From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-0.9 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,FORGED_GMAIL_RCVD, FREEMAIL_FROM autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Thread: f8899,3c634d3864722c74 X-Google-Thread: 10dd18,3c634d3864722c74 X-Google-Thread: f4fd2,3c634d3864722c74 X-Google-Thread: 103376,3c634d3864722c74 X-Google-Attributes: gidf8899,gid10dd18,gidf4fd2,gid103376,public,usenet X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit Path: g2news1.google.com!postnews.google.com!y5g2000hsf.googlegroups.com!not-for-mail From: george.priv@gmail.com Newsgroups: comp.lang.haskell, comp.lang.python, comp.lang.lisp, comp.lang.ada Subject: Re: Choosing a new language Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2007 21:29:50 -0800 (PST) Organization: http://groups.google.com Message-ID: <04d16dba-0c87-42cf-b493-5e78375f7b36@y5g2000hsf.googlegroups.com> References: <20071228162351.f29a3ce4.coolzone@it.dk> NNTP-Posting-Host: 69.250.188.114 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: posting.google.com 1198906191 10554 127.0.0.1 (29 Dec 2007 05:29:51 GMT) X-Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2007 05:29:51 +0000 (UTC) Complaints-To: groups-abuse@google.com Injection-Info: y5g2000hsf.googlegroups.com; posting-host=69.250.188.114; posting-account=VnNb3AoAAACTpRtCcTrcjmPX7cs92k1Q User-Agent: G2/1.0 X-HTTP-UserAgent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.0; en-US; rv:1.8.1.11) Gecko/20071127 Firefox/2.0.0.11,gzip(gfe),gzip(gfe) Xref: g2news1.google.com comp.lang.haskell:997 comp.lang.python:161066 comp.lang.lisp:76443 comp.lang.ada:19051 Date: 2007-12-28T21:29:50-08:00 List-Id: On Dec 28, 10:23 am, Rico Secada wrote: > Hi. > > First let me start by saying, please don't let this become a > flame-thing. > > Second, I need some advice. > > I am a 35 year old programmer, who program in C/C++, PHP and Bourne > Shell almost daily. > > I am currently going to start focusing on becoming more skilled at a > few key languages, rather than knowing many (which I do on a more > superficial level). > > My key languages are C, PHP and SH (Bourne Shell), and I have stopped > using C++ because I find that its a C-hack rather than a good design > choice. > > I have made the following decision: > > To study Ada and use it instead of C++. I come from a Pascal background > and I love the Ada syntax and wide area of usage. I am also attracted > to Ada because of its usage in the industry. > > Now I have three more languages that I am very attracted to, but I > prefer to focus on just one of them: > > Python, Haskell and Lisp. > > I have been doing some reading and some coding, and I am mainly > attracted towards Lisp because of its ability to "fix a > running program". > > But I find that Haskell is a more powerful language. Yet again Python > has a huge user base and many libraries, and it is implemented > everywhere, where Haskell and Lisp on the other hand hasn't. > > I like the syntax of all three, and I have gotten beyond the > "confusion" stage of Lisp parentheses, so they don't bother me at all. > > I need advice from people who have been coding in all three, and who > can share some views and experiences. > > Please, if you don't know ALL three by deep experience, don't respond to > this thread! > > Thanks and best regards! > > Rico. Can't say much about others but my experience with C, C++ (20 years), C# and Ada so far: C is too primitive, too much labor. I use C only on embedded platforms with limited availability of other languages. C++ for the years of use I have identified the following trouble spots: - Templates not always instantiate the way you think they should - Lack of typing restrictions: typedef is a bad joke - #define/ #ifdef should not be part of any high level language - no support for concurrency even simple threads C#/Java are pretty good except for reliance on garbage collection. Try the application that goes through 10Mb per second data crunch and witness the hick ups. Ada: in my first project. To summarize experience so far - More complex takes longer to learn - Takes some paradigm shift from pointers, callbacks to tasks/ message/rendezvous mentality - Some keywords seem to be redundant - Takes more time to think through data structures, interfaces and tasks - That can in turn result in better code - Anything having to do with life safety better be coded in Ada George