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The Best Programming Language (or How to Stop Worrying and Love the Code)

blog.fourthbit.com

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Re: The Best Programming Language (or How to Stop Worrying and Love the Code)

#111

Post by ansimionescu »

sanderjd wrote: post #70
hvidgaard wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

LINQ is a tool, and a great one. But just as you need to understand malloc when writing C, you need to understand the basics of LINQ to use it in production. The main problems I've come across are all failure to understand delayed evaluation. Maybe I'm not using it in a complex way, but as soon as it start to feel too complex, LINQ is not the way to go. I agree that it can be difficult to debug - that's why it should…

What are the best resources for really grokking LINQ in depth? I'm not too impressed with the level of depth in the main LINQ section on MSDN - it seems (sensibly) more focused on how to use it than on how it works.

This seems to be popular (a lot of people had it at the MS shop I interned last year) [0] and, to be daft, here's two more recommendations via SO/reddit: [1] [2].

0: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1590597893/

1: http://www.manning.com/marguerie/

2: http://manning.com/skeet/

Re: The Best Programming Language (or How to Stop Worrying and Love the Code)

#113

Post by adamors »

nhmit wrote: post #40

Whenever someone says PHP is useless I know that they have no idea what they are talking about. Being ugly is one thing, being useless is something quite different and in case of PHP this could not be further from the truth.

Not to mention, that since 5.4 short array syntax exists. He needlessly provides an ugly example, just to be part of the circlejerk.

I don't know why I read past the first paragraph, where he claims Javascript is a great language. Hahaha.

Re: The Best Programming Language (or How to Stop Worrying and Love the Code)

#114

Post by supersystem »

vinceguidry wrote: post #96
supersystem wrote: post #44

If you actually want to make things you'll still can't avoid learning C, C++, Java and/or Objective-C. Other languages just don't offer a broad enough ecosystem.

You can get very far with Ruby or Python before having to learn a bit of C for extensions. I've been using Ruby for years and I've yet to run into a situation where I need it, though admittedly I stick to web stuff.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of high-level programming languages. But things like threading, graphical interfaces, multimedia, embedded programming, binary distribution etc. just isn't very well supported. Partly because of technical challenges, but mostly because there isn't a critical mass of people doing those things.

Re: The Best Programming Language (or How to Stop Worrying and Love the Code)

#116

Post by dscrd »

timje1 wrote: post #42
nhmit wrote: post #40

Whenever someone says PHP is useless I know that they have no idea what they are talking about. Being ugly is one thing, being useless is something quite different and in case of PHP this could not be further from the truth.

Strange, this article doesn't call PHP useless.

This is how defensive (even cognitive dissonant) some PHP coders are.

Re: The Best Programming Language (or How to Stop Worrying and Love the Code)

#117

Post by rottyguy »

A bit surprised by how much attention this article is getting here. Someone nailed it by saying it has much breadth but little depth. A speed dating synopsis of competing programming language to speak. Obviously the author likes brunettes with fair skin.

I recall reading the "Design and Evolution of C++" and found it quite enlightening. One wishes this type of book was a mandatory delivery for all Language authors...

Re: The Best Programming Language (or How to Stop Worrying and Love the Code)

#118

Post by [deleted] »

polskibus wrote: post #87
andrewcooke wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i guess maybe now is a good time to repeat this request - does anyone know of a good, recent book that describes how to write correct, modern c++ using the latest standards and staying with the subset of the language that expert users recognise as elegant and powerful?

I always recommend Effective C++ by Scott Meyers. It does not cover C++11 but is still relevant to anyone wanting to learn the good c++.

[deleted]

Re: The Best Programming Language (or How to Stop Worrying and Love the Code)

#119

Post by pcwalton »

> If there is something that could debunk C is a low-level language with great support for concurrency. Or maybe a mythical language with the properties of Haskell and the pervasiveness of C.

So, Rust? :) (Minus the pervasiveness, right now—but you do have the low-level control.)

Re: The Best Programming Language (or How to Stop Worrying and Love the Code)

#120

Post by AnimalMuppet »

Kurtz79 wrote: post #8
overgard wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why do so many people kill Smalltalk so fast? Because it doesn't have curly braces. Entirely unfair, but it seems like if you want to sneak in an innovative language it needs to be a wolf in sheep's clothes. (IE: it need to vaguely resemble C)

I could make an argument for the exact opposite. If a new language has curly braces is instantly reviled and deemed as "not innovative" by part of the community.

I think both are true, because "the community" is not one thing. It's a bunch of people, each with their own viewpoint. And a bunch of people have strongly-held views (in both directions) on curly braces.
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