About programing, a general question

[Joep L. Blom]

On 16/12/10 17:59, Parshwa Murdia wrote:
> hi,
>
> If one has to start from the scratch, from the zeroth level to do the
> programing, which programing language one should start with? In the
> ocean of the languages, to start with is really very typical. Can one
> justify it. Some say Python but again they say it is Perl which is
> better every time then the Python. Some say to start with C or C++ but
> again some emphasis to use Java or C#. Many say to go for .Net and VB or
> COBOL and some say to learn web based programing like HTML, PHP,
> ASP.Net. In this ocean who is just starting to learn which one he should
> prefer?
>
> Many say that what is the purpose of learning, then I say that to have
> the basic understanding of how exactly we can handle the machines like
> the CPU. Not to generate the big projects for the management processes,
> not even banking system but to know the basic of programing like how to
> handle the machines at the first, for that purpose, for the the scratch
> level purpose and for the one which is good even for Linux, what
> programing language should one like me, initiate?
>
> --
> Regards,
> Parshwa Murdia
>
As one of the older guys, I also would start to point to FORTRAN. It is 
not a good language for those who are not very disciplined but it is the 
"Mother of all computer languages" and many of the principles for good 
programming are incorporated. However, it's largest deficit is the lack 
of dynamic structures (arrays) but it is very efficient and fast.
I personally like PASCAL with it's Linux dialect Lazarus. The greatest 
advantage is the strict type-checking and checking of array limits for 
that reason I don't like C and its derivatives as it invites sloppy 
programming but I know I'm a minority.
Perl is not a compiled language but an interpretor just like basic and 
script languages and therefore not well suited for large programs.
Actually all the other languages like Python, Java, Ruby, Delphi, etc. 
are all meta-languages: wrappers around lower level languages (mostly C 
for Perl. Python, Java, Ruby and Pascal for Delphi).
And as others has told you it is not important which language you take, 
it is only important to learn programming principles, eventually you 
choose the language you can yourself familiarize with.
My 0,02 €.
Joep