Favorite Programming Language?

[starcomp]

What is your favorite programming language?

Some have been grouped together, but I've tried to be fair to so many languages...

My mistake, I had meant to add more languages, but accidentally hit Enter...


Many of the listed languages are quite similar, but the point of my asking this poll wasn't to start a flame war, but more along the lines of personal preference for a language, not to debate strengths & weaknesses.

[ua549]

My three favorites are not listed -
Assembler
Algol
Cobol

[BlueOval]

Neither was mine. Back when I was into coding, my fave was VisualBasic cause it was so easy and I could make games. lol

[soupnazi]

Visual Basic!:)

I'm learning Java and HATE it.:mad:

[Terry]

C/C++ is really powerful.
So it's my favourite.

I don't know Assembly, so I can't comment on that.
But I heard it's hard as hell.

[rock]

As toss up between Java and C#. But .net has been annoying me lately, so Java gets the nod today. That'll show 'em.
:D

[christian_F]

im going to have to give it to C++ its so versitile (sp?)

[Handyman]

I'm happy with C/C++, it's the one I currently understand the best :)

Assembly is ok, but I wouldn't want to do anymore than basic hardware interfacing with it...

[DeathBunnyX]

i'd have to go with c++.. mainly cuz that's all i know until i get outta school and have time to learn something else.

[slavik]

C, not C++

because it was developed at the same time as UNIX ...
C++ is like the industrial concrete block, you can build fast with it, but brick is better (C).

assembly isn't easy, but you can make programs that are more optimized than if you did them in C.

assembly code isn't exactly versatile between linux/windows (not just compilation), since you might sometimes have to take the CPU into account (I dunno how what I'm learning now will work on 64bit CPUs, since my code runs on a 32bit cpu) ...

[ua549]

That's why I like Algol. It was the language used as a foundation for B and later C.

[slavik]

I was told that a C is just bunched up ASM ... and that C compiler, takes the C code, translates its to ASM, then gives it to an assembler ...

is there anything between binary code (true binary instructions) and ASM?

Originally posted by ua549
That's why I like Algol. It was the language used as a foundation for B and later C.

[ua549]

AFAIK there is absolutely no need to expand C statements into multiple Assembler instructions before generating code. In fact there are mainframe CPUs that do not have an assembly language, but do have an Algol compiler. Algol code is compiled directly into micro ops for execution. I mentioned Algol because I'm not sure if the 48 bit proc I'm thinking about, Unisys A Series has a C compiler.

[slavik]

AFAIK, C is translated into ASM and then given to assembler to do the rest ...

wrong(AFAIK): C > machine code
right(AFAIK): C > assembly > machine code

Originally posted by ua549
AFAIK there is absolutely no need to expand C statements into multiple Assembler instructions before generating code. In fact there are mainframe CPUs that do not have an assembly language, but do have an Algol compiler. Algol code is compiled directly into micro ops for execution. I mentioned Algol because I'm not sure if the 48 bit proc I'm thinking about, Unisys A Series has a C compiler.

[ua549]

Originally posted by slavik
AFAIK, C is translated into ASM and then given to assembler to do the rest ...

wrong(AFAIK): C > machine code
right(AFAIK): C > assembly > machine code

Why do you think that is the way all C compilers work?
C is an implementation of Algol and Algol does not work that way.
If C generates assembly source code then it can be captured, modified and assembled later. That is not the case with the C compilers I am familiar with.

[slavik]

I think gcc has the option to output an asm file from c source ...

Originally posted by ua549
Why do you think that is the way all C compilers work?
C is an implementation of Algol and Algol does not work that way.
If C generates assembly source code then it can be captured, modified and assembled later. That is not the case with the C compilers I am familiar with.

[ua549]

That doesn't mean that is the way the compiler works all the time. Creating assembly source then assembling are extra steps that are not necessary when compiling a program written in any high level language.

[Mancora]

Originally posted by soupnazi
Visual Basic!:)

I'm learning Java and HATE it.:mad:

Duuude, java is cool, its vb thats evil :p

[schultz]

i personally like c++ best. i've gotten quite a bit of experience with both java and c++, but i just like c++ better because you seem to have so much more control than in java. java just has too many warnings and strict guidelines (which can be nice at times, but can also become super annoying).

