Index: lams_central/conf/language/lams/ApplicationResources.properties
===================================================================
diff -u -r0f295260a6f4f68d391ed74f3a7967fbf841af90 -r6bab11b98a1dfdcebfb7e11b8dcfab3128a2ff83
--- lams_central/conf/language/lams/ApplicationResources.properties	(.../ApplicationResources.properties)	(revision 0f295260a6f4f68d391ed74f3a7967fbf841af90)
+++ lams_central/conf/language/lams/ApplicationResources.properties	(.../ApplicationResources.properties)	(revision 6bab11b98a1dfdcebfb7e11b8dcfab3128a2ff83)
@@ -1022,6 +1022,8 @@
 label.authoring.basic.allow.learners.rich.editor = Allow learners to use rich text editor
 label.maximum.number.words = Maximum number of words
 label.minimum.number.words = Minimum number of words
+label.code.style = Code style
+label.code.style.none = none
 label.authoring.basic.general.feedback = General feedback
 label.authoring.basic.shuffle.the.choices = Shuffle answers?
 label.ask.for.hedging.justification = Ask for hedging justification?
Index: lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/web/qb/EditQbQuestionController.java
===================================================================
diff -u -rc34b16da7fe48d6ed5ad039f0a61f66a12b215a0 -r6bab11b98a1dfdcebfb7e11b8dcfab3128a2ff83
--- lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/web/qb/EditQbQuestionController.java	(.../EditQbQuestionController.java)	(revision c34b16da7fe48d6ed5ad039f0a61f66a12b215a0)
+++ lams_central/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/web/qb/EditQbQuestionController.java	(.../EditQbQuestionController.java)	(revision 6bab11b98a1dfdcebfb7e11b8dcfab3128a2ff83)
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@
 	form.setAllowRichEditor(qbQuestion.isAllowRichEditor());
 	form.setMaxWordsLimit(qbQuestion.getMaxWordsLimit());
 	form.setMinWordsLimit(qbQuestion.getMinWordsLimit());
+	form.setCodeStyle(qbQuestion.getCodeStyle());
 	form.setHedgingJustificationEnabled(qbQuestion.isHedgingJustificationEnabled());
 	//TODO check autocomplete is saved and then maybe remove other property copying
 	BeanUtils.copyProperties(form, qbQuestion);
@@ -320,6 +321,8 @@
 	    qbQuestion.setAllowRichEditor(form.isAllowRichEditor());
 	    qbQuestion.setMaxWordsLimit(form.getMaxWordsLimit());
 	    qbQuestion.setMinWordsLimit(form.getMinWordsLimit());
+	    qbQuestion.setCodeStyle(
+		    form.getCodeStyle() == null || form.getCodeStyle().equals(0) ? null : form.getCodeStyle());
 
 	} else if (type == QbQuestion.TYPE_ORDERING) {
 	    qbQuestion.setPenaltyFactor(Float.parseFloat(form.getPenaltyFactor()));
Index: lams_central/web/qb/authoring/addessay.jsp
===================================================================
diff -u -r4e0dad7a9cb85a9df151fdf85de8022c8dc84f69 -r6bab11b98a1dfdcebfb7e11b8dcfab3128a2ff83
--- lams_central/web/qb/authoring/addessay.jsp	(.../addessay.jsp)	(revision 4e0dad7a9cb85a9df151fdf85de8022c8dc84f69)
+++ lams_central/web/qb/authoring/addessay.jsp	(.../addessay.jsp)	(revision 6bab11b98a1dfdcebfb7e11b8dcfab3128a2ff83)
@@ -103,6 +103,24 @@
 	    			minimumWordsSpinner.spinner( "disable" );
 	    		}
 	        });
+
+	        $('#codeStyle').change(function(){
+		        let codeStyle = $(this).val();
+
+		        // if code style is selected, there are no restrictions on number of words and no usage of CKEditor
+		        if (codeStyle > 0) {
+		        	$("#min-words-limit-checkbox, #max-words-limit-checkbox, #allow-rich-editor").prop({
+			        	'checked' : false,
+			        	'disabled': true
+			        });
+		        	maximumWordsSpinner.spinner('disable');
+		        	minimumWordsSpinner.spinner('disable');
+			    } else {
+		        	$("#min-words-limit-checkbox, #max-words-limit-checkbox, #allow-rich-editor").prop({
+			        	'disabled': false
+			        });
+				}
+		    }).change();
 		});
 		
