HOME     www.Junoland.de         (c) Copyright 2003 °Andreas Klotz, Cologne, Germany [upd.Oct.2008]     AKL@Junoland.de

Which Language Should I Learn?

Don't think I think I got it made!

Criteria:
How is a good language ?

• It should be made for many purposes.
• It has to remain simple and easy.
• It might not slow down the CPU too much.
• It must let you create programs that are easy to install and easy to deinstall.
• It has to give you help while coding with a lot of infos and examples - that is what a good IDE for is.
• It has to have a big library of existing utilities and of access to the functions of the operating system (mostly Windows).
• It must be compiled quick and it don't have to take too much RAM or diskspace.
• The most important thing is: it must be clear structured. So you can build in something new after a while or debug it without long studying the old sourcecode.

Stay on the Scene:
Why you should go Mainstream

Groups of Languages
What is the programming world using?

• controlling a machine or writing a driver, writing an OS: Machine Code, Assembler, C
• the Internet-Browser: HTML (XML), Javascript, Java-Applets, VBscript, ActiveX
• for the Internet-Server: PHP, ASP, ASP.Net, Perl, CGI ,JSP
• for Database: SQL
• for Academic reasons: Eiffel, Lisp, Prolog, Python, Ruby, Oberon...
• for good old fellows of bank and assurance: Cobol
• for universal purposes: Delphi, VB, C++, Java, C#

Controlling a machine, writing a driver, writing an OS:
Machine Code, Assembler, C

Internet-Browser:
HTML (XML) and Javascript , Java-Applets, VBscript, ActiveX

Internet-Server:
PHP, ASP, ASP.Net, Perl, CGI ,JSP

Database-Language:
SQL

for merely Academic reasons:
Eiffel, Lisp, Prolog, Python, Ruby, Oberon...

for good old fellows of bank and assurance:
Cobol

For general-purpose

general:
Delphi versus Visual Basic

general:
C++

general:
Java

general:
C#

SpeedTest

Simple Counting +7

#include <iostream.h>
#include <string>

main()
{ int x; int y; 
 char z = 9; string s;

 //cout << "input any char + enter!"; cin >> s;
 cout << "start 50 times increment 100'000'000 int +7 (AMD-Duron 1000 needs 16 sec 0.6 MB) ..." << endl;
 for(x=1;x<=50;x++) {
 for(y=0;(y<=700000000);y=y+7) { }
 cout << x << " ; ";
 }
 cout << endl;
 cout << " y=" << y << " x=" << x << " --- input any char + enter!"; cin >> s;
 }

import java.awt.*;

class speedtest1 {
public static void main(String args[])
 {
 System.out.println(
 "start 50 times increment 100'000'000 int +7 (AMD Duron 1000 needs 22 sec, 4.2 MB)... "); 
 int x=0; int y=0;
 for(x=1;x<=50;x++) {
 for(y=0;y<=700000000;y+=7) { }
 System.out.print(x + " ; "); 
 }
 System.out.println("");
 System.out.println("y=" + y + " x=" + x + "..........finished counting. "); 
 }
} 

using System;
class Hello {
static void Main() {
Console.WriteLine("start 50 times increment 100'000'000 int +7 (AMD-Duron 1000 needs 16 sec 3.3 MB)...");

int x=0;
int y=0;
for (x=1;x<=50;x++) {
        for (y=0;y<=700000000;y+=7) { }
 Console.Write(x + " ; "); 
}
Console.WriteLine();
Console.WriteLine(" y=" +y + " x=" +x + " --- input any number + enter!"); 
string any1 = Console.ReadLine(); 
}
}

1. Borland-C++Builder5.02 : 16 seconds; 0.6 MB
2. MS Visual C++ 6.0 : 17 seconds 0.6 MB;
3. Java 1.3 SDK (console) : 22 seconds 4.2 MB
4. C# 1 (console) written in SharpDevelop-GNU : 16 seconds 3.3 MB

Prime Number Crunching

1. Borland-C++Builder5.02 : 26 + 24 (array-read) seconds; 1.4 MB
2. Java 1.3 SDK (console) : 26 + 27 seconds 5.2 MB
3. C# 1 (console) written in SharpDevelop-GNU : 26 + 24 seconds 4.1 MB
4. VB(A) (Excel-VBA Debug.Screen) : 75 + 150 seconds 40.7 MB

