Software Engineering Stack Exchange
Software Engineering Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [language-choice]

Refers to programming language choices.

36 questions
79
votes
5 answers

Is there a correlation between the scale of the project and the strictness of the language?

Explaining the difference between strictness of languages and paradigms to a colleague of mine, I ended up asserting that: Tolerant languages, such as dynamic and interpreted languages, are used best for prototypes and small projects or medium-size…
Arseni Mourzenko
  • 134,780
  • 31
  • 343
  • 513
54
votes
6 answers

Choosing a functional programming language

I have read a lot of threads about functional programming languages lately (almost in the past year, in fact). I would really like to pick one and learn it thoroughly. Last [course] semester, I have been introduced to Scheme. I loved it. Loved the…
Joanis
  • 1,364
  • 2
  • 12
  • 14
47
votes
9 answers

How should I start with Lisp?

I've been programming for years now, working my way through various iterations of Blub (BASIC, Assembler, C, C++, Visual Basic, Java, Ruby in no particular order of "Blub-ness") and I'd like to learn Lisp. However, I have a lot of intertia what with…
Gary
  • 24,420
  • 9
  • 63
  • 108
34
votes
14 answers

When is Java a good choice for web development?

When is Java a good choice for web development? Please do not say "When you have a development team that knows only Java."
Gulshan
  • 9,402
  • 10
  • 58
  • 89
27
votes
11 answers

Is it okay to use a language that isn't supported by your company for some tasks?

I work for a company that supports several languages: COBOL, VB6, C#, and Java. I use those languages for my primary work, but I often find myself coding some minor programs (e.g. scripts) in Python because I find it to be the best tool for that…
systempuntoout
  • 3,545
  • 3
  • 29
  • 33
20
votes
13 answers

Why do operating systems do low level stuff in C and C++? Why not just C++?

On the Wikipedia page for Windows, it states the Windows is written in Assembly for the bootloader and task switcher, and C and C++ for kernel routines. IIRC, you can call C++ functions from an extern "C"'d block. I can get using C for the kernel…
Cole Tobin
  • 1,440
  • 1
  • 15
  • 28
16
votes
11 answers

Why is Python recommended as an entry level programming language?

I've read here on P.SE more questions in which beginner programmers are advised to pick Python as their first programming language. Don't get me wrong, I like Python. I like it a lot! But its philosophy revolves around "We are all consenting adults…
JohnDoDo
  • 2,309
  • 2
  • 18
  • 32
15
votes
9 answers

What would be good factual arguments to convince high level management to consider functional programming?

There are tons of "theoretical" arguments for why functional programming is a Good idea (too many for that to have stayed as an open question, and correctly so). However, most of them are arguments either made from theory ("elegance", etc...), or,…
DVK
  • 3,576
  • 2
  • 24
  • 28
14
votes
9 answers

Dealing with Fanboys

We've all probably met someone like this, that developer who just knows that his language is the one true language and won't shut up about it. How do you deal like someone like this? I don't want to offend anyone (especially since the fanboy in my…
daniel gratzer
  • 11,678
  • 3
  • 46
  • 51
11
votes
3 answers

Introducing a new JVM programming language into an established enterprise environment

Imagine that your current workplace is a Java shop. There is a lot of built-up knowledge about the Java language and there is a comprehensive build and deployment process in place to handle everything in a smooth and Agile manner. One day, a…
Gary
  • 24,420
  • 9
  • 63
  • 108
11
votes
4 answers

Is OCaml any good for numerical analysis?

I'm currently using C and some FORTRAN to solve numerically systems of differential equations. I'm a bit fed up with both of these languages but I need to have some (rather) efficient code... I'm thinking of switching to OCaml. Is it worth it?
Eelvex
  • 323
  • 2
  • 11
11
votes
2 answers

What are my choices for server side sandboxed scripting?

I'm building a public website where users share data and scripts to run over some data. The scripts are run serverside in some sort of sandbox without other interaction this cycle: my Perl program reads from a database a User made script, adds the…
alfa64
  • 413
  • 1
  • 4
  • 14
10
votes
5 answers

Is there really a choice of the best language for a specific project?

Programmers.SE has plenty of questions of beginner programmers asking if they must use a specific language or another one in their daily work, or if they must learn a language or another. Those questions are quickly closed, and when they receive…
Arseni Mourzenko
  • 134,780
  • 31
  • 343
  • 513
7
votes
15 answers

Python and only Python for almost any programming tasks!

Am I wrong if I think that Python is all I need to master, in order to solve most of the common programming tasks? EDIT I'm not OK with learning new programming languages if they don't teach me new concepts of programming and problem solving; hence…
wassimans
  • 1,173
  • 2
  • 10
  • 12
7
votes
6 answers

Why should we use low level languages if a high level one like python can do almost everything?

I know python is not suitable for things like microcontrolers, make drivers etc, but besides that, you can do everything using python, companys get stuck with speed optimizations for real hard time system but does forget other factors which one you…
killown
  • 1,466
  • 3
  • 15
  • 18
1
2 3