Computer Programming Languages
This updates my article at:

Computer Programming Languages for Not Yet Techies

The biggest single change since I wrote the original article has
been the introduction by Microsoft of its .NET technology -- which
effectively turns a network -- including the Internet -- into one
giant operating system.

There is a lot involved with .NET, and what's relevant here is that
Microsoft had to adapt its programming technologies to it.

That means, Active Server Pages are now ASP.NET. Visual Basic
is now VB.NET. And to entice C programmers into the MS
fold, they created a .NET version of C known as C#
(pronounced C Sharp).

C and C++ are still used to write a lot of standalone,
compiled applications.

But because of networking, large businesses now need
much more complex software. A program now has to run not
only on a PC or a Pc and a server, but must know how to use
all the resources on a network -- all PCs, all servers, databases,
Storage Area Networks (SANs) etc.

The two largest players in distributed applications are Microsoft
with its .NET and Sun MicroSystems with its family of Java 2
related technologies.

Because of the Internet, there are a larger number of programs
for scripting such as Python, Ruby etc.

There's a program called Water that I like because it is not
only object oriented, it is in such a way that those of us
familiar only with HTML can understand. HTML is
actually a subset of Water, and Water is compliant
with XML, which is also changing data exchange on
the Internet.

Basically, programmers must now choose between the
world of Microsoft .NET and Java 2. Of course, the choice
is complicated by .NET's C# being there for C programmers.
Yet C++ programmers can also readily adapt to Java.

Many techies want software to be free and create technologies
that are open source, especially in conjunction with Linux. Sun
MicroSystems tends to cooperate with the open source
movement but Microsoft (surprise, surprise) is hostile to it,
and of course they are hostile to Microsoft.

On the AllExpert web site I had a student programmer ask
me once if they should specialize in .NET or Java 2.I asked
them back, why don't you call a psychic hotline? I don't pretend
to know the future. In a few years there'll probably be a huge
breakthrough that will make them both obsolete.

That's my best prediction.
- posted by RickStooker @ 12:44 PM (0) comments