#include <iostream.h>
#include <string>

main()
{ //int x; int y; char z = 9;
 string s;
 //cout << "input any char + enter!"; cin >> s;
 int n=200000;
 int myar[200000];
 cout << "Calculating prime-numbers 1 to 200'000 ... (AMD-Duron-1000 needs 26 sec, 1.4 MB) ..." << endl;
 for (int a=3;a<n;a+=2) {
 int i=3;
        while((a % i) !=0 && i<(a/3)+1) {
        if (a<25) cout << a << " / " << i << " = " << (a/i) << " Rest=" << a % i << endl;
        i+=2;
        }
 if (a<25 || a>n-5) {
 if (i < (a/3)+1) {myar[a]=i; cout << "for " << a << " I found " << i << endl;}
        else cout << "for " << a << " I found nothing" << endl;
 }
 if (a==25) cout << " ---- now I will calculate invisible...., wait ...." << endl;
 }

 cout << endl;
 cout << "Reading 10'000 times array of 100'000 numbers (AMD-Duron-1000 needs 24 sec..." << endl;
 int t=0;
 for (int y=1;y<10000;y++) {
 for (int k=3;k<n;k+=2) {
 t=myar[k];
 if (y<4 && (k<25 || k>n-5) ) {
 if (t==0) cout << k << " ; ";
 }
 }
 if (y<4) cout << endl;
 }

 cout << "input any char + enter!"; cin >> s;
}

public class primetest2 {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int n=200000; int[] myar = new int[n];
System.out.println("calculating prime-numbers 1 to 200'000 ... (AMD-Duron-1000 needs 26 sec, 5.2 MB) ...");
long anyvar=0;
for (int a=3;a<n;a+=2) {
int i=3;
while((a % i) !=0 && i<(a/3)+1) {
if (a<25) System.out.println(a + " / " + i + " = " + (a/i) + " Rest=" + a % i);
i+=2;
} if (a<25 || a>n-5) {
if (i < (a/3)+1) {myar[a]=i; System.out.println("for " + a +" I found "+i); }
else System.out.println("for " + a +" I found nothing");
} if (a==25) System.out.println(" ---- now I will calculate invisible...., wait ....");
} System.out.println("");
System.out.println("Reading 10'000 times array of 100'000 numbers (AMD-Duron-1000 needs 27 sec...");
int t=0;
for (int y=1;y<10000;y++) { for (int k=3;k<n;k+=2) {
t=myar[k]; if (y<4 && (k<25 || k>n-5) ) {
if (t==0) System.out.print(k + " ; ");
}
}
if (y<4) System.out.println(" ");
}
} // end main
} // end class
// to compile: javac -O primetest2.java
// to run: java primetest2

using System;

class Hello {
        
static void Main() {
string any1 ="";
Console.WriteLine("calculating prime-numbers 1 to 200'000 ... (AMD-Duron-1000 needs 26 sec, 4.1 MB) ..."); 
int n=200000;
int[] myar = new int[n];

for (int a=3;a<n;a+=2) {
        int i=3;
        while((a % i) !=0 && i<(a/3)+1) {
        if (a<25) Console.WriteLine(a + " / " + i + " = " + (a/i) + " Rest=" + a % i );
        i+=2;
        }
        if (a<25 || a>n-5) {
        if (i < (a/3)+1) {myar[a]=i; Console.WriteLine("for " + a +" I found "+i);}
        else Console.WriteLine("for " + a +" I found nothing");
        }
        if (a==25) Console.WriteLine(" ---- now I will calculate invisible...., wait ....");
}
Console.WriteLine("");
Console.WriteLine("Reading 10'000 times array of 100'000 numbers (AMD-Duron-1000 needs 24 sec...");
int t=0;
for (int y=1;y<10000;y++) {
 for (int k=3;k<n;k+=2) {
 t=myar[k];
 if (y<4 && (k<25 || k>n-5) ) {
 if (t==0) Console.Write(k + " ; ");
 }
 }
 if (y<4) Console.WriteLine(" ");
}

