Honestly, I didn’t know there is a programming language called R and Julia. While I’ve worked on IT related projects, have never bumped into software/coding/development projects. Anyway, best of luck on your new endeavor.
It is difficult to find out what nonfree packages need to be installed. I took a guess with the package I suggested. There may be others needed. You need to embark on package hunt.
Hmmm, will investigate/check/try more. Thx.
The world of scientific computing is unique. R is a high level language used for statistical analysis. Have a look at r-project.org. R is not for everybody.
It you want to get into programming you need a definite project and you need to choose a suitable language. I learnt with Fortran doing my thesis. Today the best choice for starters would be C, because Linux is written in C. Get the original Kernigan and Ritchie book on C. Try and write a simple unix utility, eg the ‘cat’ command. That will get you started. Then do a project…
Regards
Neville
Ouch. One of the worst advices I have heard in the entire year. That hurts.
C is the language nobody should use anymore, at all. Literally, the only reason it is used right now, is because “experts” 25 years ago thought it was a good idea to break programs from the start by writing them in C.
We agree to differ.
To learn simple programming techniques you need a low level language.
I would even go so far as to suggest learning assembler. Not for everyday use, but understanding how the computer works is important .
Maybe I am old fashioned
Neville
If you phrase it like that, I can easily agree. Low level languages like that are good for educational purposes, mostly for understanding a computer’s internals and how it works “under the hood”. However, if a beginner wants to start with a useful language, that he can actually use in real life, C would be a very bad choice. I personally usually recommend Java, because it is a verbose language (which helps newbies to understand things), as opposed to the extremely terse C/++ languages, where sometimes even experienced programmers get confused, as the whole code culture is just broken. For example, see variable names in C programs. It’s mostly made of meaningless “x” and “y” names, which is the worst possible way to program. In Java, you are at least forced to some degree to be verbose and explain everything in detail, by coding in such a way.
That said, I would consider a language like Java low level enough for most educational purposes. Sure, students should have a look at C, to get to know how horrible such a popular language can actually be, but if they stay with Java for the most part, they can still learn how a computer works, without wasting their precious time on learning something like C.
What I am saying is also backed up by what is actually happening at universites. There are tons of Computer Science majors that teach Java as their main language.
Therefore, if you want to really understand a computer on a very deep and low level, then C is good for educational purposes, only. However, if you want to learn how a computer works, without becoming a low level expert, then Java is usually more than enough. It’s especially useful, since Java is used everywhere in the world. C is only used for maintenance projects, which are remnants of the past and didn’t yet get rewritten in Rust, due to lack of time, resources or the lack of maintainers facing reality and realising that C should stay with the 90s and not bother the modern world with broken programs.
In that regard, it’s also a bit ironic that you mention Linux being written in C, as if that were a pro argument for learning C.
A big reason, even though by far not the only one, why Linux is so broken and filled with security holes is exactly because of it being written in C. If there were a team of 1000 developers, rewriting the Linux kernel in Rust, as quickly as possible, the original Linux would be thrown in the trash faster than Torvalds could say “goodbye”.
C (and languages closely related, like C++) are the cancer of programs and its tumours are spread all around the world, in millions of prgrams.
I can accept that. I was talking about someone embarking on self education in programming. C experience is a good foundation.
What is used for real work depends on the application. I would not use Java if I wanted to solve a million simultaneous equations, but I might choose it to write an app for my phone.
The unfortunate story is Fortran. It was a brilliant innovation when first introduced, but it was left behind by advances in programming concepts, then when it tried to catch up it introduced a whole lot of poorly implemented concepts and made a mess of itself. I would not use modern Fortran.
If you think C is a bit dangerous for beginners, what would you think of Pascal as an alternative?
Neville
Mods/Admin: You may close/lock/archive this thread. My query is answered.