What is the difference between 4GL and DSL?

Question

What is the difference between 4GL and DSL? Both seem to target a specific domain, but is it safe to say that 4GL is business oriented, while DSLs target any possible domain?

Answer 1

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth-generation_programming_language:

A fourth-generation programming language (1970s-1990) (abbreviated 4GL) is a programming language or programming environment designed with a specific purpose in mind, such as the development of commercial business software. In the history of computer science, the 4GL followed the 3GL in an upward trend toward higher abstraction and statement power. The 4GL was followed by efforts to define and use a 5GL.

Fourth-generation languages have often been compared to domain-specific programming languages (DSLs). Some researchers state that 4GLs are a subset of DSLs. Given the persistence of assembly language even now in advanced development environments (MS Studio), one expects that a system ought to be a mixture of all the generations, with only very limited use of the first.

Also see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain-specific_language

Answer 2

4GLs are a subset of DSLs. DSLs can also include languages for a specific audience (like LOGO), not only specific uses. 4GLs are geared towards specific usage (Math, buisnes logic, etc.)

see http://homepages.cwi.nl/~arie/papers/dslbib/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4GL