Since I missed the Monday discussion Here is my 2 cents.

I have seen a lot of people advocating Perl.  I have seen some
posts recommending Python and some people still like c/c++ combo.

I've had the pleasure to program in all of the languages and they all
have their good and bad sides.  They all have their best usage.

Please Remember these are my opinions:

1. Perl:
	it is a great language for short scripts, document processing,
	report creation.  
	It is very good language for CGI and automating	admin tasks.  
	It is Ok language for client programming. 
	It is a so-so language for system programming.  
	I am also not too fond of the OO syntax.
	Large projects are pretty hard to accomplish with this language.
	(they tend to get pretty messy)
	Pain to distribute on machines without perl installed
	Lousy documentation but lot's of books

2. Python:
	great for prototyping
	great OOP support and syntax
	awesome for multiplatform development
	nice syntax
	annoying white space use
	excellent for client programming
	pain if you have to distribute on machines without python installed
	Great documentation (/w examples), not that many books
	
3. C++:
	Great overall language.
	Compilabe (major plus in my view)
	Great for system programming
	Great for installation on systems without compiler (binary
distribution)
	Great performance. (sometimes needs tweaking)
	Great OOP
	Love the syntax.
	Very capable.
	
4. C:
	Most used (kernel, gnome, tools ...).
	Compilabe (major plus in my view)
	Great overall language.
	Great system programming
	Great for installation on systems without compiler (binary
distribution)
	Awesome performance
	Love the syntax.
	Very capable
	Bad for short scripts. ( programming time in comparison to
Perl/Python )
	No official OO support.

After using all the languages and wondering which one I would learn first if
I had to do it again I would choose Python.  It seems to be the best for all
the clients I was writing.  I was not distributing the programs so I did not

have to worry about the environment they were going to.  The syntax is very
easy and the concepts are not that difficult.  There is a lot of
documentation
online about the language.  There are quite a few examples out there.
One gripe of mine is there are not that many books out there.

So take your pick.  Depending what you are going to use it for one is 
better then another.

Just remember:  HAVE FUN doing it!!

The Wolf	
	
	 

-> -----Original Message-----
-> From: Don Harrop [mailto:don@nis4u.com]
-> Sent: Monday, July 24, 2000 12:40 PM
-> To: plug-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us
-> Subject: to code or not to code?
-> 
-> 
-> I was wondering if I could get some feedback on some 
-> scripting / programming
-> languages to jump into for a newbie coder.  Perl seems like 
-> a good choice
-> because everybody has it and there's tons of support.  You 
-> can either use it
-> for web page development or linux admin stuff.  I don't know 
-> if you can
-> compile it to a single exacutable under DOS/WIN stuff 
-> though.  That would be
-> cool.  I've listened to a few people on the list talk about 
-> python and it
-> sounds good but it doesn't seem to have the same amount of 
-> support as Perl
-> does.  C++ would be cool but I don't want to have to compile 
-> everything
-> before I can run it.  It might be overkill for a newbie.  
-> :-)  Links on
-> where to go to learn the code would be nice too...
-> 
-> Don
-> 
-> 
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