"R." wrote:
>
> I can't seem to pick a prog language to learn.. this thread has helped.. I'm
> considering the merits of C#
A first language should in my opinion be something that is fun, that has
powerful enough constructs to create stuff that is interesting and that
you can learn with as long as you wish. It should be clean and robust
so you aren't fighting with a lot of arcane BS and should be interpreted
so you get immediate feedback.
I would strongly recommend learning Ruby. It is relatively little known
in the States yet but it has taken Japan by storm including many Perl
and Python enthusiasts. It is clean, fully object oriented, includes
real reflection, is fully garbage collected and includes many constructs
useful in AI type applications. Check it out including a free
mainstream online book on the subject at http://www.rubycentral.com.
I used to recommend (back in the early 80s) that people start with
Smalltalk as a pure OO language with an excellent working environment
unrivaled in IDEs even today. I would still recommend it or Ruby for
really learning OO for the first time. I still think it is a really
fine candidate. A well designed free Smalltalk can be obtained at
http://www.squeak.org.
Program in something that lets your mind sing and opens your head to
your own brillance without bogging you down in language idiosyncrasies.
Do you want to be expert in the vagaries of some language or do you want
to understand and partake of the art and joy of programming?
enjoy,
samantha
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