hey thanks for the help from everyone in my previose post but i have another question. should i really be getting into perl? i've noticed and has to do alot with the web and i dont even have a web site. can i really do anything useful with perl while i'm offline. i'm looking for a language thats very flexible and good for offline material. would i be maybe more comfortable with something like C? I truly hope not i've already ordered a 20 doller book on perl.

The real question is...What do you want to do? Perl is used primarily in cgi applications, but it is not limited to that use only. It is great for handling text files, databases, and more. It is not among the great "gui" languages like vb, java, or c++ (not that those languages are only good for guis...you know what I mean)

As for me, I LOVE perl. I think it's one of the fastest languages to write, useful in many of the applications I'm interested in, and has something of a cult following, which I find intriguing for some reason. But if I just wanted to develop system applications, I would probably use C or C++.

-SN

Where it is possible to use Perl, I more often will use PHP. The reason is that I'm just now learning PHP (a few weeks now), so I am rewriting my Perl Scripts in PHP. Perl is good for text manipulation, etc.

Normally, you will find me knee deep in C++, Java, Ada, Visual Basic, or Tcl/Tk when I am not stunned with amazement with PHP development. Here recently though, I have been writing Batch files to play with my Apache web server... go figure.

With C++, you can't go wrong :)

Infinite Recursion

Perl's great, I use a lot of Perl scripts on my site.

However, I don't know a single programmer who just does 'one' language. Every language has a certain 'focus' and so you need to change your tools sometimes to accomplish your goals more easily.

My personal recommendation would be to get into C first. That'll give you some foundation. Then get into everything else.

C++ (team programming/simplified classes), Lisp (A.I.), assembler (low level), java (web), Perl (CGI), basic , VB (front-ends/ActiveX containers), Forth (if you're into robotics) maybe even D after you get some 'time behind the wheel'.

It's all good.

jorgen

This is just one recommendation but I would use perl for you common gateway interfaces and make calls to these CGIs using PHP or Java.

Just my thoughts...

borelli34

Nathan,
Didn't you say that you don't even have a website? So why are all these responses to your question talking about CGI?

If you want to have a highly versatile and reusable language, not to mention outstanding performance and control, you should consider C++. (forget perl, java, c, visual basic, etc)

The reason is simple:
C++ is an industry standard that has a worldwide standards committee and user base behind it. You can create C++ application that are compliant with these standards and compile it to any target platform you want. And unlike java or perl, C++ is not an interpreted language, so you get speed and versatility as well as small footprint and low-level control.

Now, I'm not knocking any of those languages, god knows I use all of them, but your question was specifically inquiring about "offline" applications. So C++ can be used to give you that capability as it is so powerful and capable, it will grow as your needs grow (and as you learn new ways to do things).

Now, there is a price to pay for this: learning curve: C++ has a rather steep learning curve, most people who have never programmed start off with VB because it is quite easy to pick up. Unfortunately VB allows you to write such sloppy code, that you might find that you cannot pick up another language easily after starting out with vb (kinda like learning to play guitar on an electric guitar, you might have problems playing the acoustic guitars).

Well, that's my $.02, hope this helps you.

btw: if you want to get started for cheap check out www.borland.com (they have a free compiler) or go to www.openwatcom.com (they have a complete ide for free)

Happy coding,
Chi Happens

Every programmer should know perl. Perl was never even intended for the web.. it just got so popular and easy to use that it replaced c.

well thanks for all the help i've decided that i will learn perl first then move onto C++. I also know many friend who have web site, maybe I could program something for them. also like you said many prgrammers learn perl so I dont see why its necessary to truly learn them in any order.
also I wanna give special thanks to chi he had the most useful information.

Nathan,
You are welcome. Perl is an ok language to start with, but you will find that many Perl scripts are disorganized and approach "spaghetti code" (at least that is what I have found working on other people's perl code) so be dilligent and learn some formatting and structure so that you can be a better coder (not necessarily better programmer lol) than those guys (one is a professor at MIT, so I think he is pretty good programmer, probably better than me or anyone else I know...but his coding stinks...his programs work, but you can't work on his programs without taking a lot of no-doze first lol)

Good luck again,
Chi Happens

Programming and -no-doze-.... lol.
I use Mountain Dew for that! What ever happened to Jolt Cola anyway?

Gpp what did you mean when you said "perl just got so popular and easy to use that it replaced c"... How did Perl -replace- C? Just curious.

Infinite Recursion

It only replaced c for cgi applications... At least thats what I have seen. Back when I started programming, a few cgi apps where still being written in c, now I dont any cgi being done in c.

ahhh. ok... I was just curious... I use both C/C++ and Perl for CGI applications, but I see a great deal of C floating around, moreso than Perl, but of course that does not speak for the entire industry... :)

I really wish I knew what the hell you guys are saying. I have no real "programer lingo". I really dont know exactly what alot of you say but i pick up things here and there. anyway its all useful keep the comments rollin.

Nathan

Mmmm, no-doze...

Any of you ever try these?

BAWLS

You can get them at thinkgeek.com and I saw them in my local CompUSA store.

Yes, and I love the adds...
Grab Your BAWLS!

rotflmao

But still...I love coffee...probably as much as Java...but not as much as C/C++

Chi Happens