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programming language popularity in industry

  • 15-10-2010 5:23pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 246 ✭✭


    Recently I was chatting with coworkers and friends who are lecturers about trends in the popularity of programming languages both in industry and in colleges... Which got me thinking..
    What programming languages do you use in your everyday job?

    Which of these languages do you use in your everyday job? 78 votes

    Java
    0% 0 votes
    DotNet
    34% 27 votes
    C/C++
    29% 23 votes
    Scripting languages e.g Python
    17% 14 votes
    Other (specify)
    17% 14 votes


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 428 ✭✭Joneser


    I'm only in 4th year of university but the dominant programming language for us is java. However the new first years are doing C++ now so it looks like that is going to change.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,038 ✭✭✭✭Sparks


    This is what TIOBE tracks. As of October 2010 the top three languages in order were Java, C and C++.

    tpci_trends.png


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,781 ✭✭✭amen


    how come no C# ? it is a growing language?

    no SQL ? On Cobol, PL/1,

    I don't know what TOIBE is tracking but I bet the stats are wrong. Can't see Java as the top language. Too many embedded systems, mainframes, UNIX, workstations, military software etc all written C (or C++)


  • Subscribers Posts: 9,716 ✭✭✭CuLT


    PHP and Javascript, mostly. A lot of momentum building up around JS as a server side language from what I can see too.

    Got my first look at Erlang there a couple of weeks back, bizarre looking language (from my perspective), but interesting. Really should expand my language base a bit more.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,566 ✭✭✭DublinWriter


    amen wrote: »
    how come no C# ? it is a growing language?

    no SQL ? On Cobol, PL/1,

    Cobol hasn't gone away you know.

    SQL isn't a programming language.

    c# still reigns supreme for all things Microsoft and is much favoured over vb.net.

    I don't think the language in itself is important, it's more to do with the IDE, envrionment, tools, SDK, framework and community support available - Java, C++, c# are all descendant of the original c and are syntactically very alike, your average c programmer wouldn't have much trouble working with the languages mentioned, while languages like Prolog, Pascal and Cobol are worlds apart.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 246 ✭✭Casey_81


    amen wrote: »
    how come no C# ? it is a growing language?

    laziness on my part, would group c# in the DotNet framework


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 246 ✭✭Casey_81


    Sparks wrote: »
    This is what TIOBE tracks. As of October 2010 the top three languages in order were Java, C and C++.

    Thanks for that, find it hard to believe that Java is still the top language.. in the company I work for we develop in java and c++ and the java team is about quarter the size of the c++ team..


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,521 ✭✭✭jmcc


    SQL isn't a programming language.
    Well it is debatable as it is Structured Query Language. There are associated scripting languages (Postgres has PL/Tcl, PL/Perl, PL/Python from what I remember. Oracle also has similar extensions) and triggers and procedures in MySQL. When it goes beyond the mickey mouse, 1MB web databases, the language options and complexity increases rapidly. Some of the SQL that I would use for data crunching could be 5 to 30K lines long. No doubt DBAs working on other large databases or datasets would also regularly use large SQL scripts. However thinking in SQL is a bit more complex than thinking in ordinary computer languages.

    Regards...jmcc


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,566 ✭✭✭DublinWriter


    jmcc wrote: »
    Well it is debatable as it is Structured Query Language.
    It's not debatable at all.

    SQL doesn't have the procedural flow and control characteristics of a programming language. SQL isn't a programming language.

    SQL scripts are basically a set of individual and atomic SQL statements carried out in series.

    You're confusing DML with with SQL. Oracle has PL/SQL, but that's separate from it's implementation of ANSI-SQL, same difference between T/SQL in the Microsoft/Sybase world and SQL.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,070 ✭✭✭Placebo


    PHP and JS


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,564 ✭✭✭Naikon


    It's not debatable at all.

    SQL doesn't have the procedural flow and control characteristics of a programming language. SQL isn't a programming language.

    SQL scripts are basically a set of individual and atomic SQL statements carried out in series.

