2006-09-13 16:57:54 · 4 answers · asked by sam45tun 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Programming & Design
You cannot possibly know all programming languages. There are thousands of them, possibly 10,000 or more that were actually used by at least 100 people. You cannot even know all of Java. Java is too complex to master all of it anymore. So with Java you learn the basics and pick a few specialties.
Here are the core languages to know.
PHP (Most commonly used language today) This covers your backend scripting language.
SQL - Gotta know this today. Learn ANSI SQL first. MySQL or the free Sybase personal edition are best ones to learn basic SQL. Then learn PLSQL and TSQL. Access does NOT have a real form of SQL. It is a very bad way to learn databases or SQL.
C/C++ (Best to learn using GNU backend and some front end. Learn using ANSI flags. Learn C/C++ that way and you can move around between compilors and platforms fairly easily.)
Asm - This is important so that you know what's going on under the covers. How it all works. Nobody writes extensive ASM code any more. Many drivers and low level code embedded in C/C++ are where you see most ASM coding going on today.
AI/Expert systems language like Lisp or Smalltalk plus CLIPS
LOGO I think is also used in Robotics and AI.
Some form of Basic, today Gambas is the best to learn. If you know Gambas you can move around in the various Basics. Make sure to do both console mode and GUI programming.
XML (not really a language but today you need to understand it)
HTML (Again not a language but you'll need it.)
Perl (Which IS very C like) It can be the ugliest language in the world. Even more ofusicated than C. It is also heavily used in the real world. Luckily you can find an example on the web to do just about anything in Perl. So you don't really need to write Perl code much. Just modify it from time to time. You'll run into Perl scripts sooner or later in your career. You don't need to be an expert, just be comfortable with the language.
Javascript - You can't get around the web and since you can't you can't get around Javascript.
Know at least basic Java. Your going to run into it over and over again. Get good at some Java specialty and you have a good income.
The Web services model. - Best to use the Sun web services kit. There are two different standards of web services. The one most of the world uses and Microsoft's ever changing often half undocumented standard. Since Microsoft helped create the one everybody else is using I have no clue why they do not use themselves. Anyway use the Sun kit, has everything you need for Web services. It's standard so it plugs into everything. You don't have to relearn it every couple years nor re-write your entire codebase every year or two just because Microsoft decides to move everything around or drop support completely.
Then you get to nice to know languages.
Python is a very popular language. Has it's really strong points, easy to code in, powerfull but not compiled.
Ruby is becoming very popular nowdays.
REBOL is a really interesting language. Not sure if it's going to take off like Ruby has but worth learning if you have spare time.
Doesn't hurt to know .net It'll change on you and be abandoned like every other Microsoft language but it's widely used and you can make a few bucks knowing it.
Knowing Delphi or Turbobuilder helps. Knowing that can land you a job in a hurry.
Knowing Oracle financials or SAP will bring you big bucks. Not an easy field to break into however. Again with SAP you will probably specialize into a specific SAP module.
Knowing some COBOL doesn't hurt. Even today you still run accross it. If you know at least the basics of how it works and the structure of the language it'll come in handy at times.
Knowing Fortran is good for some Gov jobs. Especially where advanced math is used. There is no equiv of the ability of Fortran to crunch numbers in any other commonly used language today.
Mumps is heavily used in the health care industry. A strange language. Very compact. Almost no keywords, uses symbols for pretty much everything. Far less lines of code but also very evil for a programming novice. Great for an experience programmer.
Doesn't hurt to know ASP. It's obsolete (supplanted by .net) but there is enough ASP code out there that knowing the basics means you can easily translate it to other languages or fix minor bugs in existing ASP code bases.
Knowing VB doesn't hurt. If you know Gambas you pretty much know VB though. Gambas covers everything VB can do and far more. Windoze support is still very limited at this time for Gambas. There are however a huge VB codebase out there. Then you also have extensive VBA usage.
Knowing Access used to be a must know for an IT proffesional. Microsoft has all but dropped it over recent years. It's days are numbered and it's usefullness just about over. Still there are quite a few home grown apps using Access in the corporate world. Knowing enough to fix problems and move it to a real programming language is helpfull.
Devshed is one of the best multi-language websites out there.
For the other languages best to go to language specific support sites.
http://www.devshed.com/
2006-09-13 19:02:29 · answer #1 · answered by draciron 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Improve your programming skill by coding things that are difficult. Think of a fun small project you can do that will involve threads, database, high-performance graphics, and uses networking to connect to remote computers.
The only way to learn is by doing it and realizing the mistakes that you made along the way.
Don't try to be a pro at all languages, pick only one language that suits a particular task. For example, C++ and Visual Basic will let you program standalone apps as well as web development with php and asp. There is no need to learn multiple languages for the same purpose. In fact, this will probably confuse you.
At work I use both VB.NET and C++ and I sometimes throw fits because sometimes I start to use the wrong syntax.
2006-09-13 18:03:01 · answer #2 · answered by soulblazer28 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can't possibly be a pro in them all, but this will help -
http://www.thecodeproject.com
2006-09-13 17:01:03 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
learn a language that is completely foreign... so if you know c, java is closely related, but xslt or python or perl are very foreign.
2006-09-13 17:03:14 · answer #4 · answered by jake cigar™ is retired 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