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Re: WHY

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On Tue, 19 Dec 2017 08:01:59 -0800, Eric Douglas wrote:

> While not exactly Java related, I wanted to ask someone why.
> I've always assumed there are many spoken languages in the world because
> they were mostly developed independently, having no knowledge of other
> languages, aside from a language like English developed to standardize
> language as it's derived from many other languages.
>
I'm certain that the root forms of the original languages developed 
independently, but unlike some of the Amazonian tribal languages, not 
necessarily by small, isolated groups.

For instance the only really different European language is Hungarian.
The rest fall more or less into two groups: Southern and Northern 
European groups. AFAIK English started out as a dialect of the northern 
Euro language spoken by Angles, Jutes and Saxons, but picked up elements 
of Latin, Scandinavian and French from successive invasions.
   
> Now it would seem most people developing programming languages are aware
> of other programming languages, so why do they keep making new
> programming languages??
Several reasons:

- because they can
  hence any number of small, grizzly little languages 
  including APL and FORTH

- because there was only programming in binary (hence assemblers)

- because there was only assembler 
  Grace Hopper was behind MathMatic and FlowMatic

- because they wanted something better
  MathMatic inspired FORTRAN
  FlowMatic inspired COBOL

- because they wanted more structured languages
  hence Algol60 --> Algol68
        BCPL --> B --> C --> C++
        OO languages

- because they hated the language that got standardised
  hence Wirth writing Pascal as a 'better Algol60'
  
- because they thought they could write One Language To Rule Them All
  hence PL/1 (and ADA?)

- because they wanted a high level language on a small machine
  hence C (written originally on a PDP/8), 
        PL/M (on an 8080)
        PL/9 (PL/M derivative for 6809)

- to do something new 
  hence R, Simula, Mathmatica, JOSS, BASIC, SQL, awk, ....

> I have enough trouble mastering Java, and other existing languages, as
> help wanted ads for Java developers say things like must also know PHP
> and JQuery..
>
I think you'll find that many of us have used a variety of languages over 
time but probably only a handful at any point in time because machines 
change, and assemblers vanish because the target machines are obsolete.

I first learned Algol60 at university and have almost never used it since.

At my first few jobs I wrote almost entirely in PLAN assembler, COBOL
and FILETAB which could do complex things with serial files and was 
written as a set of decision tables

Then I spent a short time writing Sculptor (one of the so-called 4GL 
languages which I still use) plus C 6809 assembler and PL/9.

Then a project-oriented job where I used a variety of languages: COBOL, 
TAL, PL/1, RPG3, C, SQL  of a wide range of hardware.

Now I write in mostly Java and C with a bit of SQL, awk, Perl, PHP as 
needed plus (shortly) some PICAXE BASIC (a rather nasty compiled language 
used only by PICAXE single chip 8-bit computers.

I could say much the same about operating systems and their various 
command languages, where I started by pounding keys on a mainframe's 
control teletype and now do everything using RedHat Fedora Linux.

I'd be surprised if this summary is much different from anybody else who 
has spent their whole working life in IT.

Bottom line: program languages change, often seemingly because their 
designers can change them, or go out of fashion (BTW, I wonder if thats 
starting to happen to lambdas). So, if you stay in this game, you'll be 
continuously learning as languages change or get replaced. 


-- 
Martin    | martin at
Gregorie  | gregorie
          | dot org

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WHY Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-12-19 08:01 -0800
  Re: WHY Kiwi User <martin@mydomain.invalid> - 2017-12-19 17:47 +0000
    Re: WHY Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-12-19 10:28 -0800
      Re: WHY Daniele Futtorovic <da.futt.news@laposte.net> - 2017-12-19 19:49 +0100
        Re: WHY Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-12-19 11:12 -0800
        Re: WHY Kiwi User <martin@mydomain.invalid> - 2017-12-19 19:17 +0000
          Re: WHY Daniele Futtorovic <da.futt.news@laposte.net> - 2017-12-19 22:59 +0100
      Re: WHY Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2017-12-19 19:59 -0500
      Re: WHY Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2017-12-19 20:07 -0500
    Re: WHY Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2017-12-19 20:16 -0500
  Re: WHY Daniele Futtorovic <da.futt.news@laposte.net> - 2017-12-19 19:40 +0100
    Re: WHY Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2017-12-19 14:42 -0500
      Re: WHY lewbloch@gmail.com - 2017-12-19 11:48 -0800
        Re: WHY Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2017-12-19 12:49 -0800
          Re: WHY Kiwi User <martin@mydomain.invalid> - 2017-12-19 22:57 +0000

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