RE: Programming Languages: A *Useful* Comparison?

["Joe Malin" <jmalin -at- tuvox -dot- com>]

Well paint my butt green and call me a tree! I wouldn't have thought
that Wikipedia would have this. In fact my first reaction was to write
back to you saying "no, I need a *comparison*". But each article has a
concise summary of the language *including its pros and cons*. For
example, I learned more about Java versus Ruby in 45 seconds than I had
previously learned in several *weeks*.

Thank you, Tara. We are not worthy! 

BTW, any relation to the High Kings? :)


	 Joe Malin
Technical Writer
(408)625-1623
jmalin -at- tuvox -dot- com 
www.tuvox.com
The views expressed in this document are those of the sender, and do not
necessarily reflect those of TuVox, Inc.	

-----Original Message-----
From: Tara Charter [mailto:tara -dot- charter -at- physiciansmutual -dot- com] 
Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2005 10:59 AM
To: Joe Malin
Subject: Re: Programming Languages: A *Useful* Comparison?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_programming_language

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_programming_language

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perl

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Python_programming_language



Joe Malin wrote:

> Hi!
>
> Can anyone point me to a web site, document, etc that has a "useful"
> technical comparison of some of these languages:
>
> * Java
> * Ruby
> * Perl
> * Python
>
> I am familiar with all of them, but I wonder why they all exist 
> concurrently. I'm always hearing from engineers that one of them is 
> "the best language". When pressed, these same engineers can't define 
> *why* they say it, other than pointing out some great feature that the

> others don't have. Perhaps that particular feature is useful (even to 
> me), but maybe it's just a neat theoretical idea that nobody uses?
>
> For example: of these, I've known Java the longest. It makes a lot of 
> sense to me. I know that it takes longer to develop a program in it 
> than the others. I like it perhaps because I'm most familiar with it.
>
> People have told me to use Perl or Python because they are "easier".
> I've tried both with some success, but quite frankly I don't 
> understand the fascination. OK, I can write a program faster in them. 
> But using somebody *else's* program is often much harder.
>
> Some of Perl's concepts are kinda goofy (like chomp). Python is a bit 
> more straightforward, and I like that you can run it in an interactive

> interpreter. So, why have *Ruby*, then?
>
> I try to read "expert" reviews of these languages, but the experts are

> quite frankly not good writers. The last work I read on Ruby said that

> some feature was "amazingly easy"; I couldn't see why you'd use it! 
> What
> *I* want is something that says "Use Java to do <x>, because it is 
> [better/faster/easier]; Use Perl to do <y>", and so forth.
>
> By the way, at this company we develop products in Java, and write 
> quick-and-dirty tools in Perl or Python. I have seen people walking 
> around with Ruby books. Sigh.
>
>
> TuVox, Inc.
>
> 19050 Pruneridge Avenue Suite 150, Cupertino, CA 95014-0715
>
> Joe Malin
> Technical Writer
> (408)625.1623
> jmalin -at- tuvox -dot- com
> www.tuvox.com <http://www.tuvox.com/>
> The views expressed in this document are those of the sender, and do 
> not necessarily reflect those of TuVox, Inc.
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