[ale] [OT] Rev Bayes and the best programming language

[Jim Kinney]

My gripe with all languages: until you know all the library functions too
much time is spent reinventing the wheel. Once all the library functions
are known, all languages are pretty much like all other languages once
syntax idiosyncrasies are bypassed.

Best language: whatever I'm good at and am willing to pound keyboard
producing.

Worst language: same as best but now must be maintained by someone else.

On May 7, 2016 1:41 PM, "Tim Watts" <tim at cliftonfarm.org> wrote:

> Best programming language?  Java.  It's YUGE and very classy.  The best!
>
>
> On Sat, 2016-05-07 at 11:20 -0400, Leam Hall wrote:
> > I just read a chapter (1) on Bayes and decision making. Wanted to try it
> > out on a conundrum I've been wrangling for some long period of time:
> > "What's the best programming language for me?" Posting here for feedback
> > and critique, many of you are smarter than I.
> >
> > Not evaluating any language on pure technical merit, but on personal
> > measures. Starting with X measures, and assigning them percentages in
> > blocks of 25. So a value can be 0, 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100%, and a maximum
> > total of 100% * measures with an average of total/measures. Using large
> > blocks helps prevent analysis paralysis.
> >
> > The current measures are:
> >
> >    Is it suitable to the sort of things I want to do?
> >      For example, Assembler isn't as suited for interactive web pages.
> >      Possible, but not suited.
> >      Assumes I know what I want to do.
> >
> >    How quickly can I produce something?
> >      Assumes I have put 20+ serious hours into learning it. (2)
> >      Produce output; web pages, computation, whatever.
> >
> >    Do I enjoy that language?
> >      If you enjoy it you're more likely to do it, which is how
> >      you get better at it.
> >      Enjoyment also helps overall life outlook.
> >
> >    Does it help me achieve my goals?
> >      Whatever your goals are, does this contribute to achieving them?
> >      Assumes I have concrete goals.
> >
> >
> > So, let's play with some options. C, Ruby, Perl, Shell.
> >
> > Most of what I want to do involves text wrangling; straight text, some
> > XML, and the occasional database query. Almost all of it is for human
> > consumption either primarily or secondarily. Scores for this might be:
> >
> >       C        25     (A lot more effort than scripting)
> >       Ruby    100
> >       Perl    100
> >       Shell    50     (Harder to do XML and SQL)
> >
> > Looking at what I want to do, how quickly can I produce something? In my
> > case the base test is "run a program that produces a valid character for
> > the Traveller RPG".
> >
> >       C        25     (My C is weak, even after months)
> >       Ruby    100     (Already have base code)
> >       Perl     25     (I have forgotten most of my PERL)
> >       Shell    50     (There's a SQLite call I don't know)
> >
> > Now a very subjective test; how much do I really enjoy coding in that
> > language? To me this might even have a heavier weight than many
> > measures. However, since we're only using a few, and since they are all
> > pretty significant, it stays equal.
> >
> >       C        25
> >       Ruby     75
> >       Perl      0     (I actually got nauseous the last time I tried)
> >       Shell    50     Boring.
> >
> > Lastly, does it help me achieve my goal(s)? My real goal is to stay
> > gainfully employed until I croak. Retirement is for people who forget
> > they won't be able to do what they can do now, then. I enjoy my work and
> > want to keep doing it.
> >
> >       C        75
> >       Ruby     75
> >       Perl     75
> >       Shell   100
> >
> >
> > Assuming my pen and paper calculations are correct (3), that gives a
> > probably if "best" as:
> >
> >       C        37.5
> >       Ruby     87.5
> >       Perl     50.0
> >       Shell    62.5
> >
> > Other languages have their merit; Python and Go quickly come to mind.
> > PHP is big as well. You would likely choose different measures and
> > different languages.
> >
> > Thoughts?
> >
> > Leam
> >
> >
> > 1. Duhigg, Charles "Smarter, Faster, Better" (2016). Chapter 6 "Decision
> > Making"
> >
> > 2. Kaufman, Josh "The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything...Fast"
> (2014)
> >
> > 3. Added on paper and then irb to get the average.  :)
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