Thursday, August 30, 2007

Ten Programming Languages to Know

1. PHP What it is: An open-source, interpretive, server-side, cross-platform, HTML scripting language, especially well-suited for Web development as it can be embedded into HTML pages.
It's particularly widely used. "High-speed scripting with caching, augmented with compiled code plug-ins (such as can be done with Perl and PHP) is where the future is. Building Web apps from scratch using C or COBOL is going the way of
the dinosaur



C# What it is: A general-purpose, compiled, object-oriented programming language developed by Microsoft as part of its .NET initiative, it evolved from C and C++ Why you should learn it: It's an essential part of the .Net framework. "Learning C#, which is just Java with a different name plate, is critical if you heavily use Microsoft


AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) What it is: Though technically not a programming language, AJAX uses XHTML or HTML, JavaScript and XML to create interactive Web applications. Why you should learn it: Ever since Google Maps put AJAX, well, on the map, the requests for AJAX-knowledgeable pros went through the roof.


JavaScript What it is: Not to be confused with Java, JavaScript is a an object-oriented, scripting programming language that runs in the Web browser on the client side. It's smaller than Java, with a simplified set of commands, easier to code and doesn't have to be compiled. Why you should learn it: Embedded into HTML, it's used in millions of Web pages to validate forms, create cookies, detect browsers and improve the design. With its simplicity to learn as well as wide use, it's considered a great bang for your educational buck.


5. Perl What it is: Perl is an open-source, cross-platform, server-side interpretive programming language used extensively to process text through CGI programs. Why you should learn it: Perl's power in processing of piles of text has made it very popular and widely used to write Web server programs for a range of tasks. "Learning some form of scripting language, such as Perl or PHP is critical if you are doing Web apps,"

PerlNET allows you to create .NET-compliant applications and components using the Perl language. One key feature is that you can use existing Perl packages (modules) from CPAN within the .NET environment and in your favorite .NET compliant language without rewriting the Perl code.
Instead, you create a simple wrapper class in PerlNET for the package, and enumerate all the module methods or properties you want to expose to .NET. In other words, you need to provide an interface definition through which NET programs will interact with the Perl module.


C What it is: A standardized, general-purpose programming language, it's one of the most pervasive languages and the basis for several others (such as C++). Why you should learn it: "Learning C is crucial. Once you learn C, making the jump to Java or C# is fairly easy, because a lot of the syntax is common. Also, a lot of C syntax is used in scripting languages,"


7. Ruby and Ruby on Rails What they are: Ruby is a dynamic, object-oriented, open-source programming language; Ruby on Rails is an open-source Web application framework written in Ruby that closely follows the MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture. Why you should learn it: With a focus on simplicity, productivity and letting the computers do the work, in a few years, its usage has spread quickly. As a bonus, many find it easy to learn. Job availabilities :


8. Java What it is: An object-oriented programming language developed by James Gosling and colleagues at Sun Microsystems in the early 1990s. Why you should learn it: Hailed by many developers as a "beautiful" language, it is central to the non-.Net programming experience. "Learning Java is critical if you are non-Microsoft,

9. Python What it is: An interpreted, dynamically object-oriented, open-source programming language that utilizes automatic memory management. Why you should learn it: Designed to be a highly readable, minimalist language,

10. VB.Net (Visual Basic .Net) What it is: An object-oriented language implemented on Microsoft's .Net framework. Why you should learn it: Most argue that VB.Net is currently more popular than ever and one of the only "must-learns." "It is currently dominating in adoption and that is where all the work is,"

Microsoft ASP.NET is a free technology that allows programmers to create dynamic web applications. ASP.NET can be used to create anything from small, personal websites through to large, enterprise-class web applications. All you need to get started with ASP.NET is the free .NET Framework and the free Visual Web Developer. Get the Essential Downloads, and start today.

"Woeful Wails" - My Dad's account of what happened in 1989 at Srinagar, Kashmir

A Shiver, a shudder goes down my spine To have lost what once was mine The merciless devils who strode the streets With guns pointing at u...