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Thread: ? on programming lang's

  1. #1
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    ? on programming lang's

    this is going to be a messed up ? but iam a student and i have to take some programing coures. now i know that there is something like 400 different lang's well in total thats with adding the real old ones. but what is one or two of the most widely used lang's used?
    if you can help thanks

  2. #2
    Just off the top of my head:

    Perl
    C++
    VB
    I breathe, therefore I am!
    I type, therefore I live!
    [shadow]I love, therfore I die![/shadow]

  3. #3
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    C++,
    Java,
    VB or C#

    - T

  4. #4
    AO Antique pwaring's Avatar
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    C is probably the most widely used language (although feel free to correct me if I'm wrong in this), and the majority of the Linux kernel, plus the command line tools for *nix, are written in it. It's what's know as a middle-level language, i.e. it retains some aspects of low-level languages (individual bit manipulation is just one), but still looks slightly comprehensible to humans.

    VB is what I'd recommend as the easiest language to start off with if you want to work with Windows. It's based on drag-and-drop components with some object oreintated code behind it. It's fairly easy to learn, flexible enough to perform a lot of the tasks you would ever want to do (especially because you can access the Windows API and DLLs, where MS have done a lot of the work for you) and is okay for basic shareware applications for Windows.

    Assembly is the most difficult language to learn (okay, so there's pure machine code, but nobody uses that any more unless you're working for NASA), but produces the smallest executable files and executes the fastest. I wouldn't recommend even trying to learn assembly though until you've done some C.

    If you're on Windows and looking to start programming. pick up the Working Model Edition (WME) of VB (it comes with most learning VB books) and start from there. You've got all the features that you could possibly need for beginning programming, and the WME is free, although you don't get a compiler or any help files.

    Once you reach the limits of VB, pick up a copy of 'The C Programming Language' (affectionately know as 'K&R', after it's founders - the inventors of the C language) and start off from there.

    Hope this helps.
    Paul Waring - Web site design and development.

  5. #5
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    Originally posted here by pwaring
    Assembly is the most difficult language to learn (okay, so there's pure machine code, but nobody uses that any more unless you're working for NASA), but produces the smallest executable files and executes the fastest. I wouldn't recommend even trying to learn assembly though until you've done some C.
    I disagree to this. Nobody uses assembly anymore to create fast code. You have to be a really good assembly programmer to beat a good c(++)-compiler creating fast code. The optimization of the compilers is so good now that there isn't much gain in writing assembley. It's just too complex, you can't create compact fast running code like in c(++). Assembley was used in graphics programming earlier as it needed to be fast, but with directX and other graphic libraries there isn't any need for that either.
    ---
    proactive

  6. #6
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    well since youre a student (like myself) i'll assume very little or no programming experience..

    VB is a good one to start off with as it is a lot like pseudocode (structured english) and is relatively easy to debug and use due to the fairly nice GUI interface that you get with it, you may even have the software at home without knowing it too (it comes as part of access database)

    C++ and Java are good to look at after you have done a little bit of VB or a similar 'introductory' language, but i tend to lean towards Java as the errors in compiling don't seem to be as 'cryptic' as C++

    thats what i think anyway, hope it is of some help

  7. #7
    Well, IMHO, I think C is fairly a very good one. Also, assembly, for me, isn't nessacarily fast, it all depends on how you make it to be. I do, however, agree that VisualBasic is mostly drag and drop and is fairly easy to use. It is good for making small to medium applications in windows and ActiveX controls.

  8. #8
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    Hello,Applaud to all
    but IMHO, first decide what you want to do
    if you are not from programming background
    you'll certainly like C
    where the things gets better with C++ ....(assuming you will progress in learning more)
    if you want to do system programming (this is the kind of area developing now)
    e.g. embedded system / devices in use then C/C++ will help
    but if you want to do application programming better start of with C++ and then go to JAVA
    no lang. requires previous knowledge but just follow eveolutinary model..
    anyway first start with C/C++ and find it for userself
    if you go for application programming VB and a Database will be handy though not necessary.
    Happy programming..
    There is more to Life than having everything.

  9. #9
    At the school I am attending C is the basic requirement for all my classes. I am not saying it is the best, and I am not saying this is the one I would personally suggest, but if you are going for a degree. I would suggest getting it out of the way. You can always pick the one you really want to learn after.

  10. #10
    I would have to say start out with VB, PERL, or Python. Then move up to C when ready

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