); or execv(path, arglist);
C++
Objective-C		[NSTask launchedTaskWithLaunchPath:(NSString *)path arguments:(NSArray *)arguments];
C#		System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(path, argstring);
F#
Go		exec.Run(path, argv, envv, dir, exec.DevNull, exec.DevNull, exec.DevNull)	os.Exec(path, argv, envv)
Visual Basic	Interaction.Shell(command «, WindowStyle» «, isWaitOnReturn»)
Visual Basic .NET	Microsoft.VisualBasic.Interaction.Shell(command «, WindowStyle» «, isWaitOnReturn»)	System.Diagnostics.Process.Start(path, argstring)
D	std.process.system("command");		std.process.execv(path, arglist);
Java		Runtime.exec(command); or new ProcessBuilder(command).start();
JavaScript Windows Script Host implementation	WScript.CreateObject ("WScript.Shell").Run(command «, WindowStyle» «, isWaitOnReturn»);	WshShell.Exec(command)
Common Lisp	(shell command)
Scheme	(system command)
Pascal	system(command);
OCaml	Sys.command command, Unix.open_process_full command env (stdout, stdin, stderr),...	Unix.create_process prog args new_stdin new_stdout new_stderr, ...	Unix.execv prog args or Unix.execve prog args env
Standard ML	OS.Process.system command	Unix.execute (path, args)	Posix.Process.exec (path, args)
Haskell (GHC)	System.system command	System.Process.runProcess path args ...	Posix.Process.executeFile path True args ...
Perl	system(command) or $output = `command`		exec(path, args)
Ruby	system(command) or output = `command`		exec(path, args)
PHP	system(command) or $output = `command` or exec(command) or passthru(command)
Python	os.system(command) or subprocess.Popen(command)		os.execv(path, args)
S-Lang	system(command)
Fortran	CALL SYSTEM (command, status) or status = SYSTEM (command)
Windows PowerShell	[Diagnostics.Process]::Start(command)	«Invoke-Item »program arg1 arg2 …

^a Compiler-dependent extension.