Re: Programming Languages / IDEs

On Sun, 13 Jan 2008 03:36:45 +0000, Rob wrote:

ray wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:00:44 +0000, Rob wrote:

I would like to learn a Language to write applications in Linux.

I am not a professional by any means the Language I am most familiar
with is Visual Foxpro. I have done things in Visual Basic as well.

(I have a feeling I will be waiting a long time before they appear on Linux)

This is what I have found so far.

C++ KDevelop
Pascal Lazarus (Looks very impressive)

Any other suggestions?

Fortran, Forth,

Fortran - I don't see what Fortran has to offer that Basic does not.

That was not one of your criteria. Fortan is compiled - a lot of basic
apps are not, for one. It also offers more freedom to the author. It is
more efficient generally. I don't use Fortran any more, but you asked what
was available.



Forth - I have heard good things about it but it is too obscure. For
somebody like me I need something widely used so that I can get help in
newsgroups.

Modula2 (what Pascal should have been),

Curious what you mean by the above statement. Again too obscure

Modula2 was based on Pascal. It was Niclaus Wirth's second effort. Pascal
was not originally planned to be implemented - it was an abstract
construct intended to be used to teach programming concepts without an
actual computer. It lacks much - for instance I/O was 'tacked on'. Modula2
is quite similar but a much better implementation.


Java, Pearl and,
of course, there are also some BASICK dialects around for Linux. There is
also a rudimentary Comal implementation.




I tried learning C with a book long time ago and found it was too hard.

If you could not handle C, don't even think about C++ - C is actually a
quite simple language.

I hear that C++ is quite difficult to learn

With Lazarus I could use books on Delphi to Learn both the language and
the IDE


So what do you suggest? How did you learn your programming skills?

One good way is to take a class - is there a college or technical school
nearby which might offer some programming classes?

Do I try and find a course on C++ and see if I can work out KDevelop ?
(I don't even know what program to launch)

IMHO - an IDE does not really add that much. I did scientific software
support and development for DOD for 30 years without using an integrated
IDE. I used an editor plus a terminal window for compilations and test
runs.


The X-windows thing is more than just a pretty face sometimes. I can't
see how an IDE with a screen designer could not save you time.

In my work, I had a number of previously developed libraries which made
building interfaces very efficient. Nearly all of my development was based
around X/Motif. With the libraries I had, I could sit down and develop a
prototype interface in less time than the folks using visual studio on MS.
A lot depends on what you are used to. IMHO, yes, an IDE could save the
average beginner time in developing a user interface. Beyond that point,
they seem to get in the way more than they help - at least in my limited
experience.



Some of the current IDE apps can be useful in designing the window layouts
of graphical elements, beyond that you should be able to live with or
without them. Some of the Linux magazines have examples, etc. from time to
time - I recall one a few months back in Linux Pro.

I see what you are saying. Surely unless you are using a console type
interface I cannot see how it would not save you time.

If you can find a good reference of back issues of Linux magazines, you
could find a goodly number of reviews and examples of some of the IDEs.

.

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