As long as there are machines that can run it, it won't die most probably. Especially nowadays, people love writing retro compilers for modern systems.
However once there are no machines to run it, I think it can die out. Of course that depends on the definition of language. Have no idea if the hole-arrangement on punchcards could be considered a separate programming language (or just proto-ASM or whatever). If it's a separate language however, than it did go extinct, due to the punch cards' extinction.
However once there are no machines to run it, I think it can die out.
But it probably won't. There are plenty of companies that run ancient hardware in simulators just so they can keep using software written for extinct machines, after all.
I know, because I maintained a couple of such programs -- which meant that they're still alive despite that the hardware required to run them technically no longer exists.
Comments
As long as there are machines that can run it, it won't die most probably. Especially nowadays, people love writing retro compilers for modern systems.
However once there are no machines to run it, I think it can die out. Of course that depends on the definition of language. Have no idea if the hole-arrangement on punchcards could be considered a separate programming language (or just proto-ASM or whatever). If it's a separate language however, than it did go extinct, due to the punch cards' extinction.
But it probably won't. There are plenty of companies that run ancient hardware in simulators just so they can keep using software written for extinct machines, after all.
I know, because I maintained a couple of such programs -- which meant that they're still alive despite that the hardware required to run them technically no longer exists.