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Question 14 of 22 · Abbreviations & Full Forms
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In computer programming, what does 'RPG' stand for?

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Answer: Option B — Report Program Generator

Detailed Solution

In computing, RPG stands for "Report Program Generator", a high-level programming language developed by IBM.

About RPG:

  • It was introduced by IBM in 1959 for its IBM 1401 computer.
  • It was designed to generate business reports from data files, replacing older punched-card tabulating machines.
  • It was widely used for business applications such as accounting, inventory, payroll and billing.

Later versions added more features:

  • RPG II (1969): used on IBM System/3 and System/32.
  • RPG III (1978): for the IBM System/38.

RPG IV, also called "ILE RPG" (1994): for the IBM AS/400 (now IBM i). It introduced free-form coding.

It is still used today on IBM's "IBM i" (Power Systems) platform, especially by banks, insurance companies and manufacturing firms.

Features:

  • It originally used a fixed-column format, in which code was written in specific columns of coding sheets.
  • It used the "program cycle", an automatic logic that reads records, processes them and prints output.

Other meanings of RPG:

  • "Role-Playing Game": a type of game in which players take on the roles of characters (for example, "Dungeons & Dragons" and many video games).
  • "Rocket-Propelled Grenade": a shoulder-fired anti-tank weapon (the abbreviation comes from the Russian "Ruchnoy Protivotankovy Granatomyot").

Other programming languages and their full forms:

  • FORTRAN: Formula Translation (1957, IBM).
  • COBOL: Common Business-Oriented Language (1959).
  • BASIC: Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code (1964).
  • LISP: List Processing (1958).
  • SQL: Structured Query Language.
  • HTML: HyperText Markup Language.
  • PHP: PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor (originally "Personal Home Page").

Why not the other options?

  • ✗"Rapid Program Generator" is not the correct expansion.
  • ✗"Remote Processing Gateway" is not the correct expansion.
  • ✗"Random Process Generator" is not the correct expansion.

Quick tip

Remember: RPG (computing) = Report Program Generator (IBM, 1959; business reports; still used on IBM i); FORTRAN = Formula Translation; COBOL = Common Business-Oriented Language; BASIC = Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code.

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Abbreviations & Full Forms — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Abbreviations & Full Forms, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the full forms of common abbreviations used in government, banking, science, technology, defence, international relations and everyday life, such as ISRO, NABARD, SEBI, GDP, GST and UNICEF. These questions are quick marks if you have revised the most common abbreviations. Group them by field (banking, government bodies, science and technology, international organisations) and pay attention to small words such as 'of', 'for' and 'and', since wrong options often change just one word. Practise the abbreviations and full forms questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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