Which comes first COBAL I or C?

[AMDPwred]

I'm going to start programming in the fall and need to know which language I should start off with.

 

[Chaotic42]

Python.

It's nice, it's easy, it makes sense, it's useful.

Then move on to C.

 

[gittyup]

Start off with C and then forget about Cobal.

 

[AMDPwred]

<< Start off with C and then forget about Cobal. >>



I went today to register for my classes and find out that they have changed the class req for the degree. So now I don't even need to take COBAL at all. Thanks for the replies!

 

[gittyup]

So now I don't even need to take COBAL at all.

That is good news. They need to keep up with the times.

 

[ajskydiver]

When did COmmon Business Orientated Language get the A?

Edit: Or is there a language named COBAL that I haven't heard of?

~AJ

 

[AMDPwred]

<< That is good news. They need to keep up with the times. >>



So what are the primary programming languages right now?

 

[AMDPwred]

Anybody?

 

[OhioDude]

I'd say that the primary programming language when dealing with web-based applications is Java. Java also has the advantage of being pretty much platform independent.

C is a good language to learn because it can teach you good fundamental programming practices. It is still widely used in Unix environments.

Another popular language is Visual Basic in strictly a Windows environment. There is also C++ which is somewhat more powerful than VB but more difficult to learn and use.

Of course, if you're looking for a deeper understanding of programming logic in general, there's always Assembler. Assembly language is not easy, not at all, but if your school offers an introductory course, I would strongly suggest you at least consider taking it. It's not that widely used, but it would certainly provide you with a good foundation and a deeper appreciation of what higher-level languages like Java and VB provide. Before there was VB and C and COBOL, there was Assembler.

We program mostly for Windows and code everything in VB and Java. We also do limited programming for various legacy systems which use strictly COBOL and some C. (Yes, COBOL still exists.) I started my career twenty years ago as a COBOL programmer and still use it from time to time. (Only when absolutely necessary, though!)

 

[Nevyn522]

I think &quot;most popular&quot; depends partially on the area being considered.

For client-side Internet programming, most people are tending to be using some bastard-ized combination of JavaScript, VBScript (if for IE only, really), Shockwave (mainly for games), and Java.

For server-side web programs, most are written as scripts, and are written in: PHP, Perl, ASP in JavaScript or VBScript, and I'm sure there's some usage of the rarer scripting languages, ie Python and the ilk. In addition, programs can be written in pretty much any language that can output straight text... commonly C or C++, but I also know a friend a few years back who did all the web page generation in a Visual Basic application.

For more desktop apps, the field is a bit more varied. Although I have seen some programs developed in Java, by and large development is done via one of two routes: C/C++ or RAD (either VB or Delphi, Windows applications ONLY). C/C++ is by and large the first choice for anything speed intensive, although a front end for any C/C++ DLL or COM component can certainly be written in VB.

With the current popularity of COM on the Windows platform, most people I know are using C++ with ATL (Active Template Library) to develop very small and fast COM objects, which can then be hosted in any other application.

If you're looking to develop on other platforms, C/C++ seems to be the first choice for most programmers, which one being dependent on the availability of compilers, libraries, etc. Linux development seems predominantly in C, particularly low level work, with some C++. Mac development I have no clue about, although I'd hazard a guess that it's C/C++ as well.

All of this changes if you have to bring in legacy code. The moment a legacy app is brought into the picture, the landscape changes. (And good luck!)

This is just in my experience, obviously.

 

[rw120555]

Doesn't COBOL still enjoy some life on company mainframes? And, does Fortran still get used, at least in scientific computing environments?

I hated COBOL when I used it a little bit 20 years ago, but I can see where its self-documenting features (at least if used correctly) could appeal to companies. I liked Fortran very much, but I'm not surprised other languages have replaced it.

 

[OhioDude]

Yes, COBOL is still used widely in quite a few mainframe business environments mostly in legacy, green-screen applications. The main point about these legacy applications is that many companies have invested TONS of money in these applications over many years and many, many of these legacy applications perform detailed and varied business tasks flawlessly. The challenge is preserving the investment made in all of that business logic while bringing the legacy applications up to current standards such as point and click and/or browser based UI's.

I do believe that FORTRAN is still used in some engineering/scientific environments but I think that you're looking more at legacy applications here as well. I could be wrong on this, though. I'd at least be willing to bet that the demand for FORTRAN programmers isn't what it was twenty years ago.