    You're confusing DML with with SQL. Oracle has PL/SQL, but that's separate from it's implementation of ANSI-SQL, same difference between T/SQL in the Microsoft/Sybase world and SQL.

    Hence the letter 'Q' for query. SQL to me is basically just a query tool. PL/SQL reminds of COBOL in that it's painfully limited with what you can do with it beyond yet another "stored procedure". God I hate those words. I tend to only use shell scripting, C, sed, AWK and Perl for my purposes. Perl can be a bit of a headache sometimes. Java is decent I guess, but I would take C over it anyday. Java is anything but simple when you look at the sheer size of the standard API's.

    this.BITEME!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 330 ✭✭leahcim


    Of course SQL is a programming language.

    Just because its focus is data management and manipulation rather than control flow doesn't take from it being a programming language.

    Most database vendors have extended standard sql to include control flow procedural language constructs such as loops, conditional branching structures.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 42 somebodude


    So you reckon you can implement, in SQL, any of:
    - bubble sort
    - linked list
    - SHA1 hash function
    - IRC Chat client
    ????

    SQL isn't turing complete ...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 330 ✭✭leahcim


    I take your point. If you were just writing select or insert statements in sql you wouldn't be using it as a programming language.
    SQL isn't turing complete ...
    The base SQL standard isn't but people who use sql in a commercial environment (people who call themselves database programmers) use vendor specific variants such as t-sql (MS) and pl-sql (ORACLE) which are considered to be turing complete.
    So you reckon you can implement, in SQL, any of:
    bubble sort
    linked list
    SHA1 hash function
    All the above would be possible (with the likes of t-sql etc). But you would be crazy to try, this is not what the language is designed for. Would you use prolog to do any of the above?
    IRC Chat client
    To implement this you would need a library to access the TCP/IP stack, I dont think any of the database systems all this kind of access. Again this is not the kind of problem sql was invented to solve.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 42 somebodude


    leahcim wrote: »
    To implement this you would need a library to access the TCP/IP stack, I dont think any of the database systems all this kind of access. Again this is not the kind of problem sql was invented to solve.

    pshaw. in Oracle PL-SQL there's DBMS_SOCKET, no ?

    Anyway, I though you meant ANSI SQL, sorry.

    Oh another thing - PL-SQL hasn't dynamic memory allocation ...
    a waay back I had to implement a rules-based timesheet system in PL-SQL,
    and it was in the end straightforward, in the same sense as it's strightforward
    to scratch yourself between the shoulderblades with your toes...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,110 ✭✭✭Skrynesaver


    Perl

    Though I use Java every other day


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,272 ✭✭✭✭Atomic Pineapple


    Java with a bit of C/C++ thrown in for me.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,481 ✭✭✭satchmo


    Mostly C++, Cg/HLSL, some Python and a bit of Lua.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,689 Mod ✭✭✭✭stevenmu


    C# mostly, with bits of HTML, Javascript, Xpath, CAML, and XSLT thrown in. Ok, so HTML definitely isn't a programming language, but if SQL gets included I'm definitely claiming Xpath, CAML, and XSLT :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 246 ✭✭Casey_81


    Thanks for your replies,

    It gives interesting reading, perhaps I should have included DB/Web stuff in the poll to make it more representative.

    Personally I would call myself a C# coder (as I would have most industrial experience with it), but am working primarily with Java at the moment. I can hack together a C++ program, but wouldn't be fully proficient with memory management.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 599 ✭✭✭ambasite


    C# to write Selenium test scripts.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 47 oooomy


    ambasite wrote: »
    C# to write Selenium test scripts.
    try the firefox selenium remote control - record whatever you need and select export as c# when done.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,468 ✭✭✭Evil Phil


    Python at the mo', little bit of java thrown for my MSc.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,056 ✭✭✭✭BostonB


    Casey_81 wrote: »
    ...
    What programming languages do you use in your everyday job?

    That doesn't seem like you meant college...


