What type of programming language do you prefer?

Software Development
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#1

I’ve managed to use, at some level or another, programming languages that are quite different. Some languages I’ve used include Pascal, COBOL, BASIC, Scheme, VB. NET, C#, Perl, JavaScript, SQL, VBA, and Java.

Along the way, I’ve come to appreciate different aspects of each language (although I must admit, I struggled to find much to like about some of them). Some languages are object-oriented; some are procedural; some are functional; and a few are declarative. Most are compiled (and strongly typed) languages; some are interpreted (with a combination of strong typing, dynamic typing, and duck typing); and so on.

Tell us in the forums what type of programming language you prefer. And, let’s not make this a “my language is better than yours” discussion, but rather focus on what kind of languages we prefer.

#2

It depends upon the project and requirements , of course.

If it’s a tiny little bit of non-graphic code, I’ll probably use bash shell script

and Linux toolkit (command line) utilities.

For small-to-medium sized non-embedded projects, where super-fast performance isn’t vital, Python is my go-to. My Swiss Army programming toolkit. The same applies if I’m programming within Amazon Web Services, unless I have no choice but to use some form of JavaScript.

Large-scale, performant or embedded projects? C++ or perhaps C. Yes, you can use C++ for embedded—but without heap memory, and being very conservative about your language choices. It’s excellent for abstracting interfaces, and maintaining clarity in a burgeoning project, which is why I like it. Unfortunately, its string manipulation is pretty abysmal—particularly if you can’t use heap.

Oh, and if I’m programming Android, then the obvious choice is Java. A bit of a cumbersome behemoth, but it’s still the best (and frankly only sensible) option for most Android applications.