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0 Principle: Programming vs. Languages

ankurdhama 14y ago
Well... It seems you have programmed only in C family of languages (c/c++/java/c# blah blah) as most people on this planet have and they all think same about programming languages ... best of luck with this thinking
- redhotvengeance 14y ago
  While it is true that I have quite a lot of experience in C-syntax based languages, I've also done quite a bit of Ruby programming, and dabbled in Python as well, both of which are nothing like C. Regardless, I don't see how having programmed in C family languages invalidates the fact that programming is about problem solving, not syntax.
  - dagw 14y ago
    quite a bit of Ruby programming, and dabbled in Python as well, both of which are nothing like C. I'd say they're quite similar to C family languages in that they're both largely imperative languages with OO support and a smattering of functional features. If you want to see something that's nothing like C I'd look at something non-imperative like Prolog or Haskell. Once you've done that you'll see how much Ruby and Python actually resemble the C-family of languages.
    - redhotvengeance 14y ago
      Fair enough. When viewed from a use-case perspective, I suppose you could claim that Ruby and Python are similar to C family languages. I actually have started exploring Haskell recently, and clearly functional programming languages require a different thought process than imperative languages. I'd still assert, however, that the difference in thought process is a growth in the theory of programming, or what I called the "0%". That's why many programmers find it hard to learn functional languages - it requires a great deal of conceptual learning. It has very little to do with the syntax.
dagw 14y ago
I disagree that it's all just syntax with minor variations in API. Imagine you have a bunch of data in various tabular forms. Now imagine you have to find all the rows that match some complex set of criteria. The way you'd approach the problem in C or Java is entirely different from the way you'd approach the problem in SQL. In fact chances are, if you're using C, a likely approach would be to find a way to call SQL from C and solve the problem using SQL.
- redhotvengeance 14y ago
  Interesting point. As with your previous comment on functional languages, I'd argue declarative query languages are more about a difference in thought process. Query languages definitely have a major shift in syntax, but I think the more significant shift is in the theory. One thing absent from my article is addressing the major categorical differences of programming language types. Perhaps I will post an update to address the topic of imperative vs. functional vs. declarative.

Well... It seems you have programmed only in C family of languages (c/c++/java/c# blah blah) as most people on this planet have and they all think same about programming languages ... best of luck with this thinking

redhotvengeance 14y ago
While it is true that I have quite a lot of experience in C-syntax based languages, I've also done quite a bit of Ruby programming, and dabbled in Python as well, both of which are nothing like C. Regardless, I don't see how having programmed in C family languages invalidates the fact that programming is about problem solving, not syntax.
- dagw 14y ago
  quite a bit of Ruby programming, and dabbled in Python as well, both of which are nothing like C. I'd say they're quite similar to C family languages in that they're both largely imperative languages with OO support and a smattering of functional features. If you want to see something that's nothing like C I'd look at something non-imperative like Prolog or Haskell. Once you've done that you'll see how much Ruby and Python actually resemble the C-family of languages.
  - redhotvengeance 14y ago
    Fair enough. When viewed from a use-case perspective, I suppose you could claim that Ruby and Python are similar to C family languages. I actually have started exploring Haskell recently, and clearly functional programming languages require a different thought process than imperative languages. I'd still assert, however, that the difference in thought process is a growth in the theory of programming, or what I called the "0%". That's why many programmers find it hard to learn functional languages - it requires a great deal of conceptual learning. It has very little to do with the syntax.

dagw 14y ago

I disagree that it's all just syntax with minor variations in API. Imagine you have a bunch of data in various tabular forms. Now imagine you have to find all the rows that match some complex set of criteria. The way you'd approach the problem in C or Java is entirely different from the way you'd approach the problem in SQL. In fact chances are, if you're using C, a likely approach would be to find a way to call SQL from C and solve the problem using SQL.

redhotvengeance 14y ago
Interesting point. As with your previous comment on functional languages, I'd argue declarative query languages are more about a difference in thought process. Query languages definitely have a major shift in syntax, but I think the more significant shift is in the theory. One thing absent from my article is addressing the major categorical differences of programming language types. Perhaps I will post an update to address the topic of imperative vs. functional vs. declarative.