someone coming from a C background typically understands a lot more about run-time performance than otherwise... -jmz
On Sat, Feb 20, 2010 at 8:01 PM, keith smith <klsmith2...@yahoo.com> wrote: > > I'm old school and would suggest learning plain old C. Then you can branch > out to other languages. > > ------------------------ > Keith Smith > > > --- On Sat, 2/20/10, Joshua Zeidner <jjzeid...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> From: Joshua Zeidner <jjzeid...@gmail.com> >> Subject: Re: >> To: "Main PLUG discussion list" <plug-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us> >> Date: Saturday, February 20, 2010, 7:34 PM >> On Sat, Feb 20, 2010 at 7:27 PM, >> Michael Havens <bmi...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> > website development seems like the only thing I would >> want to do so Ruby it >> > is! >> >> >> and that is the typical story with Ruby >> developers... ;) >> >> -jmz >> >> >> > Unfortunately, it isn't on my Ubuntuu install. When >> I tried to start it >> > it told me to apt-get it. No internet connection. >> > >> > On Sat, Feb 20, 2010 at 7:12 PM, Joseph Sinclair >> <plug-discuss...@stcaz.net> >> > wrote: >> >> >> >> Let's not devolve into a favorite language war. >> There are situations >> >> where Python is a great language choice, and >> situations where it's terrible. >> >> Every language choice comes down to what you want >> to accomplish. >> >> Some languages are good for rapid development of >> websites (Ruby, PHP, >> >> etc...). >> >> Some languages are good for systems management >> scripts (Python, Perl, >> >> etc...). >> >> Some languages are good for developing large web >> systems intended to be >> >> maintained for years (Java, others). >> >> Some languages are good for developing packaged >> COTS software (C++, Java, >> >> etc...). >> >> Some languages are good for system software and >> embedded devices (C, C++, >> >> etc...). >> >> Many languages are most useful in very specific >> niches (Forth, Lisp, ADA, >> >> XSLT, LOLCode, Objective-C, etc...) >> >> >> >> Most languages have multiple areas where they work >> well, and multiple >> >> areas where they're not so good. >> >> What exactly you want to accomplish in your >> software development should >> >> drive the language choice, although it rarely >> does. >> >> >> >> No one particular language is the best choice for >> learning how to write >> >> software; each type of software development will >> drive a different choice of >> >> the best "first" language to learn. >> >> >> >> Mike, you need to specify your goal more precisely >> in order for the >> >> community here to give you a useful recommendation >> that will help you best >> >> accomplish that goal. >> >> >> >> ==Joseph++ >> >> >> >> Kevin Fries wrote: >> >> > Wow, now I know why it is so hard to hire >> people that are competent! >> >> > Python is fun, not right, but fun... Thats >> your argument? If you want to >> >> > know why we refuse to hire Python programmers >> at our company, I can give you >> >> > real facts on why you should not use that >> language as a place to learn... >> >> > Not opinions. >> >> > >> >> > Kevin >> >> > >> >> > Sent from my Nokia phone >> >> > -----Original Message----- >> >> > From: Joshua Zeidner >> >> > Sent: 02/20/2010 4:17:23 PM >> >> > Subject: Re: >> >> > >> >> > On Sat, Feb 20, 2010 at 4:13 PM, Joshua >> Zeidner <jjzeid...@gmail.com> >> >> > wrote: >> >> >> Seems like we have a lot of opinions >> here. Here is a paper from ACM >> >> >> on the use of Python in for teaching >> programming. >> >> >> >> >> >> http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=114017 >> >> > >> >> > sorry wrong link: >> >> > http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1140123.1140177 >> >> > >> >> > -jmz >> >> > >> >> >> -jmz >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On Sat, Feb 20, 2010 at 4:01 PM, Austin >> William Wright >> >> >> <diamondma...@users.sourceforge.net> >> wrote: >> >> >>> Alan Dayley wrote: >> >> >>>> Python. >> >> >>>> >> >> >>> Absolutely NOT PYTHON. It breaks the >> first two rules of programming, >> >> >>> the >> >> >>> assignment operator (=) assigns >> values to a variable, and always >> >> >>> ignore >> >> >>> whitespace. Well my first two rules, >> at least. Plus it sucks at >> >> >>> consistent use of object-oriented >> programming. >> >> >>> >> >> >>> If you *really* need a >> general-purpose programming language, look at >> >> >>> Ruby, it's slightly more well >> behaved. Slightly. I would recommend >> >> >>> Javascript, it's a major programming >> language, and you can run it in >> >> >>> your web browser with literally >> nothing to install. Plus Javascript is >> >> >>> closely related to XML and HTML, >> while not programming languages, are >> >> >>> markup languages (a way of storing >> data) that is becoming very >> >> >>> important >> >> >>> to know for many things. Though >> designed for the web, many of these >> >> >>> things are finding themselves become >> part of everyday computing, >> >> >>> especially XML. For these things, http://www.w3schools.com/ is >> >> >>> popular. >> >> >>> >> >> >>> Any scripting language might be a >> good start at learning about >> >> >>> if/then/else logic, but none of these >> languages are going to teach how >> >> >>> computers really *process* or *store* >> information on the inside (how >> >> >>> the >> >> >>> CPU executes the program or how >> variables are stored in memory), or >> >> >>> for >> >> >>> that matter write an actual >> interactive computer program, you will >> >> >>> need >> >> >>> a real language like C or C++. After >> learning something like >> >> >>> Javascript >> >> >>> you will find C surprisingly limited >> in functionality if you try and >> >> >>> do >> >> >>> things the same way, especially >> variable-length variables like strings >> >> >>> and arrays. Keep that fact in the >> back of your head for when, if, you >> >> >>> attempt C/C++. >> >> >>> >> >> >>> Whatever you do, Google "<x> >> tutorial" should bring up something good. >> >> >>> In the way of books, however, you >> can't miss ones from O'Reilly ( >> >> >>> http://oreilly.com/ ), they are jade/teal >> and have a random animal on >> >> >>> the cover. >> >> >>> >> >> >>> Austin Wright. >> >> >>> >> --------------------------------------------------- >> >> >>> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us >> >> >>> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to >> change your mail settings: >> >> >>> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >> >> >>> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> >> >> http://home.joshuazeidner.com/ >> >> >> >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> >> >> >> >> >> --------------------------------------------------- >> >> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us >> >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail >> settings: >> >> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >> > >> > >> > >> > -- >> > :-)~MIKE~(-: >> > >> > --------------------------------------------------- >> > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us >> > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail >> settings: >> > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >> > >> >> >> >> -- >> http://home.joshuazeidner.com/ >> --------------------------------------------------- >> PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us >> To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail >> settings: >> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >> > > > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > -- http://home.joshuazeidner.com/ --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss
