"Chris McDonald" <chris@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:fvebbi$iru$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Bob Nelson <bnelson@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> writes:
>
>>Some postings in this newsgroup over the past few months have questioned
>>the
>>popularity of the C programming language.
>
> Yes, popularity of a programming language means many different things
> to many different people. Those unaware of it may be interested in the
> monthly TIOBE Programming Community Index:
>
> http://www.tiobe.com/index.php/content/paperinfo/tpci/index.html
>
C is by no means an "unpolular" language, or relegated to the lands of
"embedded systems" and "device drivers" as some people seem to imply.
now, it is by no means an unchallenged em****or, nor is it some
long-forgotten prince either...
here are my current views:
AFAIK, C, C++, and Java are the top languages for most general software
development at this point in time.
AFAIK, C is dominant on Linux and in opensource land, C++ is dominant in
windows land, and Java is dominant, somewhere (I know somewhere or another
a
lot is going on in Java, but IME it is a little like a phantom, so often
heard about but not as often seen...).
C has a lot of good points IMO, and I think is fairly likely to stay
around
(for what it does well, it does very well, and its detractors tend to be
more pedantic than pragmatic...).
C++ has a lot of good points, but a few detractors as well, and I suspect
is
inclined to lose a lot more popularity than it will gain (its "high level"
and "object oriented" claims to fame have largely transferred to newer
languages such as Java and C#, wheras when lumped in with C, a few of its
detractors show as well, none the less it is still fairly well established
so it will not likely go anywhere soon).
Java, has a few good points and a few detractors (but rather different
ones
than C++). why it has done this well is a little curious to me personally,
but is not inconcievable (it has a few ugly spots and annoyances, but is
by
no means terrible as a language, especially when it can be observed that a
lot of these things I disliked about Java have been asopted as "good
practice" by many C++ developers...).
C# is a language I am watching personally (D could be similar, but only
time
will tell). my prediction is that in time it may come to compete with the
current heavyweights... IMO, C# balances some of the good and bad points
of
C++ and Java, and so may have a technical advantage here over both of them
in the long term (and, if not C#, something similar, such as D, albeit D
makes slightly different tradeoffs).
IMO, at this point the biggest strength, and potentially later the biggest
threat, to C#'s success, is its close association with Windows and .NET...
but, as is everything, only time will tell...
> --
> Chris.
|
