When we all are talking about c, c++, Java, Python, etc. there are some languages that are not only difficult but are almost incomprehensible for most software developers.

These languages are called esoteric programming language (or esolang).

An esolang is not designed for commonplace software development purposes. They are intended as a proof of concept or as a joke.

Here is a list of five most difficult esoteric languages. I tried executing the ‘Hello World!’ program in each of these languages, and it is fun.

Malbolge

Malbolge was invented in 1998 by Ben Olmstead. This esolang is considered to be the most complicated programming language.

It is said that the author of the Malbolge programming language never wrote any program using the language. The _hello world _code in Malbolge appeared almost two years after Olmstead invented the language.

Here is the code snippet for printing ‘Hello World!’ in Malbolge.

(=<`#9]~6ZY32Vx/4Rs+0No-&Jk)"Fh}|Bcy?`=*z]Kw%oG4UUS0/@-ejc(:'8dc

INTERCAL

Jim Lyon and Don Woods developed INTERCAL in 1972 as a parody to the various programming languages.

The initial name given to it was— ‘Compiler Language With No Pronounceable Acronym’.

INTERCAL has many features designed to make it frustrating for the programmer.

Ex: It uses modifiers such as “PLEASE”. The compiler can reject a code if “PLEASE” is not used frequently in the code. It considers the program as ‘insufficiently polite’. If the modifier ‘PLEASE’ is used too many times then the compiler rejects the code stating that it is ‘excessively polite’.

Here is the code snippet for printing ‘Hello, World!’ in INTERCAL.

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