If you could learn one programming language what would it be?

pcgizzmo

If you could learn one language that would scale to multiple platforms and operating systems what would it be? Java?

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Asif Dasl

None of them - they all drive me to Seppuku.

Scripting is OK but full blown programming no.

erpadmin

It would be Java or C because if you know either one of those, any other language can be learned hands down.

cyberguypr

Asif Dasl wrote: »

None of them - they all drive me to Seppuku.

Scripting is OK but full blown programming no.

Amen bro.

the_Grinch

Assembly.

NetworkVeteran

pcgizzmo wrote: »

If you could learn one language that would scale to multiple platforms and operating systems what would it be? Java?

I'll vote, that's a silly question! What you want to learn are programming concepts--how to utilize conditionals, loops, arrays and other common data structures, object-oriented programming, design patterns, reasons to modularize, how to document your code, etc. Then, you can be a strong programmer in almost every language. Learning a language, without learning those concepts, will make you a weak and generally undesireable programmer in one language.

DevilWAH

erpadmin wrote: »

It would be Java or C because if you know either one of those, any other language can be learned hands down.

I agree lean any programming you know them all, expicaly if you go down the .net route.

Personal I would love to have the time to really get in to c++. I think its still the standard to measure other languages against. Its not the "best" for every thing but is a very robust and broad language. If you understand it well you would have no trouble picking up other more specialised Languages . And you are also not tide to a single platform, like with other languages, c++ gives you access to pretty much any os and hardware. .

DevilWAH

NetworkVeteran wrote: »

I'll vote, that's a silly question! What you want to learn are programming concepts--how to utilize conditionals, loops, arrays and other common data structures, object-oriented programming, design patterns, reasons to modularize, how to document your code, etc. Then, you can be a strong programmer in almost every language. Learning a language, without learning those concepts, will make you a weak and generally undesireable programmer in one language.

I vote that's a silly answer

to learn the concepts you need to practice and experiment it, so its a fair question to ask what language will give you the widest experience of concepts and areas to explore. for example you could start by learning a scalar language, but you will miss out many of the fundamental consents that are used in the more mainstream languages.

A good language to learn is one that gives a wide and in-depth coverage of all the main concepts.

Sponx

I would want to learn one code, to rule them all.

<insert evil laugh>

N2IT

I edited this

ABAP SAP development

Akaricloud

I'd say C++. It's fairly straightforward compared to some of the other languges but yet is complex enough to build all your skills upon. Once you know C++ most other languges come easy but that doesn't necessarily go the other way.

swild

be a Cobol warrior.

On a more serious note, C++ or Java will get you the skills needed. Java seems to be more and more popular so I would probably swing that way a bit, but I agree that C++ is probably the toughest to master.

I personally want to learn Python, but that's a totally different animal.

SteveLord

Java or better at SQL.

N2IT

@swild

My mother is a DB2/COBOL warrior!

ptilsen

Network Veteran hits the nail on the head. Syntax and implementation methodology differences between languages range from slightly annoying to completely trivial.

A lot of the experts out there agree that C or C++ should be the foundation. They are the most versatile overall, and once you've learned them, pretty much everything else is trivial. This is a good write-up by Eric S. Raymond:
How To Become A Hacker

I followed ESR's advice when I was a teenager, and taught myself Python (very easy, but provides a good foundation), then a bit of C++ (not as easy, but largely completes the foundation). While I am not a programmer and have largely forgotten every C-specific I learned, even the foundation I got from those experiences has made the administrative scripting I am occasionally tasked with pretty trivial.

Asif Dasl

the_Grinch wrote: »

Assembly.

I have to say, if I ever meet someone who does Assembly I'll have to shake their hand and congratulate them and wonder how they stop themselves going postal... lovely example code here.

kurosaki00

Visual Basic
:yaoming:

DevilWAH

or if you want to start with the real basic stuff, try good old "BASIC"

erpadmin

SteveLord wrote: »

Java or better at SQL.

SQL really isn't a programming language. When you look at what SQL is, you'll find that it's really not as a complex as Java or any other Object-Oriented Language.

SQL is terribly easy, believe it or not.

Asif Dasl

DevilWAH wrote: »

or if you want to start with the real basic stuff, try good old "BASIC"

Break out that Commodore 64!

DevilWAH

Asif Dasl wrote: »

Break out that Commodore 64!

It around here some where

seriously though "BASIC" would teach a newcomer a lot about loops and logic of programming.

petedude

Perl. The "one that's gotten away", even though I did read a bit on it last summer.

