Most useful programming languages

[Avon]

I don't want to repeat the OT topic here, what I specifically want to know is what you think are the most useful languages to know and where you would go to learn them (assuming you didn't know them already). This looks like it could be a fun forum.

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As the greatest computer scientist of them all once said:

"I'm not expendable, I'm not stupid and I'm not going."

[toonzwile]

Originally posted by Avon:
what you think are the most useful languages to know and where you would go to learn them (assuming you didn't know them already). This looks like it could be a fun forum.

C++ -- learn at any university/college/technical school... pretty much everything nowadays is based on some variation of the C language.

ASP -- Active Server Pages -- all the work of C++ with a buttload of HTML tags and source coding... but, it seems to be the wave of the future, plus ASP certification with virtually any MSCE certification practically guarantees $100K per year, so that should be incentive enough for anybody.

Java -- what would the Net be without Java? its pretty simple to learn, just from reading some of those 'Sam's Teach Yourself (fill in blank) in 24 Hours or 21 Days' books.

Thats all for now, kiddiez... stay tuned for tomorrow when this fun, amazing topic is continued.



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"I have slept many nights in places, with faces distorted
I have eaten the flesh and blood of air but still, I am here!
Though I shall never forget yesterday or today or tomorrow
And all the sorrow, from the blood shed that left many dead
I want you to know are you my flow and when I speak
Know I wept"
--- Unknown poet, Albanian or Serbian

[Avon]

Thanks, what about CGI, PERL and XML, should they be priority learning?

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As the greatest computer scientist of them all once said:

"I'm not expendable, I'm not stupid and I'm not going."

[Simpson, Homer]

I'd be careful about a job based on something like MCSE and knowing a single language like ASP; they may pay you near 6-figures now, but in a few years you will be out on the street without a job unless you get a real skill. Knowing how to program and knowing computer science are two completely differnet things; you can know one without the other. Computer science is a skill that will be here forever, while comptuer programming changes rapidly enough and being a comptuer programmer essentially guarantees that you will never rise up in the corporate world. I suggest learning C++ and Visual Basic, for application programming, and MS Access (not really a language, but a program) for Data base creation (also learn how to interface with access through VB a and VC). Java is great for web stuff, as is ASP. perl is a good scripting language. BUt most importantly, you must learn a butt load of mathematics and theory behind comptuer science if you want to have a job for more than 4-5 years! Learn all of the algorithms you can and make sure to understand concepts of efficient coding as well as readability and modularity.

And if you ever want to make more than 6 figures after a few years, either get a good degree (graduate level; preferably an MBA) or be very very very lucky.

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[slipgun]

Java? Is that really a big deal? How about JavaScript?

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An atomic bomb has been dispatched to the White House, with compliments from Bin Laden

[Avon]

Thanks for the advice, I'm kind of at a career crossroads at the moment (and I'm only 25). I'm due to be made redundant at the end of next month, but I don't think it'll be too difficult to get some sort of other job to pay the bills while I work out what I want and how to get it. On the line, I've signed up for 2 Open University courses, one on the Internet and one on Computer hardware and may follow that through, bit by bit to degree level. I actually have a lot of the other skills which people look for in techies (or so I'm told) e.g I know a bit about business and CRM and whatnot, but I really need to work on my technical skills, so expect to see a lot of me in this forum.

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As the greatest computer scientist of them all once said:

"I'm not expendable, I'm not stupid and I'm not going."

[Sol]

Originally posted by slipgun:
Java? Is that really a big deal? How about JavaScript?

I hope your kidding right? Java is a great language. So many tools out there and a lot of open source code out there. I used to think Java was just a cheap ripoff of c++ (still kind of do) but I have been coding for it at work for the past 4 months. I have learned a lot and I am amazed at what you can do with it.

Edit: I found C++ to be the most useful. Along with Object Oriented Design. If you know the theories behind it, you can learn any langues, its just learning the syntax.

[This message has been edited by Sol (edited December 29, 2000).]

[Klashe]

Originally posted by Sol:
I hope your kidding right? Java is a great language. So many tools out there and a lot of open source code out there. I used to think Java was just a cheap ripoff of c++ (still kind of do) but I have been coding for it at work for the past 4 months. I have learned a lot and I am amazed at what you can do with it.

Edit: I found C++ to be the most useful. Along with Object Oriented Design. If you know the theories behind it, you can learn any langues, its just learning the syntax.

