Help! I still don't know the language!

[Paul Dufresne]

[To os-help@tunes.org:
I made a mistake and post one of the previous message to tunes rather
than os-help. Basically, was suggesting to learn Java and keep an
eye on Pizza for a neophyte whose the main criteria is getting a
job as programmer]

On Fri, Oct 29, 1999 at 06:16:17PM -0400, Splak wrote:
> I really am a neophyte so some of the lingo in your message I did not
> understand(ex:Parametric polymorphic).
Oops, sorry, I just like to use big words to impress people.

> Are there any sites or other
> resources to check out this language. I searched some computer language
> dictionaries on the net without a positive result.

I just used www.google.com search site to find these:
"Java programming introduction":
Java: http://java.sun.com
"Pizza Philip Wadler":
Pizza or GJ: http://cm-bell-labs.com/cm/cs/who/wadler/

>Is this language popular?
Java, sure!
Pizza, I guess there is about 10 people in the world who knows it.

> Do you see a great need for it in the job market?
Java, sure! That's the main criteria that have made me choose
this one for you.

Pizza, no definately not. Look, forget Pizza for next 2 years, but
come back to the link above when you will be bored by Java.
Pizza is a link with an other way of programming: functionnal
programming rather than Object Oriented Programming.
I personnally think that functionnal programming is 'better' than
OOP, but it is less popular, and will probably stay less popular
for some years. That's why I suggest Java for getting a job, and
getting an eye on Pizza or GJ as a way to get the advantages of
functionnal programming in the very popular language Java.
 
> Is this the only comp.lang. I need to know?
If you are such a neophyte, you will have more than enough stuff
to learn for the next 2 years with Java. In fact I am not sure if
I am not making things too hard, Java is based on C and if the
tutorials on Java seems too hard, look on C first.

Frankly, I know C, but not Java. But I am not blind as not to see
how Java is becoming popular, and I know sometimes it's better stick
with the mass on the highway, than take a super short cut. It's just
that I don't like to be in the traffic. But sometimes, I feel it
would have been so much simpler, if I had not quit the highway.

--Paul