[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]

Re: Evidence that Functional Objects is real?

In article <k6s30tso0hg58ti34bsonqfc37a4ssr2bk@4ax.com>, 
dylanwannabee@nodylanhere.com wrote:

> I have to at least be able to convince him that it will be
> possible for us to hire Dylan programmers in the future.

What is a "Dylan programmer"?


I'm a Dylan programmer
I'm a C programmer
I'm a C++ programmer
I'm a PL/I programmer
I'm a Perl programmer
I'm a Scheme programmer
I'm a Java programmer
I'm a Pascal programmer
I'm a 68000 assembly-language programmer
I'm a PowerPC assembly-language programmer
I'm a HyperTalk programmer
I'm a PostScript programmer

I don't know how many other sorts of programmer I am.

Of the list above, I learned precisely *one* in formal study (Pascal, at 
university).  ALL of the rest were learned on the job, because there was 
a task that needed doing and that language was there.

In several cases (Java and Perl, for example), they were learned in 
someone's office, while on a short term contract at good $$, and THEY 
KNEW GOING IN that I didn't currently know those languages.  In both 
cases I was productive within two days and industinguishable from the 
other employees within ten days.

The others were all learned while on a salary or while doing a fixed 
price contract, with similar times to being productive.


Anyone who knows how to program can pick up a new language far more 
quickly than you'll find someone who already has the magic word "Dylan" 
on their CV.

And Dylan is easier to learn than most.  Certainly far easier than C++ 
or Perl, and even easier than Java because there are a lot fewer 
beginner's traps: "why can't I use '==' on strings?", "why is it so hard 
to read from the keyboard in Java?  In C++ it's just cin >> mystring", 
"what's the difference between String and StringBuf?", "What's the 
difference between int and Integer?", "what does "static mean"?, "I can 
put things into Vectors, why can't I take them out again?"

Trust me, I've taught people to program in Java.  It's got more magic 
"I'll explain that to you later" things in HelloWorld.java than you find 
even in COBOL.

::rant off::

-- Bruce
References: