Which programming language should I learn?

[sasguru]

This thread got me all nostalgic and I pulled out my well-thumbed, falling-to-bits, heavily-scribbled-in, 14-year-old copy of Kernighan and Ritchie.
The best written book about a computer language, ever. If you read that and did all the exercises (which I remember as being challenging) you were pretty much set up as a decent C programmer.
Shame most current authors (or is it their publishers) insist on dry, turgid 1000 page tomes instead of concise, elegant explanations with lots of problems.

[minestrone]

I picked a copy of Design Patterns out last night, do they still force gaduate trainees to read it?

[eek]

This thread got me all nostalgic and I pulled out my well-thumbed, falling-to-bits, heavily-scribbled-in, 14-year-old copy of Kernighan and Ritchie.
The best written book about a computer language, ever. If you read that and did all the exercises (which I remember as being challenging) you were pretty much set up as a decent C programmer.
Shame most current authors (or is it their publishers) insist on dry, turgid 1000 page tomes instead of concise, elegant explanations with lots of problems.

When I wrote a book (many many moons ago) the payment was per word. Its very hard to write well concisely, its very easy (and more profitable) to write verbosely.

[OwlHoot]

When I wrote a book (many many moons ago) the payment was per word. Its very hard to write well concisely, its very easy (and more profitable) to write verbosely.

WHS, and what's more most Yanks won't buy a textbook unless they can barely lift it. Otherwise they don't think they're getting their money's worth!

[d000hg]

Have you ever written Linux device drivers? Is this yours cos I'd stay away from these if I were you.

I thought Linux was so amazing even a bad driver couldn't make it wobble

I picked a copy of Design Patterns out last night, do they still force gaduate trainees to read it?

Do you mean the Gang of Four one?

[minestrone]

Do you mean the Gang of Four one?

The very one.

Back in the day mumbling a few words from that book was enough to get you a gig.

[doodab]

This thread got me all nostalgic and I pulled out my well-thumbed, falling-to-bits, heavily-scribbled-in, 14-year-old copy of Kernighan and Ritchie.
The best written book about a computer language, ever. If you read that and did all the exercises (which I remember as being challenging) you were pretty much set up as a decent C programmer.
Shame most current authors (or is it their publishers) insist on dry, turgid 1000 page tomes instead of concise, elegant explanations with lots of problems.

Funny you should mention that, I was reading my second edition in bed last night. I learnt my C from the first edition when I was young. The exercises are challenging but most importantly they ramp up so they push you a little bit at a time.

There are some good modern books out there. I think a lack of screenshots and the latest bulltulip bingo buzzwords is usually a good sign.

[d000hg]

For C++, I've an old, dull-looking copy of Stroustrup. Moock is very good on AS3 - clear and sensible like a textbook, not a how-to guide.

[Churchill]

And not a single mention of Knuth...

For shame.

[sasguru]

Funny you should mention that, I was reading my second edition in bed last night. I learnt my C from the first edition when I was young. The exercises are challenging but most importantly they ramp up so they push you a little bit at a time.

There are some good modern books out there. I think a lack of screenshots and the latest bulltulip bingo buzzwords is usually a good sign.

Couldn't find any for Python v3. Using Mark Summerfield's book, but it's much longer and more verbose than K&R, which it shouldn't be since Python is not that "large"