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 Which programming language should I learn? (Updated)
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PaulButler




PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:16 pm   Post subject: RE:Which programming language should I learn? (Updated)

The third code sample is from Objective Caml (OCaml).

And given the thread title, here are some reasons you should learn it:

1. Type inference gives you the safety of static typing with little more effort than a dynamically typed language.

2. If performance is an issue, OCaml has a reputation for being faster than other functional languages and even C++ for some problems.

3. Once you have used an interactive console (I think OCaml calls it the toplevel), you can't go back.

4. Pattern matching is cool, even though I still don't fully understand it.

5. Functional programming is coming back into style Smile.

6. If you want access to a huge library of existing code, Microsoft's F# is basically OCaml with .NET integration.

7. It's not as hard as it looks.

Razz
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rdrake




PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:18 pm   Post subject: Re: RE:Which programming language should I learn? (Updated)

PaulButler @ Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:16 pm wrote:
6. If you want access to a huge library of existing code, Microsoft's F# is basically OCaml with .NET integration.
The license even indicates that F# still contains some O'Caml libraries and code Wink.
wtd




PostPosted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:26 pm   Post subject: Re: RE:Which programming language should I learn? (Updated)

PaulButler @ Fri Aug 03, 2007 5:16 am wrote:
5. Functional programming is coming back into style Smile.


It never went out of style. You just keep getting style advice from people with no sense of style. Wink
WannaBeProgrammer




PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 3:15 am   Post subject: Re: Which programming language should I learn? (Updated)

one question, i hear that starting with C is bad and that its better to start with ruby or python, is that true? i have to admit that C is confusing, but i want to learn a language that will help me the most and C is used the most, what do u think i should do?
ive been studying C and can barely program the simplest of code, maybe i just need to practise? or maybe i should try something easier?

-Carl
McKenzie




PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:10 am   Post subject: Re: Which programming language should I learn? (Updated)

There are a lot of good reasons to learn C first. I don't think "it's used the most" is that important. If you are serious about computers then you are going to learn a load of different languages. No one is going to offer you a job after you have been hacking around in your first language for one year. C doesn't do much for you, which means you have to do everything for yourself. If you enjoy a very low level approach then you can learn a lot with C. As you pointed out it is still very widely used and C knowledge will be valuable for some time to come.

I taught C for about 6 years, as a second language. Typically, most students find it a frustrating up-hill battle. To take this up as a side project you are very likely to get frustrated and give up, but it is very much a personal thing. Ruby and Python are great as starter languages, but they are not without their faults as well.

Keep in mind that when you are talking about what is "used the most" no one here has a crystal ball to tell you what language will be used in 5-7 years when you are looking for a Computer job, or 7-10 years when you want to switch jobs, and even then when everyone jumps on language X there will be a niche market for language Y. Explore languages because they are cool and fun to play with. If you are just starting, it is way too early to be worried about if you will ever be paid to do what you are doing.
WannaBeProgrammer




PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 2:37 pm   Post subject: Re: Which programming language should I learn? (Updated)

yea its frustrating but im deffeinately not giving up, im just worried that i will go to college and take the game and simulation programming course, its a 3 year course, and ill fail out cause i dont have enough prior knowledge. i guess im just being impatient lol, but i really want to learn C fast so i can start programming my own games and stuff. how long does it take usually to master C? i see those learn C in 10 days things but i dont think thats true.
McKenzie




PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 2:50 pm   Post subject: Re: Which programming language should I learn? (Updated)

"C in 24 Hours" means 24 1-hour C lessons. You will only finish them in 1 hour if you have some prior programming knowledge. Game programming is some fairly advanced stuff. It's like writing a novel. If you start learning Spanish, don't expect to be writing novels in Spanish next week. There is a load of fundamental knowledge you need in game design. There is no shortcut to this knowledge.
WannaBeProgrammer




PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 4:07 pm   Post subject: Re: Which programming language should I learn? (Updated)

thanks =]
ive been studying hard all day and hope to get a good understanding of programming with c and maybe c++ within the next three months
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wtd




PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:09 pm   Post subject: RE:Which programming language should I learn? (Updated)

Here's the key: write code. Write a lot of code. Once you've written some code, show us. Be read for us to tell you it sucks, and why, and keep an eye out for constructive criticism. Then, when you think you understand that criticism, go back and do it again. Lather, rinse, repeat.
wtd




PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 7:10 pm   Post subject: RE:Which programming language should I learn? (Updated)

There's nothing wrong with starting with C. Just remember, if you get frustrated, and C doesn't seem like fun...

There are other languages out there that are fundamentally different from C and will still let you get to your goal. So, if C doesn't float your boat, don't give up on the whole thing.
Devin_McElheran




PostPosted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 12:58 pm   Post subject: Re: Which programming language should I learn? (Updated)

I have tried C and Java and found both boring, the only language I can say I really learned is Visual Basic, I learned it in a computer science class at school last year, and I found it fun. A lot of languages were mentioned here and I'd like to learn one worth learning, good for games and stuff, so if you have any suggestions I'm open to them.
Clayton




PostPosted: Fri Jan 25, 2008 5:16 pm   Post subject: RE:Which programming language should I learn? (Updated)

It's pretty hard to put a definition to "good" when you speak about programming languages. Each has their own pros and cons to be considered. Read through this again and make your decisions based on that. If that still doesn't give you enough information, Google is a godsend.
DemonWasp




PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2008 3:57 pm   Post subject: RE:Which programming language should I learn? (Updated)

@Devin: If you're interested in game programming, then you should decide which you're going to start with: casual games or big-name games.

Casual games (such as web games) are often Flash or Java. Rarely JavaScript. Other languages are used, but the simplicity of writing code in these languages (and the wide base of people who know the language) leads to their popularity.

Big-name games (pretty much all the ones you see advertisements for) have a heavy tendency towards C and C++ (and some apparently include ASM code too, though I suspect that's becoming increasingly uncommon). I would imagine you can find the occasional VB or Java (see Tribal Trouble, a relatively big-name game coded in Java). The reason here is that performance is generally a primary concern, and C/C++ have a well-deserved reputation for being very fast.

As for other languages, I couldn't say much. I know that Python might be usable (Blender is, as I recall, written in Python and it performs quite well with 3d stuff).
Richard Knop




PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:13 am   Post subject: RE:Which programming language should I learn? (Updated)

Well, I would at least mention C++ and PHP. They are pretty popular and imho should have their place in the list.

On the othe and, I would remove Delphi 5, Pascal and maybe few others that have really no place in 21st century and are basically dead languages.
michaelp




PostPosted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 3:53 pm   Post subject: RE:Which programming language should I learn? (Updated)

They can be used as learning languages though, just to learn the basics of programming.

edit: Something that I just noticed was that the C++ example with the function is pretty screwed up. Razz Might wanna fix that.
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