[soupnazi]

Originally posted by Mancora
Duuude, java is cool, its vb thats evil :p

Java has to be the most UNstructured language I've ever seen. (from my limited experience so far);)

It's so hard to get the concepts straight after doing C++, Pascal and VB.:p

[ImaNihilist]

I once programed my girlfriend to get me booze when I was upset. Does that count? I think that's like, Java or something... I mean sometime she would get me coffee from Starbucks. Actually, it was a Chai Latte. But yeah. Java.

[AgentWei]

I took a programming class last semester that had java, scheme, and haskell. Scheme is pretty neat language to play around with. But as far as my knowledge of the language, I think I'm much better at C/++. And right now I'm learning VHDL, more CoE/hardware oriented though.

[puff_1]

So far I must say Java. But everything I've done is college homework stuff, we havn't done anything very practical so I couldn't tell you for sure which i'll like most. Java to me is the easiest to understand and program.

[EverlastingGod]

Originally posted by soupnazi
It's so hard to get the concepts straight after doing C++, Pascal and VB.:p
Concepts should be pretty much the same as those from C++...
*EDIT* Clarity

[soupnazi]

Oops...I actually only did C, not the ++ part. Sorry about the mix up.:D

[osp1keo]

i think VB and VB.net is better because its what makes money faster.

[bocybo]

Originally posted by soupnazi
Java has to be the most UNstructured language I've ever seen. (from my limited experience so far);)

It's so hard to get the concepts straight after doing C++, Pascal and VB.:p

Well, considering that c++ and java are both object oriented languages, that just about sums it up :) Once you get the OOP paradigm in your head, I think that you won't be able to imagine going back. I know that I can't after working on a large project such as a game, in which OOP techniques make things sooo much easier.

[Doomah]

I wish I could vote for two, because I love C++. Every day I see more and more how great it is and can be..

BUT ...

Java will always hold a special place in my heart. I've been using it for most of my "programming experience", so it's almost like speaking a second language now. :)

Granted it's not as fast or powerful as C/C++, but it's really portable and that I like. GUI's are nice and easy, Applets are cool, and it's really easy to work with too. You have your own personal garbage collector! No pointers / mem management to worry about! Yes, I know that takes away some of it's power, but it makes it easier to learn other things, OOP things. That's probably why the colleges around here start out teaching with Java ...

[Nithos]

YEY Perl :)
also on my top list
C/C++
Assembly

On my bad list
PROLOG (usefull if doing AI other than that its one of those that make you go CRAZY!!!)

PS..
I'm surprised Lisp is on the list,didnt think that many ppl use it let alone enjoy it :)

[schultz]

Originally posted by Nithos
PS..
I'm surprised Lisp is on the list,didnt think that many ppl use it let alone enjoy it :)

once you get into AI (if you do anything like that) you will mainly be using lisp. atleast that is how it is here at my school.

[Nithos]

Yes I know, both list and prolog are used in AI extensively, its an intriguing language but both are so different from most others that it is hard to comprehend when you first see it

[pudad]

I like C best because it is so fast, but I have made bigger things with java. Wrote a text editor, chat program, paint program, and even tic tac toe like games in java. In C my biggest project was a Scheme language interpreter. Hmm, wait a minute, I am also working on a mips simulator for my intro to systems class.

[pudad]

Originally posted by schultz
once you get into AI (if you do anything like that) you will mainly be using lisp. atleast that is how it is here at my school.

yeah, before I didn;t really want to do ai, after taking the intro cs class at school which used scheme, I REALLY WANTED TO STAY AWAY from AI because of lisp.

[pudad]

Originally posted by bocybo
Well, considering that c++ and java are both object oriented languages, that just about sums it up :) Once you get the OOP paradigm in your head, I think that you won't be able to imagine going back. I know that I can't after working on a large project such as a game, in which OOP techniques make things sooo much easier.

yeah, it is totallyu a different way of thinking. When you are programnming with objects it is almost like you are using legos, with C it is more like you are telling a really stupid person what they need to do.

[Paradigm]

Java, because it's all I know for now. My school has started me out on it and I love it, but I can't wait to get into C++.

[slavik]

QBasic should be on the list ... even though it was made by MS, it is very similar to C and a good prerequisite ...

