jobsnake.com— Prashant N Mhatre has a working knowledge of several programming languages but job demands to learn a new language frequently in a short time. Prashant shares 15 exercises to master languages quickly.
Jun 11, 2006View in Crawl 4
I agree with klang and RocketMike, but what is this "You started programming with VB, didn't you?"Why do programmers and computer people feel the need to put down anything that is easier to use?Oh no! Someone with less knowledge than me can do the same job as me in half the time! They're obviously using an inferior programming tool.
@Grimboy did you not read Scarblac's comment?Different languages are designed to solve different types of problems. Getting used to the syntax might help you when you're writing a 'hello world' program but understanding the problem and the design implications is more important than knowing where to stick your curly brackets.
@StealthTomatoI like your point of view. I started with QBasic when I was young, and moved onto VisualBasic, but now I see myself as a competent C++ programmer. What's wrong with starting out with something simple? Stepping stones are key.
tylerni7,"I'm 15 and know Perl,.."For a 15 year old, you certainly have caught what programming is about; ..1) selecting the right tool for the job. 2) making sure, that you have as many tools to select from as possible.Keep it up, but do something else with your time as well; take a run, mountain climb, bungy jump .. whatever .. it clears the mind when you are stuck.
@dharm: I agree. In the end, programming is nothing more then moving memory: a = b. Learning a new language is finding out how to do that best in your chosen language.
Is there a summary online comparing the uses for various languages with advantages and disadvantages? Here is the information I would think would be useful about each language:practical applicationsHello World SampleCompilersSpeed Comparison's for various programsAdvantagesDisadvantagesLearning CurveResourcesSome languages I would be interested in Perl, PHP, C, Java, .NET, VB, Qbasic, LISP, Assembly, Python, Ruby.
takteekJun 12, 2006
I agree with klang and RocketMike, but what is this "You started programming with VB, didn't you?"Why do programmers and computer people feel the need to put down anything that is easier to use?Oh no! Someone with less knowledge than me can do the same job as me in half the time! They're obviously using an inferior programming tool.
starsky51Jun 12, 2006
@Grimboy did you not read Scarblac's comment?Different languages are designed to solve different types of problems. Getting used to the syntax might help you when you're writing a 'hello world' program but understanding the problem and the design implications is more important than knowing where to stick your curly brackets.
yukicussJun 12, 2006
@StealthTomatoI like your point of view. I started with QBasic when I was young, and moved onto VisualBasic, but now I see myself as a competent C++ programmer. What's wrong with starting out with something simple? Stepping stones are key.
lutjaJun 12, 2006
I still love delphi for asp.net - Its better in every possible way than the *.asp.net implementations in visual studio.
lutjaJun 12, 2006
...but it does equate to the compiler that you are using having good developers
klangJun 13, 2006
tylerni7,"I'm 15 and know Perl,.."For a 15 year old, you certainly have caught what programming is about; ..1) selecting the right tool for the job. 2) making sure, that you have as many tools to select from as possible.Keep it up, but do something else with your time as well; take a run, mountain climb, bungy jump .. whatever .. it clears the mind when you are stuck.
webtweakersJun 15, 2006
@dharm: I agree. In the end, programming is nothing more then moving memory: a = b. Learning a new language is finding out how to do that best in your chosen language.
bestechgearJun 20, 2006
Is there a summary online comparing the uses for various languages with advantages and disadvantages? Here is the information I would think would be useful about each language:practical applicationsHello World SampleCompilersSpeed Comparison's for various programsAdvantagesDisadvantagesLearning CurveResourcesSome languages I would be interested in Perl, PHP, C, Java, .NET, VB, Qbasic, LISP, Assembly, Python, Ruby.
rubyconNov 16, 2006
Just in case anyone is still reading this: I have implemented the exercises in Ruby. It can be found here:<a class="user" href="http://www.rubyrailways.com/implementing-15-exercises-for-learning-a-new-programming-language/">http://www.rubyrailways.com/implementing-15-exercises-for-learning-a-new-programming-language/</a>