[PJUG Javamail] So Many Languages, So Little Time

[Phillip Miller]

I agree that for a real programming language (as opposed to a scripting 
language like JavaScript or Perl, or a "dead" language like C, Lisp, 
Scheme), Java is a very good language. It offers a clean, consistent 
programming model and has fewer quirks than other languages.

That said, Java does have a few "gotchas" (the polite word is probably 
"idioms"), like the correct way to execute external processes.

I recommend a few references:

A good tutorial book for beginners; O'Reilly has a bunch of 'em. 
A book on the quirks (stuff like running external processes w/o I/O 
blocking, etc.) 'Java Pitfalls', for example.
Don't forget the JavaDoc -- Sun provides detailed documentation about the 
classes and packages it provides on its (well, Oracle's) web site.
Duh! Why am I telling a guy from SUN about JavaDoc ?!?


-------------------------------------------------
Phil Miller
Advisory Software Engineer
IBM Systems & Technology Group
Beaverton, Oregon, USA 
ofc: (503)578-5269 voice  /  775-5269 IBM tie line
home: (503)645-4466






From:
Joshua Marinacci <Joshua.Marinacci at Sun.COM>
To:
Richard Johnson <richardj at lingosys.com>
Cc:
javamail at pjug.org
Date:
04/28/2009 09:29 AM
Subject:
Re: [PJUG Javamail] So Many Languages, So Little Time



Java would provide the best base for learning more in the future.
JavaScript would provide the most functionality in the short term with the 
least amount of knowledge. 
Does it want to learn how to program or does he want to build some 
particular thing?

On Apr 28, 2009, at 9:16 AM, Richard Johnson wrote:

Hi all,
 
I have a friend who is a project manager.  He gets joys and heartaches 
associated with seeing that computer games get built on schedule, 
according to spec, and within budget.  He is not a software guy in the 
same sense that we are but more of a people and process person.  He has 
told me a couple of times recently that he wants to learn to do some 
limited programming and/or scripting.  He's slowly teaching himself 
AppleScript now.
 
What language should I recommend he learn, why would you recommend it, and 
do you have a good source or pointer for tutorials since he'll probably 
need to do it mostly on his own?  Perl, Ruby, Grails, Java, C, Lisp, 
Scheme ... something else?
 
--
Richard Johnson
 
 
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