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Subject:Programming Languages for Technical Communicators From:"George F. Hayhoe" <george -at- GHAYHOE -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 27 Jan 1998 09:51:06 -0500
Chris Cundiff asked which programming language she should take as a tech
comm student.
I think the answer is that it depends on your purpose in taking such a
course.
If you want to learn what's hot, want to do very technical system
documentation, or perhaps plan to do some coding down the line, then Java,
one of the flavors of C, or Visual Basic is probably what you should
probably learn.
If you want a basic understanding of how computer programs work, then a
procedural language like Pascal, Basic, or even FORTRAN is a good pick.
Just as you choose any other tool, select the programming language you will
study with the ultimate purpose in mind. Hammers are important tools, but
they won't be of much use when what you really need is a wrench. :)