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 410 ✭✭JohnathanM


    I've been working exclusively with Java for the last few years for back-end work, although right now I'm wondering how much longer it will be before I'll be working in something else. :)

    Not going to be C#... leaving M$ environments behind me was a blessing.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,579 ✭✭✭Webmonkey


    Actually C# .NET is quite impressive even if it does come from MS


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 246 ✭✭Casey_81


    Webmonkey wrote: »
    Actually C# .NET is quite impressive even if it does come from MS

    +1 I'm a fan of C# also, i used it in industry in a previous job.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 131 ✭✭net4hack


    I was thinking of doing a .NET course to move from HW&NW support to programming. But after reading this thread I think it would be better doing a java course. But what about frameworks like STRUTS, AJAX etc which is widely used which also I have to study if going to a Java environment.
    So considering job oppertunities and learning curve, which would be better Java+frameworks or .NET?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,564 ✭✭✭Naikon


    net4hack wrote: »
    I was thinking of doing a .NET course to move from HW&NW support to programming. But after reading this thread I think it would be better doing a java course. But what about frameworks like STRUTS, AJAX etc which is widely used which also I have to study if going to a Java environment.
    So considering job oppertunities and learning curve, which would be better Java+frameworks or .NET?

    Probably Java, as the code can be ported across any platform that has access to a java runtime enviroment. The same cannot be said for .NET applications which either run on Windows, or don't run at all. Mono is not a 100% substitute on non microsoft platforms. An open source enviroment at least allows you to fix issues if you want, as opposed to being at the helm of Microsoft to solely fix issues with .Net.

    Saying that, I would suggest you avoid java if you can and just go with the correct tool for the correct job. No one programming langauge will ever solve one problem, when another tool could do the job in much less time for example. Would you consider doing regular expressions in C if you have perl at your helm? Just some points to consider. You can't learn one and expect it to solve all your problems.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 18,056 ✭✭✭✭BostonB


    Couldn't hurt to do a bit of both tbh.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 68 ✭✭azwethinkweiz


    At the mo we're using a combo of C#, VB6 (in the process of rewriting that code in C#), JavaScript etc.
    The company is quite MS oriented so...

    We're using SQL Server 2008 as well.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 196 ✭✭AnonymousPrime


    I am a big fan of .Net, everything is already done for you smile.gif

    But I would be very skeptical of any surveys regarding this matter, from tiobe to boards.ie.
    You will only get a subset of reality, and weightings are impossible.

    For example Tiobe rates popularity among learners and breaking technologies. Just look at its rating for cobol which a large number of banks are still built on.
    boards.ie takes a subset of.....you guessed it.....boards.ie users which I would imagine has its demographics.

    (btw, I would say jobs pages are another barometer you can use)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 599 ✭✭✭ambasite


    oooomy wrote: »
    try the firefox selenium remote control - record whatever you need and select export as c# when done.

    yeah, using that at the moment - Selenium IDE / Nunit framework.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,618 ✭✭✭Civilian_Target


    I would say Java... but only about 1 day a month where Java is the only language I use!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 246 ✭✭Casey_81


    But I would be very skeptical of any surveys regarding this matter, from tiobe to boards.ie.
    You will only get a subset of reality, and weightings are impossible.
    ......
    boards.ie takes a subset of.....you guessed it.....boards.ie users which I would imagine has its demographics.

    (btw, I would say jobs pages are another barometer you can use)

    Fair point..

    Although with that said, there is a lot of repetition in the jobs site, so its not easy to determine which adverts are 'real' jobs and which ones are just out to get CV for a profile. (Got stung by recruitment agents a while back - so slightly bitter)


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  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,689 Mod ✭✭✭✭stevenmu


    There's other things to take into account too. Assuming that this is all in relation to which is best for jobs, different languages/platforms can be used in different types of roles. My impression is that Java is more typically used for enterprise scale server solutions, .Net for user facing client solutions, C for high performance (games, scientific etc) or embedded, PHP for Internet web apps etc etc.

    Of course these are gross generalisations with tons of exceptions (I've done lots of .Net enterprise work for e.g.), but there's a lot of truth to them as well.


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