Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

What Programming Languages Should You Learn Next?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the anything-but-haskell dept.

simoniker writes "Over at Dobbs Code Talk, Chris Diggins has been discussing programming languages beyond C++ or Java, suggesting options such as Ruby ('does a great job of showing how powerful a dynamic language can be, and leverages powerful ideas from Smalltalk, Perl, and Lisp') but suggesting Scala as a first choice ('Very accessible to programmers from different backgrounds.') What would your choice be for programmers extending beyond their normal boundaries?"

5 of 759 comments (clear)

  1. how about.. by greywire · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Brainf*ck?

    --
    -- Senior Software Engineer, Attorney appearance services, locallawyerapp.com.
  2. Re:Wrong Question by spottedkangaroo · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Javascript on their resumes have no clue it is anything but a Java clone.)

    Um, not it isn't. It's ECMA and doesn't relate to java in any way. That was just a bad naming co-incidence.

    --
    Imagine if you weren't allowed to use roads because a bus company complained about your driving 3 times. --skunkpussy
  3. Re:Python? by melted · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Geez, a language without a proper for loop. Where do I sign up? And before anyone jumps at me, I know there's the for keyword in Python. It just doesn't work the same - just try to iterate from 0 to 2 billion and see.

  4. One word... by Rip+Dick · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Brainfuck

  5. Generally, you are correct. by jd · · Score: 0, Redundant
    After the DotCom crash, there were a lot fewer Java and ASP programmers getting hired, although that was more of a blip in the job market. Well, to a degree. There's much more demand for J2EE programmers than pure Java developers these days, with the rise of servlet engines such as Tomcat. C# and .NET have caught on very fast, I don't see quite as many pure C positions as I used to, and I can't remember the last time I saw a Visual Basic job in the area where I live. Visual Basic was a major language 5 years ago.

    In general, though, yes, there is a lot of stability in job requirements over time. Certainly enough to be sure that if you learned all that is current now, you'd know almost all that was current five, ten, fifteen years down the road. Those who only learn two or three languages have the most need to speculate, as they're at greatest risk of getting left behind, but those who've mastered the bulk of common languages today are in excellent shape for the future.

    Nonetheless, I believe the advice holds true. If you keep learning, you will be the stronger for it, and if you second-guess correctly which way the market will swing in the future, you will be the more secure for it.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)