dragon4spy said:
Hi yo!
Do you know how many popular programming languages are there?
I can find few langs such as, Basic Family (vb, vb.net, powerbasic, xbasic, quickbasic...), C/C++, C#, Java, Php, Perl, Delphi. I just know that vb is the most popular one because it's the easiest and quite powerful. And C lang is the most messy lang.
Not all of those are
programming languages in the strictest sense.
I'm pretty sure Perl and PHP are both scripting languages, of which ActionScript (Flash) is another very popular one as well as ASP and javascript.
The reason why is because until recently, I think with some java apps and ASP.Net apps, you couldn't run a compiled language on a webpage and these are all built/intended for webpages.
Perl is mostly what you see behind older message boards, text based web programming.
PHP is newer (I think) and can do more up to date things, like accessing a database.
ASP was basically a long script your browser downloaded and ran.
ActionScript used to be nothing but a helper language for Flash, which aided mostly in the graphics/movies that flash made. I.E. it takes up much less space to tell single instance of a ball to move to 10 posistions, than to have 10 raster images of it in those positions.
ActionScript is actually comming close to a real programming language. in 2004 MX it became ActionScript v2. It now has OOP features and honestly acts like a very high level programming language.
ActionScript is bound inside of a .swf/flash graphic, which can sometimes run on your computer or directly off the internet so long as you have flashplayer. Maybe java can do that, I'm not sure, but .Net can't. I think its rather handy to build an application you can just put up on your server and use anywere or download to your laptop and use there.... or have it in both places and synch up.
Now ActionScriptv2 (and v1) are both very high level languages, partially for simplicy and purpose (who needs a Internet program to reformat your hard drive?) and partially for security (again, its dangerous to have an internet app that can reformat your hard drive!)
There is also a programming language called LISP. This is used mostly for artificial intelligence.
Honestly, despite what their intended purpose is, what matters is their capabilities. If a program does what you intend to you, then its fine. But be wary that what you need when you start learning is what you're going to need in the future, otherwise you'll end up learning a new language to get more functionality.
I think you could easily break it down to 3 languages to fit most purposes.
.Net, wether C# or VB, really handles everything on a PC and is the future of PCs, plus once you learn it, its easy to apply (though not 100% the same) for ASP.Net. I think you can reuse a lot of code, but you just need to replace anything that applies with a windows form with what would happen in a browser. .Net is probobly the most Rapid App builder (RAD?). You can throw down 10 controls and set their properties and have 90% of the work done for you.
Java would be a better bet currently if you want a real solid programming language, but multi platform. I know there are dreams of .Net being multiplatform, but based on the current wait, OS X and Linux will always be a few steps behind PC/Windows.
Java does a damn lot, but isn't as rapid as .Net. I happen to find it tedius... but that might be the price to pay for being multi-platform.
Flash/Actionscript. If you don't need a true hardcore language, ActionScript v2 is probobly for you. Its
very similar to the .Net form builder. You have controls, you plop them down, you set the properties. Once you're done, for the most part, you can make a windows or mac executable, or publish a .swf file, which you can run on your desktop with Flash Movie Player or off the internet.
There are places where ActionScript/Flash fully surpass .Net in simplictiy. Its also half art program. You can draw objects and make them into buttons, its not so hard to create your own controls (though its pretty easy in .net also), the way its set up, as a movie reel, its VERY easy to move between forms, make things move, etc. I'd say its much much easier to create a video game/animation using flash, but remember, its a much higher level language which is barely encroaching on programming status. Its performance has improved drastically, but still isn't up to .Net snuff.
If you want to build a webapp were 1000's of people use it, I wouldn't use flash.
This isn't Dissing Delphi, any of the C's, Any other Basic's or any of the other scripting languages, I'm just giving my own personal opinions based on my personal experience with ActionScript, .Net and Java.
If you're strictly internet, ASP.Net, Perl and PHP are all good ideas.
