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If you have to learn just one programming language

blog.srinivasan.biz

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Re: If you have to learn just one programming language

#2

Post by sosuke »

I'm learning C# so I've got a little bias but the author says that C# never really took off? He doesn't even list it as failing one of his criteria. He says in the comments later he bases it off of it's listing here http://www.tiobe.com/index.php/content/paperinfo/tpci/index..... Baloney I say.

Re: If you have to learn just one programming language

#3

Post by AndrewO » 

    if (you_have_to_learn_one_language) {
      make_highly_subjective_claims();
      eliminate_good_candidates_for_specious_reasons(); 
      arrive_at_questionable_conclusion();
    } else {
      broaden_your_understanding_of_programming();
      be_able_to_evaluate_multiple_solutions_for_problem();
    }
The underlying premise is flawed. No one has to learn just one language and anyone who stops at one is limiting themselves to being a journeyman programmer for the rest of their career. At that point they should be asking "do I really like programming?" and if not, move along to something else.

A much better question is "If you have to start with just one programming language...".

Re: If you have to learn just one programming language

#6

Post by swombat »

If you have to learn just one language, and you're forbidden from learning another, you'll mentally hobbled, a technical cripple, like someone who's been forced to express their thoughts using only 5'000 randomly selected words of the English language.

The premise is completely flawed. No single language is enough to "be a programmer". You need other languages, if only to understand what your language does. And you need them because no language is the best tool for every job. Should a plumber choose "just one tool" to do their job with?

if you want to devote all your energies to becoming a proficient and productive programmer and want to learn one powerful, freely available, high level general-purpose language (not domain specific)

If you want to devote all your energies to becoming a proficient and productive programmers, you will need to:

1) Learn at least half a dozen different languages over the course of a few years or more (and by "learn" I mean learn them well enough to do something productive in them).

2) From this, arrive at a set of preferences for which languages you feel most productive in for the tasks which you tend to do.

3) Then, hone those few languages (there's gonna be more than one) to a sharp point.

4) Keep monitoring new language developments and get ready to jump ship if a better language comes along, which replaces one of your current languages favourably.

A one-language programmer is like a one-legged stool.

Re: If you have to learn just one programming language

#9

Post by plinkplonk »

swombat wrote: post #6

If you have to learn just one language, and you're forbidden from learning another, you'll mentally hobbled, a technical cripple, like someone who's been forced to express their thoughts using only 5'000 randomly selected words of the English language. The premise is completely flawed. No single language is enough to "be a programmer". You need other languages, if only to understand what your language does. And you n…

"The premise is completely flawed. "

Sure,(and I think your "algorithm" is better than the author's for choosing which langauge to "deep dive" into), but the whole point of a Thought Experiment is to work off a "crazy" (by whatever logic) hypothesis to see what kind of thinking results. "If I were to hitch a ride on a light wave what would I see? ". "If I knew I was going to die exactly a year from now what would I choose to do?" etc. The crazy hypothesis is taken as an artificial focus to spur thinking.

That said, the author seems a bit clueless (and I am not defending him or his logic). I just wouldn't dismiss the idea of a thought experiment so easily. So yes, if you could learn only one langauge which one would you learn? ;-)

(HN generally has better commentary than the article under discussion. This effect is particularly marked when theit is about some dumb submission that for some reason sparks great discussion.

My answer (fwiw) - C or Haskell. My biggest (programming) fear is working with dumb people on dumb projects. In the days of Java and scripting languages like Python or Ruby, either would be used (by and large) only for very unusual/interesting projects. Most of my work today is in converting Machine Learning research into workable code. The language used is is irrelevanmt to my clients, so eithr would work.Side projects would tend to be more interesting with either of these.

C would give me more job opportunities and many nice Open Source projects to jump into than Haskell I guess, but Haskell might be more mindbending (and fun). And it has a great community of very bright and nice people.)

Re: If you have to learn just one programming language

#10

Post by loup-vaillant »

AndrewO wrote: post #3

if (you_have_to_learn_one_language) { make_highly_subjective_claims(); eliminate_good_candidates_for_specious_reasons(); arrive_at_questionable_conclusion(); } else { broaden_your_understanding_of_programming(); be_able_to_evaluate_multiple_solutions_for_problem(); } The underlying premise is flawed. No one has to learn just one language and anyone who stops at one is limiting themselves to being a journeyman program…

Of course the premise is flawed. It doesn't stop it from being widespread, however. For many people, one language is enough.

I had teachers who told be that learning one language is enough to learn them all (except for the syntax). I have a colleague who wouldn't use anything but C++ for "serious" projects.

[Edit] Could someone tell me where this comment went wrong?

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