Topic: What programming language to learn? - page 2. (Read 2357 times)

Its javascript, so you need to learn javascript to use it. Personally, I prefer javascript to PHP but others will prefer PHP. I wouldn't say one is easier to learn than the other. But if you can learn PHP, you can certainly learn javascript no problem at all.

is node.js similar to PHP is it easy to learn or is it a lot more difficult?

I have been a web programmer for well over 15 years, so here are my 2mBTC

Python: Fun easy language to learn, but it is not web-centric. It is great if you are building some independent desktop app (many BTC wallets use python), but I after learning it, I never really had much practical use for it web wise.

PHP: The ultimate in web languages for a very long time. It allows you to be a pretty sloppy programmer and still get something up on the web, and if you are a disciplined and advanced programmer, you can build a major website. PHP is what I would recommend to anyone who is a newb that just totally wants to get the job done. Using a framework like codeigniter is also helpful in making a more maintainable site. Upside: there are a lot of php jobs out there. Downside: there are even more php programmers. They are a dime a dozen, and the pay isn't great. One potential upside: there are some libraries to interact with Bitcoin APIs.

Ruby on Rails: Learned it, built the basic blog stuff from tutorials, but I dislike the whole idea of scaffolding and code generating code. It seems if you want to build anything that is not straight-forward you are in for pain.

Java: I know it backwards and forwards and built some crazy stuff with it. That said, I absolutely refuse to program in it. It is way too structured, incredibly slow to develop in, and induces carpal tunnel in people who code in it (too f'n verbose). Upside: You can develop native apps for android in it. (checkout phonegap though if you want to just use html/js/css)

Node.js: A really nice development environment that reminds me of coding in scheme back in college. It is functional, so you have to deal with deep callback stacks effectively. This will be hard at first, and you will need some discipline to not create a nasty code ball. It has the best darn module system around, and reminds me of the best of python regarding modules. You will be using javascript on the front and back end here. Theoretically this means that you will reuse some of the same code on both sides. Realistically, this doesn't happen much, but it is nice not needing to change mental gears between client and server programming. Node.js programmers are in demand now too.

C++: Really, don't bother. We are moving to an interpreted code world and unless you are working on something that needs the speed, this isn't needed. Even if you do need the speed, use python and on the very speed dependent things you can squeeze some c modules in there. Upside: Just a step away from Objective C so you can do some iOS native apps (checkout phonegap though if you want to just use html/js/css)

.NET: Pretty much Java, but on the MS stack. Expect to need to know a lot about libraries and such. It is good for getting jobs, but I try not to touch anything in the MS stack.

Flash: No. It is on its way to the dustbin of history, and good riddance.

TL;DR: Php if you just want to learn enough to get some stuff done. Node.js if you want to take yourself to the next level.

Any web designer who doesn't already know most CSS by heart is just a wannabe. CSS is a prerequisite for being at least mediocre.

I would say CSS is a popular one among web designers too it might be worth learning that.

I am asking for a friend.  She was a professional programmer in the business world for 21 years and has just been out of the game for a bit.  She has been planning to get started on Java and I just wanted to get a heads up and see what you guys had to say.

So it looks like Java, Javascript, and PHP all the way.  

You guys are awesome  

Thank you MakeBelieve and everyone else.

Did I miss something? You want to open an exchange, but you don't even know a suitable language? Don't do it, or you will be slaughtered.

A majority of the web is made in PHP.
A majority of the web is terrible.
The relationship is partly causal.

Learn PHP if you want easy job access.
Stay away from proprietary trash like Flash or that ColdFusion thing.
Since JavaScript is not optional for the web, you might as well go JS all the way.

Referring to your peers online as "plebs" is quite standard for nerds of a certain caliber. Consider it a badge of honor.

Also, CF forever.

depends on what you wanna do.

if you're pragmatic, you'd learn one of the popular languages.

not everything is shiny in the "real world" though, there are many problems in software development, many of today's languages will be legacy in a couple of years, just like COBOL.

if you're a technical guy close to the machine, i recommend to stick to low-level languages, like C, or even Assembler.

if you want to model the real world, I believe OOP is a dead-end, and (pure) functional programming languages will be the future, i.e. Haskell, Clojure, Scheme, etc, as they allow to write very concise code by letting you specify the "What" rather than the "How".

well you could always use

lol. We got forced to learn that at school for a term. Even then we were saying wtf is this???

Learn COBOL, much less competition

Nice to describe forum members as "plebs". I used ColdFusion in 2000. That was probably CF at its peak. People have moved on since then.

One of the things that I like about ColdFusion (and use) is how easy it is to hook up with Java libraries, both your own and third party. Of course, you need to make some tight interfaces, otherwise it can all go to shit.

Some people make the observation that the tag syntax is similar. You might like it - the only obstacle is that CFML isn't open-source. You can download a developer's version for free, but to run a commercial server takes a license from Adobe, which still runs at over $1,000 per machine.

For this reason usually it's web-design companies that use it.. that and it makes it easy to create templated designs and rapidly set up sites.

I've never heard of it maybe I should take a look but I'm familar with PHP so php looks easier to me 

The easiest web-programming language on Earth to learn.

Which of the following makes more sense?

Hello World

'; ?>

or

Hello World


Even a person who doesn't program knows it makes more sense to output data in output tags. The whole language pretty much follows that logic. Set variables with , upload files with , create form fields with ...

Great language for beginners. Very versatile, lots of documentation online.