[aprssig] Programming Language Advice

[Bill Vodall WA7NWP]

>> > For Perl books these are the ones I use:
>> >
>> >      Learning Perl
>> >      Programming Perl
>> >      Perl Cookbook

I really hope folks here aren't encouraging anybody new to scripting
to start with PERL.  That's a really bad idea.

PERL is an incredible language and I use it every day.  It is somewhat
cross platform and that's good, but the excitement in the programming
world these days is Python and others.   PERL is still the language of
the hard core IT folks (Hi Curt) but the other issues make other
languages so much more desirable.  Somebody somewhere that says they
track these things somehow has recently announced that Python has just
passed PERL in usage numbers - what ever that means.

In a Windows only world, I'd recommend getting the book "Build a
Program Now - for VB or C#"   Excellent books!

Python is a good cross platform option.   At my work,
http://www.tecplot.com - enjoy the view!, there are programmers with a
wide range of cross platform experience.   It's cool to see them get
that old "this is fun again glint in the eye" when they learn what
Python can do.

For a simpler cross platform language - check out Free Basic:
http://www.freebasic.net

73
Bill - WA7NWP