Re: learning languages [Was: Re: Y Store now C++]

[Billy <address@hidden>]

I would say it's the idioms of the language, not it's concepts, which
soak up my time.  I've been a programmer for awhile now, so I usually
know how I want to approach a new program conceptually.  When writing
in a language I don't ofetn use, or is new to me, I often have a
reference open to look at the style and idioms used.  The syntax and
concepts don't usually present a problem unless they are especially
weird/rare, or language specific.

-billy

On Fri, Mar 14, 2003 at 10:34:14AM -0600, Trevis Rothwell wrote:
> Date: Fri, 14 Mar 2003 10:34:14 -0600
> From: Trevis Rothwell <tjr@acm.org>
> X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.74 [en] (Win95; U)
> To: ll1-discuss@ai.mit.edu
> Subject: learning languages [Was: Re: Y Store now C++]
> 
> 
> Based on your experience, how hard is it, really, for a programmer
> to learn a new language?
> 
> It seems to me that there is a lot of "conceptual crossover", and
> once you understand the underlying ideas (polymorphism, closures,
> whatever) learning a new *language* is fairly trivial in
> comparison.
> 
>  -- Trevis
> 
> 
> Jerry Jackson wrote:
> > ...
> >
> > There was also a fairly strong feeling from some of the developers who
> > came on to the project later in the game that they would be more
> > marketable if they could put Java on their resumes instead of our
> > proprietary language.
> > 
> > One amusing twist to the story:
> > 
> > Before the "issues" arose around the language, things were going well
> > and there was a push to hire more developers to write rating
> > methodologies.  We had more than one person come in who, after being
> > told that we used language XXXX, claimed significant past experience
> > with it!
> > 
> > --Jerry