posted
It doesn't take THAT much more time to write in C++. Not if you know what your doing. Java doesn't offer a whole lot of speed advantage, python does but Java, not much. There's some advantage in Java not having to track down memory bugs. But if you know what you're doing with C++ you should be able to write your classes so you never have memory bugs in the first place.
And the library problem could be fixed easily enough in C++ with a few good developers with time on their hands. Then you'd have the speed, ease of use of Java and the flexibility of C++.
But really, you can argue all you want, but until Java allows memory handling and pointers I cannot forgive it. C++ just wins for that, and will until high level language developers realize you cannot remove lower level stuff completely. You have to allow access to it.
And C# and MS don't count in these considerations. We all know MS is evil. Posts: 3295 | Registered: Jun 2004
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quote:It doesn't take THAT much more time to write in C++. Not if you know what your doing. Java doesn't offer a whole lot of speed advantage, python does but Java, not much. There's some advantage in Java not having to track down memory bugs. But if you know what you're doing with C++ you should be able to write your classes so you never have memory bugs in the first place.
It's the libraries that make development so much faster. It's the memory management that makes debugging so much faster.
Further, in the real world, you have to deal with developers who rush to leave by 5 on Friday, who are worried about their sick kid, or who know they are leaving in 3 months.
The benefit of computers is that they perform rule-based tasks more consistently than humans. Programmers as much as accountants should take advantage of this.
quote:And the library problem could be fixed easily enough in C++ with a few good developers with time on their hands. Then you'd have the speed, ease of use of Java and the flexibility of C++.
But they don't exist yet, and the presence of memory management and lack of pointers means the libraries in C++ are more likely to bring down the application.
quote:But really, you can argue all you want, but until Java allows memory handling and pointers I cannot forgive it. C++ just wins for that, and will until high level language developers realize you cannot remove lower level stuff completely. You have to allow access to it.
Most apps do not require low-level access.
Posts: 26071 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
A few good developers? Alcon, there are plenty of good C++ developers. Note the lack of libraries. Consider that the top several java libraries are the results of literally millions of man hours of programming, often by some of the best programmers in the world.
edit: oh, and strangely, MS doesn't think Office needs all that low level control.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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My dad actually suggested I minor in Computer Science. It's always been something I've thought of as interesting but out of my league. How do you go about learning a programming language? And is it very hard? Methinks from listening to all this that it would trump Arabic for employability.
Posts: 2827 | Registered: Jul 2005
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posted
Actually, a combination of Arabic and a programming language would make you extremely employable.
Knowing a programming language is nice, but its more important to know how to program. Even many CS majors never pick that up, despite knowing a couple of programming languages.
Good programming is very much an art.
A CS minor can be pretty fun, just make sure you spend some time learning how to program in your spare time; read up on best practices, read articles really good programmers write.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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posted
Could you recommend anything specific? I'm looking for something useful to obsess over and this might be just the thing.
Posts: 2827 | Registered: Jul 2005
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I prefer Python, myself, but both are pretty nice languages. The main deficiency of Ruby is piss-poor unicode support.
Posts: 15770 | Registered: Dec 2001
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