New languages?

[sans-hubris]

It's been about a year that this message board was out of commission. A lot can happen in that time.

So, what new languages have all of you picked up in the mean time?

Myself, I had to learn VB.NET. Since it has its roots based in the CLR, that makes it a hundred fold better than VB6.0. It's just too verbose for my tastes. I much prefer C#. I don't have to think about syntax so much when I'm coding in it.

I've also been doing a lot of Java coding lately as well. Java is still a very nice platform to develop on, largely due to its maturity. Java 1.5 promises a few really nice additions to the language.

Finally, although it's not really a language, I've dabbled very slightly in the Linux kernel source. It was just some playing with some modules, not core kernel stuff.

[Strike]

My latest language du jour is Haskell. I like it a lot so far, and the folks in #haskell on OPN^H^H^Hfreenode are top-notch, so I have a feeling I'll do a lot with this one. I've also been messing around with Scheme more as well, but not nearly as much. Jemfinch may convince me to do more of it, or perhaps delve into a different dialect of Lisp, if he really tries. But I think I've got enough to do with Haskell that I don't need another new(ish) language taking up my time.

At work I've had to learn passable VB (*vomit*), as well as a proprietary language called SPIRIT which is honestly the most awful thing I've ever seen. Here's a snippet:


process_type = @ATTR(1604)
BEGIN_CASE
CASE process_type = "OPEN":
{
select_oe = PARSE(@PARM(11),"[",1)
IF select_sw = "Y" Then
{
IF select_oe <> "" THEN CALL_RULE select_oe
ELSE MESSAGE_BOX("No Process ID Entered - Press Cancel","ERROR")
}
open_rule = @PARM(2)
CALL_RULE open_rule
report_rule = @PARM(5)
complete_rule = PARSE(@PARM(10), "[", 1)
}
CASE process_type = "OPENCOMP":
{
select_oecomp = PARSE(@PARM(11),"[",2)
IF select_sw = "Y" Then
{
IF select_oecomp <> "" THEN CALL_RULE select_oecomp
ELSE MESSAGE_BOX("No Process ID Entered - Press Cancel","ERROR")
}
open_rule = @PARM(2)
CALL_RULE open_rule
report_rule = @PARM(5)

//***
ben_que_pew = @PARM(11)
IF ben_que_pew <> "" then
{
CALL_RULE ben_que_pew
}
//***

complete_rule = PARSE(@PARM(10), "[", 2)
}
CASE process_type = "LIFE":
{
select_life = PARSE(@PARM(11),"[",3)
//MESSAGE_BOX(select_life,"select life")
IF select_sw = "Y" Then
{
IF select_life <> "" THEN CALL_RULE select_life
ELSE MESSAGE_BOX("No Process ID Entered - Press Cancel","ERROR")
}
life_rule = @PARM(3)
CALL_RULE life_rule
report_rule = @PARM(6)

//***
ben_que_pew = @PARM(11)
IF ben_que_pew <> "" then
{
CALL_RULE ben_que_pew
}
//***

complete_rule = PARSE(@PARM(10), "[", 3)
}
CASE process_type = "LIFECOMP":
{
select_lifecomp = PARSE(@PARM(11),"[",4)
IF select_sw = "Y" Then
{
IF select_lifecomp <> "" THEN CALL_RULE select_lifecomp
ELSE MESSAGE_BOX("No Process ID Entered - Press Cancel","ERROR")
}
life_rule = @PARM(3)
CALL_RULE life_rule
election_rule = @PARM(9)

//*** cmb add if condition
IF election_rule <> "" THEN
{
CALL_RULE election_rule
}
//*** cmb end

report_rule = @PARM(6)
complete_rule = PARSE(@PARM(10), "[", 4)
}
CASE process_type = "RECALC":
{
select_recalc = PARSE(@PARM(11),"[",5)
IF select_sw = "Y" Then
{
IF select_recalc <> "" THEN CALL_RULE select_recalc
ELSE MESSAGE_BOX("No Process ID Entered - Press Cancel","ERROR")
}
recalc_rule = @PARM(4)
CALL_RULE recalc_rule
report_rule = @PARM(7)
complete_rule = PARSE(@PARM(10), "[", 5)
}
END_CASE
There are no logical operators like AND or OR, so you have to nest IF statements together. Plus, everything is done via these stupid nameless parameters and these global attributes that are impossible to find if you don't know where to look. It's rather nasty and if I had enough time and I knew I would get paid for my work, I would rewrite the entire app that does all this just to make the language go away.

[inkedmn]

i'm learning haskell (again). maybe gonna work with LaTeX if i get the time/motivation, but haskell's all i really want to do atm...

[gish]

well since I am german....i figured why not actually learn my language..so yeah German... sorry my bad :sick:

[stuka]

I finally decided to break down and learn python....scary ain't it? :)

[jemfinch]

Originally posted by sans-hubris
It's been about a year that this message board was out of commission. A lot can happen in that time.


People keep saying this. The board was down for less than six months: November 2002 sometime to April 2003 sometime. More in the range of 5 months, but I'm too lazy to count the days.

Anyway, I've become rather enamoured with Lisp languages, simply because I've finally realized what power lies in their macros. I haven't done much with them simply because I've been busy, but I've been throwing around quite a few ideas about things I can do with them...

Jeremy

[kmj]

Originally posted by Stuka
I finally decided to break down and learn python....scary ain't it? :)


W000000000000000000000t!

:)

er..
uh..
hope you enjoy it. :)

[Blag]

By now.....i'm learning PHP and FASM. :redfaced:

[Flangazor]

I tried to learn yacc and lexx. I had moderate success, but I am not confident enough to put it on my cv.

As usual, I have been trying to get better with C++, Lisp and Scheme to some moderate success. Its difficult when you don't have a project that you feel you need to complete. Its very easy to not bother. Since I work as a programmer, its very very easy to not bother after 10 hours in front of the computer!

In April I tried to make a text editor in every language I know. I successfully made one in C++ VB and Java. My Lisp one was not successful -manly because I was using GCL and not anything like Cornan Lisp or Lispworks. GCL FFI is not very good in my opinion.

I think I might give lexx and yacc a more significant chance. If only I had a project I cared enough about. :(

[Solean]

I learned Chinese....


Learning C, though.