I also wouldn't mind getting heavily into Pascal, adding to what I've already had exposure to. Strangely enough, I'd like to learn the old Borland Windows Library, even though no one uses it any more. I just think it'd give me a good foundation for GUI programming.

ptilsen

erpadmin wrote: »

SQL really isn't a programming language. When you look at what SQL is, you'll find that it's really not as a complex as Java or any other Object-Oriented Language.

SQL is terribly easy, believe it or not.

In fact, SQL is a query language. It's built into the acronym.

techdudehere

My courses were mostly in C/C++ so I am biased but I feel it's an a good language to learn on. There are a ton of resources to choose from and code snippets and so on, so you're never really stuck. I took one assembly course and I enjoyed it for the interesting perspective, but can't say I'd consider using it outside of an academic exercise. For random things I need scripted, I've found Python is pretty easy to use. It's been a long time since I found anything I couldn't do with scripting and if I did, I'd probably only use a compiled code as a library of code to add in to my interpreted script.

Hypntick

I spent a couple of years working with C++, while I really haven't had occasion to use it, it sure as heck helped on the javascript test I had to do for WGU. However I have been looking at Python and Perl more and more lately.

paul78

It all kinda depends on what you want to use it for and why. Different languages have different strengths and applications.

The first language I ever learned was Applesoft Basic, followed by Pascal, and then Fortran.

I have a software engineering background working low-level OS utilities and software so I learned C and Assembly. I never really cared for learning object-based languages like C++. I also have the snobbish believe that all programs written in intepreted languages are scripts

- yes I know that's a ridiculous statement.

For myself - I have always wanted to learn a non-von neumann language like APL or FP. Or improve on what little I know of Lisp. @AsifDasl - if you thought that Assembly made you dizzy - check out the APL examples.

Assembly is very intuitive by comparison.

From a practical perspective - I am planning to learn Python.

As a side note - A classic paper called the 'The Humble Programmer' by famed computer scientist Edsger Dijkstra can be found here - http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~EWD/ewd03xx/EWD340.PDF - it contains some of the most memorable quotes that I can remember on various languages.

ptilsen

paul78 wrote: »

I also have the snobbish believe that all programs written in intepreted languages are scripts - yes I know that's a ridiculous statement.

Snobbish? It just seems accurate, to me. The understanding I have had for the last ten years is that this is essentially part of the definition of scripting. Scripting languages and interpreted languages are one in the same, while compiled languages and programming languages are one in the same.

Perhaps it's not that absolute. I mean, technically you can "compile" some "interpreted" languages, but at the end of the day the code is still interpreted and it is still a script. E.g. a "program" based entirely in .pyc files is still a script.

On the other hand, VisualBasic and Java are not to be confused with vbscript and jscript or Javascript, respectively. The former are compiled, programming languages and the latter are interpreted, scripting languages with similar syntax to their programming counterparts. A Java or VB.net program is still a program.

Wikipedia, the free, 100% authoritative and, in fact, infallible encyclopedia: wrote:

A scripting language is usually interpreted from source code or bytecode.[2] By contrast, the software environment the scripts are written for is typically written in a compiled language and distributed in machine code form; the user may not have access to its source code, let alone be able to modify it.

paul78

ptilsen wrote: »

Snobbish? It just seems accurate, to me.

Whew... glad I'm not the only one.

ptilsen wrote: »

On the other hand, VisualBasic and Java are not to be confused with vbscript and jscript or Javascript, respectively. The former are compiled, programming languages and the latter are interpreted, scripting languages with similar syntax to their programming counterparts. A Java or VB.net program is still a program.

I consider Java, c#, and VB.net scripting languages too

They are technically intepreted languages. I also think that any language with a garbage collector which is pretty much most intepreted languages is a scripting language.

ptilsen

paul78 wrote: »

They are technically intepreted languages.

How so? All three are compiled languages.

erpadmin

ptilsen wrote: »

In fact, SQL is a query language. It's built into the acronym.

In terms of programming languages where you compile something into an executable (which I believe this thread is about) then no, SQL does not qualify. Yes it is a "language," smarty-pants [smile], but if all you knew was SQL, then you'd have a hard time printing "Hello World" if you were not familiar with any other OOL languages.

At least with Java, you could perform coding with any other other language as the structure is very similar...it's just the syntax that changes. SQL won't help with that.

(Plus, Structured Query Language by itself is very easy to pick up.)

SteveLord

Yeah yeah....Java and SQL are the only languages period...that I would be interested in. Know some SQL, just don't deal with it daily.