You might find JSchem interesting: http://jscheme.sourceforge.net/jscheme/main.html
Bashar ----- Original Message ---- From: Warner Onstine <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [email protected] Sent: Monday, June 18, 2007 2:02:03 PM Subject: Re: [jug-discussion] next language to learn? On Jun 18, 2007, at 10:41 AM, Jim Secan wrote: > The correct answer should be "I don't know yet." I've been writing > code > for almost 40 years now (quite a trick given that I'm only 39!) and > have > lost count of the number of languages and psuedo-languages I've > learned > over the years. What I do know is this - whenever I try to learn, > or learn > about, some new language just for jollies or for some poorly- > defined future > need, it doesn't take. If I ever do use the language, I pretty > much have > to start over. Best practice is that you learn a new language when > you > have need of it, either for development or for understanding some > piece of > code you've inherited and now must maintain. This may lead to some > steep > learning curves that must be surmounted in a short period of time, but > nothing focuses the old brain like "learn this or die." I keep > track of > what's out there, but I've given up on dabbling in a new language > until I > have need to. > > One possible exception to this is learning new paradigms. For > example, for > all us old dinosaur linear-language programmers, OO design and > development > was a bit of a stretch. It was useful to learn the precepts and > concepts > of OO programming before actually needing it (I fought with both C+ > + and > Ada as OO learning platforms before finally learning Java WHEN I > NEEDED > TO). But learning a new language just to add another type of > screwdriver > to the old toolbox is just not productive. It also takes time away > from > drinking beer. As I say in my blog one of the reasons to learn a new language is just that - to see how another language approaches problems so that I'm not stymied into thinking "one way is the only way". In other terms, because I have a hammer everything looks like a nail. Granted you do bring up a good point in that to truly use a language you need "something" to do with it. In my current job all I do is Java (and probably just about I'll ever do unfortunately), so I need to look to outside of work to learn something new otherwise my skillset becomes stale. On that note then (and it's beginning to sound more and more like I should learn scheme first). What would be a good (little) project to do in scheme. Just suggestions please as I will take them and then come up with something that I can leverage for myself. Here are some of the things that interest me: - Code generation - Searching - personal information management - community software - essentially connecting people in interesting ways I don't know how any of this could possibly relate to a new language, yet, but I plan on finding out. Ok, decided to do a quick search on cocoa scheme bridge and came up with this: http://3e8.org/zb/cocoa/manipulating-itunes-plist.html So I can combine two of my loves together (cocoa and learning a new language ;-). Now, back to your original point, I do think that functional languages are becoming more important and I should *know* about them and how they do things so I can see how to make things better in my current environment (one way or another). I agree that it would be better to have work "pay for it" so to speak, but I don't have that luxury since they are stuck in a specific universe of Java-land (I'm going to call it the far-off place of junky Web app frameworks and forgotten ORMs). -warner > > Jim > *---------------------*-------------------------------* > | Jim Secan | Northwest Research Assoc, Inc | > | ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) | 2455 E. Speedway, Suite 204 | > | (520) 319-7773 | Tucson, Arizona 85719 | > *---------------------*-------------------------------* > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Warner Onstine - Programmer/Author New book on Tapestry 4! Tapestry 101 available at http://sourcebeat.com/books/tapestrylive.html [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://warneronstine.com/blog --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