[rock]

Originally posted by slavik
QBasic should be on the list ... even though it was made by MS, it is very similar to C and a good prerequisite ...

QBasic is similar to C?? Not any further than they're both procedural languages. Any BASIC is much closer to Fortran (specifically pre-F90 Fortran) than anything. The syntax and style is quite similar to Fortran (e.g., keywords like BEGIN and END for loops instead of {}), and if you can read one you could make sense of the other. Without any C constructs like pointers, knowing BASIC isn't going to get you far in C.

But, to your point, Basic and Fortran could have been on the list too. I've been writing more Fortran lately (testing Intel's 8.0 compiler), but I can't say it's on of my favorite languages.

[barton boi]

C/C++ because they seem to be the most powerful on the list, and are about the only languages I have a knowledge of. I'll probably start learning some Perl and maybe Java once I get the time.

[freedon]

I've taken 2 semesters of C, currentlly on my third and still the forth to come. Also currentlly learning VB and will take an extra-curriculm course of C# and Asp.net, I begin on Monday :cool:

[Galen of Edgewood]

C++ is my favorite, but I'm afraid that I'm so incredibly rusty on programming that it's ridiculous. Haven't programmed in two years... :(

Oh well, yea to the Army!

[chronicle]

Just want to note something: PERL ROCKS

[linoleum]

PHP gets my vote.
Python might, if I knew more about it.

C/Java are both good,too.

Perl is both highly useful and highly annoying. I'm glad to have it when I need it, but I hate to use it unless I have to.

[Nictius]

Originally posted by slavik
C, not C++

because it was developed at the same time as UNIX ...
C++ is like the industrial concrete block, you can build fast with it, but brick is better (C).

assembly isn't easy, but you can make programs that are more optimized than if you did them in C.

assembly code isn't exactly versatile between linux/windows (not just compilation), since you might sometimes have to take the CPU into account (I dunno how what I'm learning now will work on 64bit CPUs, since my code runs on a 32bit cpu) ...

Heck yeah you can.

I just wrote a double linked list in NASM. That prog was murder. But it's quick and full seems to ingrate fully into C drivers. :D
I'm happy.

I might try to get on the 64-bit ASM wagon, make myself marketable.

[Nephalim]

I voted Java because it is OO, it includes, be default, libraries to do 2D and semi-3D programming right with it that are fully cross-platform, and is inherently safer and faster to code with. Also, you can put just about any of your creations right on the web for people to use. Add to that the ability to do distributed systems AND host middleware applications in one easy package and this is my winner.

C/C++ comes second because C is sooooo powerful and so dynamic - it too has many of the features of Java, but one must rely solely on their own abilities in all areas like memory management, etc. C++ is OO. C/C++ is the better language, but Java is more my favorite for my own uses.

Nothing else really comes close to these two languages, IMHO. Especially VB. I can't stand VB because it is soooo hold your hand, it creates HUGE overheads, and does NOTHING special. Any middleware server could replace VB apps with less work. I think the only reason it hangs on is because M$ knew there were so many VB programmers out there from the 80s/90s that didn't know how to program in anything else. Who wants that kind of baggage?!

[jagojago12]

I'm not quite used to (enjoy) the structure of object oriented programming compared to control flow on C++. The most likely reason is that Object Oriented programming is more difficult, especially for GUI intense programs that focus on the MVC paradigm. Also, I don't like the Java interpreter performance. C++ is a good compromise between human understandability, features (it can be used as an OO language) and performance. My only knock on C++ is that it's not as flexible in terms of what platforms can run C++ code. Multi-platform is good.

Die hard programmers would probably choose Cobol, especially for accounting applications or assembly with great performance and at the same time being as close as you can get to machine language.

[goloap]

It really depends on what I want to do:

If it's a small GUI application: then VB.
A quick program for processing data: Perl
A big project: C++

Java is nice too, but it's too slow.

[Dantopia]

Yet another not on the list, Delphi... given the choice, this has the power of C++, the ease of VB and is so much clearer and structured... I never have quite understood why it hasn't taken off more, as I can do anything in Delphi that can be done in C, and generally can do it faster. C++ to me is insanely ridiculous in syntax and readability... you can never tell what the code is doing without staring at it for a while. Any language that still requires case sensitivity has long since past its prime in my opinion.