[ale] Programming Question - Where to Start

[John Wells]

Joe,

Maybe I wasn't clear enough.  I didn't mean to imply
that perl was the only language worth learning.  I was
replying to this excerpt:

>Byron, you took the words right out of my mouth. 
Perl >is not a good
>first language.  Python is a great first language.  
>From Python, I'd
>then try java and sh.  Then you might be ready for 
>perl. 

I meant to say that if his goal was to learn Perl,
then there is no need to learn Python, sh and Java
first.  While learning python may be easier to a
newcomer, it's not a prerequisite for understanding
perl, nor, IMHO, would it be entirely beneficial.  

John



--- Joseph A Knapka <jknapka at earthlink.net> wrote:
> John Wells wrote:
> > 
> > Why not use perl as a first language?
> 
> "Why not use C++ as a first language? It's not
> -that- complicated..."Maybe not, but there
> are far better choices.
> 
> Perl *is* complicated, and trying to learn it
> might well be a very discouraging experience
> for a newcomer to programming.

> > I assume all people who subscribe to this list are
> > reasonably intelligent.  It takes a reasonably
> > intelligent person to learn and understand Perl.
> > Learning python, java and sh to get to Perl is a
> waste
> > of time.
> 
> That's the silliest argument I've read in ages.
> You seem to be saying that Perl is the only language
> worth knowing. What's up with that?
> 
> In software, as with any other creative endeavor,
> it makes sense to use the right tool for the job.
> There is no language that's the right tool for
> every job.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> -- Joe
> # "You know how many remote castles there are along
> the
> #  gorges? You can't MOVE for remote castles!" - Lu
> Tze re. Uberwald
> # (Obsolete as of 2.4.12) Linux MM docs:
>
http://home.earthlink.net/~jknapka/linux-mm/vmoutline.html
> 
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