6 ms·

Graph of Programming Language Influences

45 points by elwell 13y ago

elwell 13y ago
CoffeeScript is in an interesting place.
- platz 13y ago
  right next to the oddly placed c++11
  - cobbal 13y ago
    Which was in no way influenced by c++
captaincrowbar 13y ago
It seems a bit odd that Javascript and Ecmascript landed in two very different parts of the graph.
- cwmma 13y ago
  if I remember correctly the Wikipedia article on EcmaScript included a bunch on ActionScript
- blueskin_ 13y ago
  ...I just read that as EczemaScript.
sdegutis 13y ago
Why is Sing# out there by itself? It's a direct descendent of C#.
- mindcrime 13y ago
  Looks like it's because the connection between C# and Sing# isn't noted in the "Influenced By" field in the infobox. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sing_Sharp https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sing_Sharp
mutagen 13y ago
Looks like some careful editing of Wikipedia pages would clean this up immensely, the various isolates strands of BASIC stood out to me.
- mattdw 13y ago
  Not to mention that it's just repeating whatever myths Wikipedia has picked up, like the connection of Javascript to Scheme. A more rigorously curated graph would be very interesting.
  - midas007 13y ago
    So I've had this one under construction for a while: It's handmade, so it's better but not perfect: https://app.box.com/s/lo36pbyqi3v2fg1wqefx https://app.box.com/s/lo36pbyqi3v2fg1wqefx [Language Family Tree.svg] https://app.box.com/s/qxq4ohxfv44j3euas5gl https://app.box.com/s/qxq4ohxfv44j3euas5gl [Language Family Tree.graffle]
torrance 13y ago
It's really interesting that Haskell, which is often portrayed as merely an academic play-thing, is so prominent. By bringing together so many language features that were otherwise relatively obscure it's acted as a kind of language laboratory — and in doing so it's made a really clear case for a lot of them.
- tikhonj 13y ago
  It's a language designer's language--just like jazz is often musician's music :). Haskell serves as both a vessel and a showcase for PL research. It also has very close ties to a bunch of communities, including many of the people behind Microsoft's languages (VB.NET, C# and F#). Also, while Haskell does not have a broad presence in industry, it does have a reasonable amount of mindshare. A surprising number of people know and talk about Haskell, even if they've never used it. This also helps influence the design of other languages.
  - tethis 13y ago
    I know I like to talk about Haskell, even if it's too dense for me to grasp at a level where I could put it into production without jumping off a bridge.
CCs 13y ago
The image itself: http://bgriffen.scripts.mit.edu/www/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/programminglanguages-label.png http://bgriffen.scripts.mit.edu/www/wp-content/uploads/2014/...
camus2 13y ago
would be more interesting if it were interactive. Right not it's barely readable.
- chao- 13y ago
  That was my first thought as well. I wish I could click on a single language and have it highlight only its direct connections or darken everything else.
- kachhalimbu 13y ago
  Graph in the middle of that page is zoomable
- yaph 13y ago
  A while ago I created an interactive version of programming languages influence, see it at http://exploringdata.github.io/vis/programming-languages-influence-network/ http://exploringdata.github.io/vis/programming-languages-inf... It is based on Freebase data, which differs from DBpedia, although it is one of Freebase's sources.
frik 13y ago
This graph needs a clean up and there should be arrows. Basic and QBasic/QuickBasic are on two different parts of the graph, as well as Javascript and Ecmascript. The should be interactive and force-based so that it aligns in a nicer way.
cormullion 13y ago
I thought that AppleScript looked oddly placed, sheltering directly under Lisp. But some people do consider it to be influenced by Lisp/Scheme - Matt Neuburg proposes the connection somewhere in his 'AppleScript - the definitive guide'. I would have connected it more with HyperTalk, which is down past ECMAscript. And English.
- lispm 13y ago
  > AppleScript was officially conceived in 1989 as a research project by the Advanced Technology Group (ATG) at Apple Computer and was code-named “Family Farm.” The research team was led by Larry Tesler and included Mike Farr, Mitchell Gass, Mike Gough, Jed Harris, Al Hoffman, Ruben Kleiman, Edmund Lai, and Frank Ludolph. Some of those knew Lisp. The Advanced Technology Group led by Tesler used Macintosh Common Lisp in many application prototypes and research projects. There was an 'AppleScript on Steroids' written in MCL called Sk8Script by them.
midas007 13y ago
Erlang is missing.
- elwell 13y ago
  Maybe it doesn't have any influence(s).
  - midas007 13y ago
    Nope. It is heavily influenced by Prolog. And it influenced Scala, Go and many more.
cafard 13y ago
See also http://oreilly.com/news/languageposter_0504.html http://oreilly.com/news/languageposter_0504.html
informatimago 13y ago
http://www.levenez.com/lang/ http://www.levenez.com/lang/ looks much much more exhaustive.