 		
@@ -181,7 +199,22 @@
 						    </div>
 						</div>
 					</c:if>
-
+					
+					<div class="form-group row form-inline">
+					    <label for="codeStyle" class="col-sm-3">
+					    	<fmt:message key="label.code.style" />
+					    </label>
+					    
+					    <div class="col-sm-9">
+					    	<form:select path="codeStyle" cssClass="form-control">
+					    		<form:option value="0"><fmt:message key="label.code.style.none" /></form:option>
+					    		<form:option value="1">Java</form:option>
+					    		<form:option value="2">JavaScript</form:option>
+					    		<form:option value="3">Python</form:option>
+					    	</form:select>
+					    </div>
+					</div>
+					
 					<div>
 						<label class="switch">
 							<form:checkbox path="allowRichEditor" id="allow-rich-editor"/>
@@ -191,6 +224,7 @@
 							<fmt:message key="label.authoring.basic.allow.learners.rich.editor" />
 						</label>
 					</div>
+
 					
 					<div class="form-group row form-inline" style="display: flex; align-items: center;">
 					    <label for="max-words-limit-checkbox" class="col-sm-3">
Index: lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/dbupdates/patch20210310.sql
===================================================================
diff -u
--- lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/dbupdates/patch20210310.sql	(revision 0)
+++ lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/dbupdates/patch20210310.sql	(revision 6bab11b98a1dfdcebfb7e11b8dcfab3128a2ff83)
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+-- Turn off autocommit, so nothing is committed if there is an error
+SET AUTOCOMMIT = 0;
+SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS=0;
+-- Put all sql statements below here
+
+--LDEV-5157 Add column defining support for programming language syntax highlight
+
+ALTER TABLE lams_qb_question ADD COLUMN code_style TINYINT UNSIGNED AFTER min_words_limit;
+
+-- Put all sql statements above here
+
+-- If there were no errors, commit and restore autocommit to on
+COMMIT;
+SET AUTOCOMMIT = 1;
+SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS=1;
Index: lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/qb/form/QbQuestionForm.java
===================================================================
diff -u -re423418cca5e77a3b54cb3be496b67abe01c4183 -r6bab11b98a1dfdcebfb7e11b8dcfab3128a2ff83
--- lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/qb/form/QbQuestionForm.java	(.../QbQuestionForm.java)	(revision e423418cca5e77a3b54cb3be496b67abe01c4183)
+++ lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/qb/form/QbQuestionForm.java	(.../QbQuestionForm.java)	(revision 6bab11b98a1dfdcebfb7e11b8dcfab3128a2ff83)
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@
     private boolean allowRichEditor;
     private int maxWordsLimit;
     private int minWordsLimit;
+    private Integer codeStyle;
     private boolean hedgingJustificationEnabled;
     private boolean autocompleteEnabled;
     private boolean authoringRestricted;
@@ -247,6 +248,14 @@
 	this.minWordsLimit = minWordsLimit;
     }
 
+    public Integer getCodeStyle() {
+	return codeStyle;
+    }
+
+    public void setCodeStyle(Integer codeStyle) {
+	this.codeStyle = codeStyle;
+    }
+
     public boolean isPrefixAnswersWithLetters() {
 	return prefixAnswersWithLetters;
     }
Index: lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/qb/model/QbQuestion.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r6ab5362f57823898853d4c3c61450504a1bc857c -r6bab11b98a1dfdcebfb7e11b8dcfab3128a2ff83
--- lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/qb/model/QbQuestion.java	(.../QbQuestion.java)	(revision 6ab5362f57823898853d4c3c61450504a1bc857c)
+++ lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/qb/model/QbQuestion.java	(.../QbQuestion.java)	(revision 6bab11b98a1dfdcebfb7e11b8dcfab3128a2ff83)
@@ -47,6 +47,11 @@
     public static final int TYPE_ORDERING = 7;
     public static final int TYPE_MARK_HEDGING = 8;
 
+    // code styles
+    public static final int CODE_STYLE_JAVA = 1;
+    public static final int CODE_STYLE_JAVASCRIPT = 2;
+    public static final int CODE_STYLE_PYTHON = 3;
+
     // primary key
     // another candidate is questionId + version, but single uid can be searched faster
     @Id
@@ -131,6 +136,10 @@
     @Column(name = "min_words_limit")
     private int minWordsLimit;
 
+    // only for essay type of question
+    @Column(name = "code_style")
+    private Integer codeStyle;
+
     /** ---- only for hedging type of question ---- */
     @Column(name = "hedging_justification_enabled")
     private boolean hedgingJustificationEnabled;
@@ -475,6 +484,14 @@
 	this.minWordsLimit = minWordsLimit;
     }
 
+    public Integer getCodeStyle() {
+	return codeStyle;
+    }
+
+    public void setCodeStyle(Integer codeStyle) {
+	this.codeStyle = codeStyle;
+    }
+
     public boolean isHedgingJustificationEnabled() {
 	return hedgingJustificationEnabled;
     }