What are you programming in?

On embedded C & Assembler, though I will be learning more VHDL in the near future.

On the PC I also find VB# easy to use, but to be honest the simularities between C# and VB# are so slim that you might as well pick C#.

Hi Cabe,

For micros I use C, I haven't yet been able to learn assebly ( I intend to though, it's the only way to pull every last drop of performance).

For PC development, I use Python along with it's various extensions (Mostly Tkinter). I'm not at home in software so I haven't focused on learning many different languages, but I have found Python to be very user friendly and easy to learn. For GUIs Tkinter is a breeze even though I'm still getting used to it. I'm open to using C on a PC as well but haven't really needed to since computers have so much horsepower you don't have to fret over resources.

My 2 cents,

Jorge Garcia

When I began programming we had Fortran.  Assembler, Pascal, and C have each been my preference in their turn.  For what little 'real' programming I still do its a mix of C and Assembler with some C++ features making life easier.  I use the gcc compiler for everything.  For scripting I like Lua.  Lua can be embedded in C and vice versa so it's possible to have the best of both worlds.  Mostly I script text and it seems that languages can be divided into Char (C), String (Perl, AWK, Sed, Cut) and Table (Lua, SQL) based.  For raw graphics (gui) GTK+ was my choice but for pure elegence, simplicity, and ease of learning TCL/TK with its Wish window is it.  I have never been comfortable with Java, perhaps because its slow or maybe I just miss doing my own memory management.  For web pages HTML and CSS with PHP when needed have been enough.  I like CLIPS for building expert systems and use a little XML, XBRL, and Java for financial programs.  If I were to start over I think I would learn Assembler, C, and the AWK, Sed, Cut scripting tools since they are what I use most.  For web pages I tend to use HTML and CSS heavily with some PHP, CGI's in AWK, and a little XML.  The best language?  The one you find most comfortable to re-read when debugging.  For me this can be Assembler with sufficient comments and blocking into reuseable subroutines, I think its how we lay out the project and not the tools we use that make for programming efficiency and speed.

Budmaddock,

Glad to hear you like assembly as well.

I recently read that "Ruby on Rails" is the latest "HOT" language paying quite a bit to developers. Or is this just another flavour of the month?

Cabe

It seems to be rare that I need a computer to do something that I can't make it do in C/C++.  I've found C to be the Brooks Brothers suit of programming:  it might not be the most fashionable choice, and all the high school kiddies might even find it old-fashioned, but in the end it gets the job done.  And I can spend my time actually getting the job done rather than learning some new way to get the job done.

When I was taking Computer Science classes in school, there was a joke going around:  What's the definition of an Engineer?  Someone who does list processing in Fortran.

Okay, I probably just dated myself.  But, to my credit, I haven't used LisP (or however you are supposed to capitalize it) in many years.

-jim

Jim,

Thanks for you first post as a reply!

Fortran has been talked about by a few of my colleagues. I dabbed in it briefly, and to be honest I didn't enjoy the experience. No matter what the requirements are for programming during my day jobs, I end up back at some flavor of "C."

Right now I have to delve deep into PIC programming for the 18F series in "C." I'm transitioning well from PIC assembly. I like not having to code multi-register multiplication in assembly anymore.

Cabe

C and assembler get the job done for embedded systems. As far as I am concerned for this kind of work there are no other choices...C++ or JAVA are fine for PC work but are not capabled of the low overhead necessary for my work. I am now learning the ARM family which is new to me having mainly done CISC programming in the past. So the real question is what is your target?

Achadya,

My target to know what the most popular programming language to stick to. As a lot of us are sure, jobs often demand we pick up so esoteric language for the occasional job. But if there is a root language, so to speak, to stick with that can convert easily over to anything else, than that language is key.

And mostly, I am just curious.

Cabe

The evolution of computer languages seems to have been, PhD in math -> Grace Hooper creates a compiler -> Fortran and Cobol coexist and work well.  Basic is invented at Dartmouth in 1965 as a teaching language.  Several paths shot out in all directions after that with Pascal, the pseudo-code project and C, the low level building block needed to create UNIX coming in 1970.  Everything that has survived since was based on one or the other of these two languages.  Boutique aside, C is still the most used language in most surveys, the most powerful, the fastest, and the most abused by those using something else.  For a big project I like C, with a few hours spent creating a library of powerful subroutines for a project and a good make file it can be extended with Lua50 and GTK+ to build most anything.  That said however TCL is the fastest to learn, quickest to network and a wonderful TK toolkit with wish.  Php has stood the test of time as the Server Side language for web hosting and JavaScript holds its own for client side processing.  So, with all of that behind me, 10 years ago I still chose Fortran for my first CGI script.  Beauty is a very personal thing.  If you can live with "malocate" then I recommend C and if not Java seems the most popular cup of ... 

As far as evolution is concerned your history seems to omit the impact of the UK, unfortunatley like most history US based. What about Algol, Coral 66, Atlas Autocode (used to program the first machine with virtual memory) etc..

R