[This message has been edited by Sol (edited December 29, 2000).]

XML, Java, C++.

Java is a cheap ripoff language, but it's a good one. A little bloated due to it huge amounts of libraries and automatic garbage collecting.

I think I would have rather started out with Java than C++ because it's a little more readable. And you get the Object Oriented Design stuff down pat before you jump into an unforgiving language like C++.

Segmentation Fault. Core Dump. <shudder>

[Sol]

Originally posted by Klashe:
XML, Java, C++.

Java is a cheap ripoff language, but it's a good one. A little bloated due to it huge amounts of libraries and automatic garbage collecting.

Segmentation Fault. Core Dump. <shudder>

Why do you think its a cheap ripoff language? (not starting a flame war here, just curious about it) Also, in college I started off in Pascal and then went to C++. I didn't really have a hard time after that. I know now at my college they are teaching Java as the beginning class.

[This message has been edited by Sol (edited December 29, 2000).]

[toonzwile]

Originally posted by Simpson, Homer:
Knowing how to program and knowing computer science are two completely differnet things; you can know one without the other. Computer science is a skill that will be here forever, while comptuer programming changes rapidly enough...

Thanks for the advice, but im actually 1 semester away from getting my Bach Science in Comp Sci... i was just talking abt ASP cuz its an emerging technology and not as many ppl know abt it. I do know VBasic, C++, even some Perl... CGI, Java, Javascript, learning Oracle... HTML, XML, DHTML, ASP... Obj Oriented Design, blah blah blah... i think ill be just fine, Homer, but thx for caring so much!!




------------------
"I have slept many nights in places, with faces distorted
I have eaten the flesh and blood of air but still, I am here!
Though I shall never forget yesterday or today or tomorrow
And all the sorrow, from the blood shed that left many dead
I want you to know are you my flow and when I speak
Know I wept"
--- Unknown poet, Albanian or Serbian

[Snoop Dogg]

D@mn you I was going to ask this same Question!!

[Moridin]

C/C++ is a fundamental language. It will be around for a very long time. In even if people do stop using it C/C++ skills will still be needed for decades (Kind of like Cobol. It just won't die)

Java is on the rise and will likely be important for years to come.

VB is also worthwhile, but it is tied to Microsoft. If MS gets split up and looses their power to influence the market it could fall out of favor. There are a lot of scripting languages that are "VB like"

SQL not really a programming language, but it is fundamental for working with databases and this is where things are going.


Once you learn these you can pick up anything else you need easily. Pick up things like ASP, Perl, etc as you need them.


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Life is complex. It has real and imaginary parts.

[Moridin]

programming, and MS Access (not really a language, but a program) for Data base creation ([/B]

I have to strongly disagree with you here. Access is a nice thing for a home user to play with, and a good tool for data migration but it causes nothing but problems if you attempt to use it for anything more.

There is no excuse for using Access in real application development as far as I am concerned.




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Life is complex. It has real and imaginary parts.

[Sol]

Originally posted by Moridin:
C/C++ is a fundamental language. It will be around for a very long time. In even if people do stop using it C/C++ skills will still be needed for decades (Kind of like Cobol. It just won't die)

Java is on the rise and will likely be important for years to come.

VB is also worthwhile, but it is tied to Microsoft. If MS gets split up and looses their power to influence the market it could fall out of favor. There are a lot of scripting languages that are "VB like"

SQL not really a programming language, but it is fundamental for working with databases and this is where things are going.


Once you learn these you can pick up anything else you need easily. Pick up things like ASP, Perl, etc as you need them.

I agree. I know in college, they pushed more theory on us. Learning the science of it, instead of just teaching us how to program. there will always be new languages and new technologies out there. Its best to get a good foundation in math and the theory behind it, then learning a new language is just learning the syntax, which is the easy part.

[Klashe]

Originally posted by Sol:

Why do you think its a cheap ripoff language? (not starting a flame war here, just curious about it) Also, in college I started off in Pascal and then went to C++. I didn't really have a hard time after that. I know now at my college they are teaching Java as the beginning class.

[This message has been edited by Sol (edited December 29, 2000).]

Maybe "cheap ripoff" was a little too strong. I was quoting your early post. Then I realized that you said "I USED to think".

It definetly has it's roots based on C or C++. And it is a good beginner's language. I wish I had learned it in school as my first prog class (instead of useless Scheme).