Best Programming Language to Learn

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Quote from WDGann:

.NET is very nice... C++, C#, VBA, Java...etc etc. it's great.

1st programming language? Pascal... maybe...

I would recommend BASIC programming to learn the concepts of how the logical operators work. From there on, I would turn to C++ to understand object oriented programming. After C++, you'll automatically know 90% of JAVA programming, and can learn that as well.

-FastTrader

 

[Ninja]

Quote from bungrider:



I am in the same boat as you...

I started learning VB6 earlier this spring, and it was a good way to begin learning object oriented languages, simply because it is very easy relative to a C language (being hit on the head with a sledgehammer is an extremely accurate analogy to learning C mentioned earlier in this thread)...I dropped it once I realized it was being phased out in favor of VB.net, and instead moved to C#, which I am learning right now and enjoying very much...

If your main focus is trading systems, I would choose delphi...nononsense recommended borland's kyrix, which implement's delphi, but if you have no linux experience it may not be the best move right now...

Straight Delphi, however, will run in windows, and is the basis for ensign windows and (i think, but don't know for sure) wealth labs as well, two very popular system trading compatible retail apps for windows...the nice thing about wealth labs is that there is lotsa free code on their website which will be a good resource for you as you learn...

Borland has IDE's which can typically download for free (Jbuilder and C#builder are both quite nice, although I've only used C#builder) for coding in these languages...i dunno if they have a delphi product that is free...

So I'd recommend starting with visual basic, and then move into delphi. alternatively you could learn C# or java (they are basically the same thing) but there isn't much retail trading software that supports either one...neoticker (www.tickquest.com) supports VB6, java, and delphi, however, and would give you a good framework in which to apply your programming skills...

Two recent relevant threads for you http://elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21459&perpage=6&pagenumber=1 and http://elitetrader.com/vb/showthrea...=6&pagenumber=2

PM me if you want intro book recommendations for VB or C#.

lotsa luck,
-bungholio

:eek:

Sorry to say, but as someone who programmed in Pascal and VB6 for years your post gives me the creeps.

How can anyone recommend VB6 as a good way to learn object oriented languages? I mean Java is easy to learn and OO so why learn an event-driven, out-dated, language first?

Also why learning VB first and then moving to Delphi? If you want to program in Delphi then just start with it directly.

Unfortunately programmers tend to recommend the languages they have learned in the same order in which they have learned these languages in the past - forgetting completely that these languages they have learned years ago are of no real use for a beginner today.

My programming evolution was BASIC, Pascal, Turbo Pascal, VB6 and Java. Each language made sense at its time. But why should I recommend this path now to anyone else? I even think that programming in VB6 made it harder for me to learn object oriented Java.

Each modern language can be learned by everyone directly. Just buy a "how to program in XX for dummies" book and search the web. Don't waste your time and mind with an outmoded language of the past.

 

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Quote from Ninja:



:eek:

Sorry to say, but as someone who programmed in Pascal and VB6 for years your post gives me the creeps.

How can anyone recommend VB6 as a good way to learn object oriented languages? I mean Java is easy to learn and OO so why learn an event-driven, out-dated, language first?

Also why learning VB first and then moving to Delphi? If you want to program in Delphi then just start with it directly.

I agree. Although VB.NET is supposed to be object-oriented. Haven't had time to look at it....too busy working with Java! I gotta say, VB is so much easier to work with though, unless you have a nice framework already built in Java; which we do so it's not much of an issue.

-FastTrader

 

[nononsense]

I should have mentioned Delphi when I talked about Pascal. Delphi (and Kylix) can be considered as further developments of Pascal. Bungrider is certainly right to mention these.

Talking about VB, it is important to realize that VB6 and VB.NET are essentially incompatible. For people with a lot of running VB6 software, VB.NET is a real pain in the neck. I'll never get caught another time by B.G.'s kids.

I also remember Bjarne Stroustrup, the "inventor" of C++ saying about some other programming languages: "Expensive toys, unfit for solving real problems" - caveat emptor.

In fact the C / C++ lineage of languages goes back on a very long tradition. A lot has been published about their why's by many people, Ritchie, Kernighan, Stroustrup, etc. The fact alone that Java (C#?) copied most from C but dropped its pointers remains incomprehensible in the light of this. The Bell Laboratories people based their entire Unix system on C/C++, so did Sun with its Solaris (no Java here), so did M$ with its NT. It seems to me that the Ritchie's and the Stroustrup's had a point. Where are the Ritchie's and the Stroustrup's of Java, C# & Co. ?

nononsense

 

[WDGann]

Hrrrmmm...

Just learn Pascal... then C++... do what ever you feel comfortable after that...

As a trader who uses Excel... I'll put in VBA along the way.

 

[bungrider]

i thought not needing pointers was a good thing? (keep in mind i am a novice at all this)

...and doesn't C# have the option of using pointers??

 

[nononsense]

Quote from bungrider:

i
...and doesn't C# have the option of using pointers??

I was a bit unclear on this, as C# had been presented in this thread as indebted to Java. I should have referred specifically to Java in the context of pointers.

nononsense

 

[Ninja]

Quote from nononsense:

...


In fact the C / C++ lineage of languages goes back on a very long tradition. A lot has been published about their why's by many people, Ritchie, Kernighan, Stroustrup, etc. The fact alone that Java (C#?) copied most from C but dropped its pointers remains incomprehensible in the light of this. The Bell Laboratories people based their entire Unix system on C/C++, so did Sun with its Solaris (no Java here), so did M$ with its NT. It seems to me that the Ritchie's and the Stroustrup's had a point. Where are the Ritchie's and the Stroustrup's of Java, C# & Co. ?

nononsense

What do you want to say?

Why should it be important that no OS was programmed in Java, C# & Co. ?

Do you agree that different languages serve different purposes?

 

[nononsense]

Quote from Ninja:





What do you want to say?

Why should it be important that no OS was programmed in Java, C# & Co. ?

Do you agree that different languages serve different purposes?

Indeed, this is exactly what I was saying. I can read a lot about the "purposes" of certain languages, backed up by years of very convincing practice. About some other languages not very much can be found as to what you call "purpose", at least not comparable with the authors I mentioned.

I have not invented anything in this field, but I learned from giants! I still remain a student though.

nononsense

 

[CalTrader]

Quote from bungrider:

i thought not needing pointers was a good thing? (keep in mind i am a novice at all this)

...and doesn't C# have the option of using pointers??

IT is and isn't: pointers are very powerful and useful and can lead to very efficient progams in cases where this is important. THey also lead to errors that are more difficult to debug. For a new programmer or for systems where a lot of pointer manipulation is not important then using a garbage collected language/environment can be an advantage both in speed of development and maintenance over the system life. Java and C# are both good languages but Java at leastr gives you the option to go cross platform.

Quote from nononsense:

Talking about VB, it is important to realize that VB6 and VB.NET are essentially incompatible. For people with a lot of running VB6 software, VB.NET is a real pain in the neck. I'll never get caught another time by B.G.'s kids.

They are and are not : if you developed your VB6 applications as COM/COM+ components then they can run just fine as legacy components within a .net application through the COM interoperability layer. Porting the GUI over to .Net - if necessary - can be an issue depending upon how carefully it was designed.