Google Engineer Decries Complexity of Java, C++

snydeq writes "Google distinguished engineer Rob Pike ripped the use of Java and C++ during his keynote at OSCON, saying that these 'industrial programming languages' are way too complex and not adequately suited for today's computing environments. 'I think these languages are too hard to use, too subtle, too intricate. They're far too verbose and their subtlety, intricacy and verbosity seem to be increasing over time. They're oversold, and used far too broadly,' Pike said. 'How do we have stuff like this [get to be] the standard way of computing that is taught in schools and is used in industry? [This sort of programming] is very bureaucratic. Every step must be justified to the compiler.' Pike also spoke out against the performance of interpreted languages and dynamic typing."

Comments

Colleges should teach more than C++ and Java

[Orion Blastar]

When I went to college in the late 1980's and early 1990's I learned as many programming langages as I could both in college and on my free time. Computer World thought I was notable enough to quote me as an expert on the subject based on a former Slashdot story.

Some argue that colleges should teach concepts and theories and choose the easiest language in which case BASIC (Classic Visual BASIC 6.0 and under) and Pascal (Turbo Pascal or Delphi) was used, then later as Java and C++ became popular because they can be cross platform.

Anyone remember growing up with 8 bit computers and using Pilot or Logo and giving commands to a turtle to draw stuff? It made programming fun.

But if anyone wants to do Modern Windows programing they'll need Visual BASIC 2008/2010, Visual C# 2008/2010 as that is what MS IT Shops run. You show them on your resume that you are a C++ and Java developer and they'll laugh at you and pass on you and hire someone with Visual Studio experience instead.

Don't forget Python/Jython, Ruby on Rails, and others.

I am trying to get off disability and do something as a hobby to help people. I want to write some beginner's eBooks on various programming languages as a cook book or step by step guide to learn how to program in Free Pascal, Free BASIC, ANSI C++, C#, Visual BASIC, Java, Python, and a few others. Make it the basics of the language from hello world to a program that maybe reads and writes records from a text file. Forget about the GUI and Objects and make it text based and cover those later. It will mostly be figuring out math problems and then maybe end up doing an employee payroll program that writes a report on salaries and checks. But will be under an OSS license so others can add to it and make it better later on. I'd also give source code with the PDF and consider putting it in RTF, ODF, and other formats so it can be read by almost anyone.

But my health and family come first.

Anyway the OSS versions if the OSS joins in we can turn into better eBooks. If not I will write intermediate and advanced versions of those books for sale for eBook readers and try to start up a small business as eBook readers and eBooks catch on.

All of this talk that "your language is too complex" is nonsense, look at how Complex the Modern English language is, so why don't we just drop English for Dutch/Flemish or German or French or Spanish? Hey learn the different dialects of Chinese as we owe their government a lot of money. BTW I am learning Thai, "Sawadee krup!" The r is usually silent and that is Thai for hello said by a male if a female says it then krup is replaced with ka. :) Yes I want to learn those languages as well but lack the time and money.

My resume was getting ridiculous as I had over 37+ programming languages I knew, most of them dead or dying or early being used. Maybe only 5+ are used in the modern world. So now if I rewrite it I will trim the number of languages to those still in use and say "and other programming languages not listed here, but ask for a separate sheet if interested."