Console.WriteLine("input any number + enter!"); any1 = Console.ReadLine(); 
}
}

Sub PrimeNumberCrunching()
Debug.Print: Debug.Print "---": Debug.Print Now
Debug.Print "calculating prime-numbers 1 to 200'000 ... (AMD-Duron-1000 needs 80 sec, 4.1 MB) ..."
Dim N As Long, A As Long, I As Long
Dim T As Long, Y As Long, K As Long
Dim myar(200000) As Long
N = 200000
For A = 3 To N Step 2
 I = 3
 While ((A Mod I) <> 0 And I < (A / 3) + 1)
 If (A < 25) Then Debug.Print A & " / " & I & " = " & (A / I) & " Rest=" & (A Mod I)
 I = I + 2
 Wend
 If A < 25 Or A > N - 5 Then
 If (I < (A / 3) + 1) Then
 myar(A) = I
 Debug.Print "for " & A & " I found " & I
 Else
 Debug.Print "for " & A & " I found nothing"
 End If
 End If
 
 If A = 25 Then Debug.Print " ---- now I will calculate invisible...., wait ...."
Next A

Debug.Print: Debug.Print "---": Debug.Print Now

Debug.Print "Reading 10'000 times array of 200'000 numbers (AMD-Duron-1000 needs 150 sec..."
T = 0
For Y = 1 To 10000
 For K = 3 To N - 1 Step 2
 T = myar(K)
 If Y < 4 And (K < 25 Or K > N - 5) Then
 If (T = 0) Then Debug.Print K & " ; ",
 End If
 Next K
 If (Y < 4) Then Debug.Print " "
Next Y

Debug.Print: Debug.Print "---": Debug.Print Now
Beep
End Sub

GUI-Test

import javax.swing.*;

public class helloswing100 {

 public static void main(String[] args) {
 JFrame framex[];
 framex = new JFrame[500];
 for (int i=0; i<32*8;i++) {
 framex[i] = new JFrame("W"+i);
 framex[i].setSize(100, 100);
 framex[i].setLocation((i/32)*100, (i % 32)*20);
 framex[i].setVisible(true);
 //for (int t=0; t<10*1000*1000;t++) { }
 }

 //JFrame frame2 = new JFrame("window main");
 //frame2.setSize(250, 350);
 //frame2.setVisible(true);

 JFrame frame = new JFrame("window main");
 frame.setSize(300, 400);
 final JLabel label = new JLabel("Hello - let's swing! ");
 frame.getContentPane().add(label);
 frame.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
 //frame.pack();
 frame.setVisible(true);
 
 }
}
// to compile: javac -O helloswing100.java
// to run: java helloswing100

using System;
using System.Windows.Forms;

namespace myxyform 
{
 public class cAnyForm : Form 
 {

 }

 public class cMyMainFormClass : Form 
 {

 public cMyMainFormClass() 
 { //<--- constructor
 this.Text="Close this window to end!";
 }
        
 public static void Main() 
 { // <--- Main embedded in main-class 

 // ordinary call quickform without a name for this instance .....
 cAnyForm[] cf = new cAnyForm[500];
 for (int i=0;i<256 ;i++ ) 
 { 
 cf[i]=new cAnyForm(); cf[i].Text="F" + i;
 //cf[i].Location=new System.Drawing.Point(i*8,20);
 cf[i].Location = new System.Drawing.Point((i/32)*100, (i % 32)*20);
 cf[i].StartPosition = FormStartPosition.Manual;
 cf[i].Size = new System.Drawing.Size(100, 100); 
 cf[i].Show();
 }

 Application.Run(new cMyMainFormClass()); 
 System.Console.WriteLine(" enter!"); Console.ReadLine();
 }
 } // end class
} // end namespace

Conclusion

• Go mainstream - use that what many people use. Take profit of the exchange of ideas. Java, C++, C# is good.

• Try to use only one language! Take not a new language for each new purpose! You won't managage that. Java or C# or C++ or Perl is good in that point of view

• Dont'be slow in development and don't be too slow in runtime of your program

OOP

Links