[NTLUG:Discuss] Direction Recomendations

[MadHat]

Randal Brown wrote:
> 
> I am wanting to learn a programing language and would like to hear some
> recommendations of what to look at.  I do not have any prior programing
> knowledge but am looking to the future for a possible career change.  I
> would like to learn a language that will run on Linux.  I guess I really
> am looking for something connected with Linux that I can focus on with
> some hopes of future employment.

What do you want to do with it?

There are hundreds of programming languages, most of which have a
particular facet they were designed for.  It really all depends on what
you want to do as to which one you choose.  I personally am a BIG fan of
perl, because I can do anything with it, and I could go into arguing
about how fast it is compared to other languages, or how portable, or
how versatile and such, but it is useless for this discussion.  You have
to think about what part of the industry you are wanting to get into. 
If you are wanting to do web development, learn PHP and Perl, if you are
wanting to do system level programming learn C, if you are wanting to do
GUI applications, learn C++...
Java is an option in some areas, tcl, lisp, etc...  
I would start by thinking about what you want to be involved in, then if
you are really wanting to get into the job market with it, look at the
employment rags and see what is most requested in the area you want to
get into (knowing it will change in 6-12 months).  C/C++ is probably the
bigest, but also one of the more dificcult languages to learn (from what
I have heard from others).

-- 
MadHat at unspecific.com
                                   "The 3 great virtues of a programmer:
                                      Laziness, Impatience, and Hubris."
                                                 --Larry Wall