

If You Could Only Learn 3 Languages - RESULTS - Garbage
http://java.dzone.com/articles/if-you-could-only-learn-3-0

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cstuder
Please note that this survey has been done by a Java community website.

I _strongly_ suspect that other sites, like Hacker News for example, would
generate different results with a different leading language.

~~~
brownegg
While I agree, what's maybe more interesting is that a community of Java users
would "do it all over again". Could be blub programmers not being able to see
up the chain, could be normal human comfort tendencies, but it could also be
"legit".

~~~
SimonPStevens
I find it more interesting that in a Java community, 30% _didn't_ choose Java
as one of their 3 languages.

~~~
jonsen
Maybe some interpreted the question as _If You Could Only Learn 3 Programming
Languages..._ besides what you already know.

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clyfe
<https://github.com/languages>

~~~
japaget
If the language you are interested in isn't in the top 10, you can still find
out how popular it is on GitHub. Just click on your language in the list under
"All Languages" on the right side of the page. You will discover, for
instance, that "FORTRAN is the #32 most popular language on GitHub".

~~~
_debug_
Thank you. "Scala is the #17 most popular language on GitHub" is what I was
looking for.

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duck
This shows more who finds dzone useful than anything else.

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egor83
A poll on HN: <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1983229>

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CoffeeDregs
Hmmm... Unlike a lot of responses here, I generally agree with the results. I
might not have order the top 3 that way, but I think those are the right top
3.

Java: Standard issue, wickedly popular, object-oriented compiled language. You
gotta learn on sometime. Gentler than C/C++, open-er than C#. Gets you onto
the JVM and all of its languages. Not surprising that a Java community picked
this first, but it was also the right pick (and I'm no fan of Java).

Javascript: browser. Say no more.

Python: scripting. Great libraries, support from Google, etc.

Even though I really like functional languages, they're something that can be
studied while you're not earning your living (and learning them will make you
better at earning your living!).

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jamii
Ocaml wasn't even an option...

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allenp
I guess SQL wasn't an option.

~~~
CWuestefeld
I can't imagine how anyone could function in an enterprise setting without
understanding SQL. Whatever you're using for your app -- C#, Java, etc. -- the
database is still a common denominator. Despite the fashionability of NoSQL,
the old-fashioned relational DB with a SQL interface is still ubiquitous.

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zyb09
I'd go for C++, if you're really good at C++, picking up Java, C# & ObjC will
be a matter of a couple days each. That and Python.

~~~
barrkel
I don't think C++ would give you a good grounding for a language like C#; too
much emphasis on manual memory allocation, and insufficient exposure to
higher-level abstractions, like lambdas and monads (as IEnumerable<T>
effectively is).

~~~
brownegg
Maybe. Manual memory allocation is no longer a best practice for "normal" C++
projects, and I'm not sure how much easier C#'s syntax for higher-level
abstractions is relative to template metaprogramming. Both are convoluted,
obviously.

~~~
cageface
Are smart pointers the accepted alternative or are you talking about real
garbage collection?

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davidjhall
Would love to see a survey like this on HN

~~~
chrisaycock
Your wish has been granted: <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1983229>

~~~
mparr4
This survey is for 3 _new_ languages. Wouldn't it be more interesting to see
what 3 languages people would pick if they could only work with the three they
chose? Basically, what, in your mind, are the three most essential languages?

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orangecat
It depends whether I'm considering what would best for my career, or what I
would personally prefer to work with. For the former C/Java/Javascript, for
the latter C/Python/Scala.

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angrycoder
It would be more useful if the survey asked "Which 3 languages do you wish you
could use at your day job"

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buster
I'd say to be fluent in the first 3 or 4 languages would be quite a good
repertoire.

