User:Cg
| My Favorite Languages | |
| Language | Proficiency |
| Smalltalk | Expert |
| Scheme | nice and clean |
| C | Expert, but only as implementation lang for above |
| Assembly | Expert, but only as output of my compilers |
| Python | can read |
| Forth | implemented a few long time ago; now rusty |
| Prolog | rusty |
| Pascal | second learned; rusty |
| C++ | had to, but hate it |
| Java | sucks |
| JavaScript | mhmh |
Programming for decades, came along many languages, but Smalltalk is still my favorite, followed by Scheme.
Machines are million+ times faster now, but the way we program is still the same as in the 80's: edit-compile-run-crash. Well, I guess, most of us have to. Some languages have inherited the better parts of those languages, like late binding, garbage collection, VMs, reflection, unit tests and metaclasses etc. (which is good and appreciated), but none has implemented the "integrated" in IDE as consequently as Smalltalk.
Not much progress made on the software side, if I think what we did 35+ years ago on those wonderful CADR Machines or the Alto Machines, running Lisp or Smalltalk on bare metal in a kernel written in those languages, and everything was visible right down to a keyboard interrupt...
Recommended Literature:
SICP; its free online, but I think, good books should also be physically in the bookshelf (support the authors!) and they can be inherited to friends. I prefer hardcover over paperback or eBook - it lasts longer.
(ISBN|0-262-51087-1)search
I don't know, if later editions show much of a difference - it probably doesn't matter which you get. I'd choose the Scheme version over the JS one: everyone worth a CS degree should know Scheme (imho).
TAOCP
(although I think MIX was a big mistake)
Philosophic: Something to think about
Alan Kay on The Computer Revolution
This is a talk from 1997, where Alan talks about how CS changed (or rather: what he misses) in the past 20 years. Now more than another 2 decades laters, I think what he sayd is still valid.
Have fun... (it's a pity that RC does not allow embedded videos)
Alan Kay on Simplicity
Another great talk