[NTLUG:Discuss] Wanting to speak the language

[Steve Baker]

Robert Citek wrote:

> For a different twist, I'm wondering if you could learn more than one 
> language at a time.  In other words, I'm wondering if you could pick six 
> languages (e.g. bash, perl, C, Java, python, guile) and write a "Hello 
> World" program in each.   Put a time limit on each (say one hour) and 
> see how far you get in each.  When the time limit is up, put it aside 
> and move to the next language.  Then cycle back and put a limit to the 
> number of times you cycle through the languages, e.g three times.  Which 
> one finishes first? second? third?

Hmmm - sounds like a *really* good way to confuse the heck out of yourself
over small language differences!

When I was in college, we had a course where we learned thirty new programming
languages over 30 weeks.  We had a lecture on the language on Monday where the
language was explained and a problem set in it.  Then on Friday, there was
a seminar in which our solutions were discussed.

It was very entertaining - but without someone there to guide us as to
the finer points of each language, it would have been impossible.  I wouldn't
say I could actually program in most

It is certainly true to say that (just as with human languages) learning
the first one takes the longest, the second one is also rather painful
because you have to un-learn stuff - but by the time you are learning
your third, fourth or fifth, the entire process is really quite painless.

Since I learned programming in the '70s, I first learned Fortran, then
BASIC, Algol-60, Algol-68R, C, Pascal, C++.  Since then, I've lost track
of the number and order that I've learned stuff - and I'm probably forgetting
languages at about the same rate I'm picking them up.  So I can get by in
Ada, Perl, Prolog, Lisp, Java and Python - but I doubt I could still write
Algol because I havn't used it for 35 years!   Over my career - C and later,
C++ have been by *FAR* the most useful and flexible languages.

I would advise getting REALLY comfortable with one language before confusing
yourself with more.  It's like saying you should learn German, Japanese and
Greek by learning three words from each and seeing which you like best.  You
won't understand the full subtlety of any language until you've learned it
fairly completely.

You can truly write anything in C or C++ - but *all* of the other common languages
are only applicable to a smaller subset of problems.  If you want down-and-dirty
raw speed *with* a reasonable degree of portability - then C/C++ is the only
way to go.

> Once you've done a "Hello World" program, go into a little more depth 
> with each language.  For example, next you could explore flow control by 
> printing a sequence of numbers from say 1 to 100.  Again, if you have 
> difficulty, find an expert and ask for guidance.

We can save you the trouble...

Here is a web site with "Hello World" written in over 200 languages:

     http://www2.latech.edu/~acm/HelloWorld.shtml

---------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------
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