On Thu, Apr 29, 2010 at 14:24, Kfir Shay <[email protected]> wrote: > So based on what you wrote, you programmed in COBOL, Occam, PHP & Java > and you didn't see any BIG differences between languages?!
Oh, you opened my eyes somehow: Maybe I can't see that much innovation in newer languages because most of the things I already have seen in other languages. - Indeed when I was talking about the not so big differences I was always thinking of - and comparing - those "newer" languages with other languages I already have seen and learned. - That said, don't ask me now to write a program in COBOL or Occam - it is simply too long ago and I have overwritten that stuff in my brain with more important things. :) - The only impression (and feelings get remembered better than facts) I remember now with COBOL was to write "english stories" instead of programs. ;-) - So basically I am comparing new languages with the whole soup of what I already experienced. Starting over again, maybe I would again look at different langauges and try many of them - if it just to find the langauge that matches most my main interests, focus and personal preferences. If I would like to be a driver developer things look completely different than if I am trying to develop for the end user. So I must partly withdraw my opinion: For people who have not settled/decided for their focus yet or for people who want to change their focus it is good to try out a lot of languages. In my case I know quite well where I want to put the focus and what language characteristics and features I prefer over others. And: I see more importance in the value added by the things I build and the existing tools/IDE etc. - So if you have looked at quite a number of languages and found 2 or 3 you find good and like then I think the language itself gets the less important question. I think sometimes the language itself is over-emphasized from time to time. A lot of ugly things in a language are not so ugly, once you got familiar with them. ;-) In fact for me it is far less annoying not having closures in Java than missing an OS independent library for dealing with selected Windows which I would need for a set of needs currently (under Windows was no problem - I used the Windows APIs there - but dealing with OS Windows in a platform independent way seems to be a challenge). -- Martin Wildam -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Java Posse" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/javaposse?hl=en.