45 points by elwell 13y ago

elwell 13y ago

CoffeeScript is in an interesting place.

platz 13y ago
right next to the oddly placed c++11
- cobbal 13y ago
  Which was in no way influenced by c++

captaincrowbar 13y ago

It seems a bit odd that Javascript and Ecmascript landed in two very different parts of the graph.

cwmma 13y ago
if I remember correctly the Wikipedia article on EcmaScript included a bunch on ActionScript
blueskin_ 13y ago
...I just read that as EczemaScript.

sdegutis 13y ago

Why is Sing# out there by itself? It's a direct descendent of C#.

mindcrime 13y ago
Looks like it's because the connection between C# and Sing# isn't noted in the "Influenced By" field in the infobox. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sing_Sharp https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sing_Sharp

mutagen 13y ago

Looks like some careful editing of Wikipedia pages would clean this up immensely, the various isolates strands of BASIC stood out to me.

mattdw 13y ago
Not to mention that it's just repeating whatever myths Wikipedia has picked up, like the connection of Javascript to Scheme. A more rigorously curated graph would be very interesting.
- midas007 13y ago
  So I've had this one under construction for a while: It's handmade, so it's better but not perfect: https://app.box.com/s/lo36pbyqi3v2fg1wqefx https://app.box.com/s/lo36pbyqi3v2fg1wqefx [Language Family Tree.svg] https://app.box.com/s/qxq4ohxfv44j3euas5gl https://app.box.com/s/qxq4ohxfv44j3euas5gl [Language Family Tree.graffle]

torrance 13y ago

It's really interesting that Haskell, which is often portrayed as merely an academic play-thing, is so prominent. By bringing together so many language features that were otherwise relatively obscure it's acted as a kind of language laboratory — and in doing so it's made a really clear case for a lot of them.

tikhonj 13y ago
It's a language designer's language--just like jazz is often musician's music :). Haskell serves as both a vessel and a showcase for PL research. It also has very close ties to a bunch of communities, including many of the people behind Microsoft's languages (VB.NET, C# and F#). Also, while Haskell does not have a broad presence in industry, it does have a reasonable amount of mindshare. A surprising number of people know and talk about Haskell, even if they've never used it. This also helps influence the design of other languages.
- tethis 13y ago
  I know I like to talk about Haskell, even if it's too dense for me to grasp at a level where I could put it into production without jumping off a bridge.

CCs 13y ago

The image itself: http://bgriffen.scripts.mit.edu/www/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/programminglanguages-label.png http://bgriffen.scripts.mit.edu/www/wp-content/uploads/2014/...

camus2 13y ago

would be more interesting if it were interactive. Right not it's barely readable.

chao- 13y ago
That was my first thought as well. I wish I could click on a single language and have it highlight only its direct connections or darken everything else.
kachhalimbu 13y ago
Graph in the middle of that page is zoomable
yaph 13y ago
A while ago I created an interactive version of programming languages influence, see it at http://exploringdata.github.io/vis/programming-languages-influence-network/ http://exploringdata.github.io/vis/programming-languages-inf... It is based on Freebase data, which differs from DBpedia, although it is one of Freebase's sources.

frik 13y ago

This graph needs a clean up and there should be arrows. Basic and QBasic/QuickBasic are on two different parts of the graph, as well as Javascript and Ecmascript. The should be interactive and force-based so that it aligns in a nicer way.

cormullion 13y ago

I thought that AppleScript looked oddly placed, sheltering directly under Lisp. But some people do consider it to be influenced by Lisp/Scheme - Matt Neuburg proposes the connection somewhere in his 'AppleScript - the definitive guide'. I would have connected it more with HyperTalk, which is down past ECMAscript. And English.

lispm 13y ago
> AppleScript was officially conceived in 1989 as a research project by the Advanced Technology Group (ATG) at Apple Computer and was code-named “Family Farm.” The research team was led by Larry Tesler and included Mike Farr, Mitchell Gass, Mike Gough, Jed Harris, Al Hoffman, Ruben Kleiman, Edmund Lai, and Frank Ludolph. Some of those knew Lisp. The Advanced Technology Group led by Tesler used Macintosh Common Lisp in many application prototypes and research projects. There was an 'AppleScript on Steroids' written in MCL called Sk8Script by them.

midas007 13y ago

Erlang is missing.

elwell 13y ago
Maybe it doesn't have any influence(s).
- midas007 13y ago
  Nope. It is heavily influenced by Prolog. And it influenced Scala, Go and many more.

cafard 13y ago

See also http://oreilly.com/news/languageposter_0504.html http://oreilly.com/news/languageposter_0504.html

informatimago 13y ago

http://www.levenez.com/lang/ http://www.levenez.com/lang/ looks much much more exhaustive.