[larrinski]

I recently found a local community college that is offering an intro course on perl, and I thought I might try it out. Now, the various languages are not too obvious to me, as to which are more specific to Windows and Apple/Unix/Linux. I know I have perl installed, so it must be more mac specific, but which ones should I focus on if i get more interested in programming? Can someone let me know what "cross platform" languages are and can they really be used on both sides. I really don't want to ever buy another windows machine if i dont have to...

[SirCastor]

C is popular, it's everywhere. It's offshoots are C++, which is immensly popular, and on the OS side of things:
C# for windows
and Object C for macs.

Java is the most portable, but it's starting to show it's age according to many. It's benefit is "Write once, run anywhere" via the virtual machine. So your program will run anywhere, any platform, and architecture. That's the theory anyway.
Python is pretty popular too.

You can find the more popular languages have compilers on any platform. The trick to languages is that you eventually have to depend on certain libraries and resources that the OS provides for your program. So porting your software to another language is a little more involved than just recompiling it.

That's my run down. My recommendation, if you have no prior programming experience, is to learn PHP a bit. I think it's a good springboard into programming. Give you some conceptual stuff to start with.

** This list not definitive in any way.

[Gavin]

I second the php idea.

Basically php is a scripting language that runs on web servers to produce web pages. It is similar to c in syntax. The basic concepts are identical to any language you will learn.

There are two main types of languages, interpreted and compiled.

Interpreted languages are processed on the fly while the computer is running them. They are slow but easier to work with as a programmer and are generally used for short simple programs called scripts. PERL, php, asp, applescript, ruby, visual basic, are interpreted languages. Scripts do things like deliver a web page, back up files, produce a report, etc. visual basic (pc) and applescript (mac) can be used to make GUI applications.

Compiled languages are pre-processed to a form that can be run directly on the CPU. They run much faster and let you have access to low level stuff on the computer like memory. Applications like Photoshop and Word are written in compiled languages. Examples are: c, c++, Objective C, c#, pascal, fortran, etc.

java falls in between.

You can't go wrong with c. Just about everything you are using right now is written in c, at least partially. It's syntax is used by C++, java, c#, Objective C, etc. all of which kind of expand on it with their own object oriented stuff. C++ and Objective C are really just c with extra goodies.

PERL is standard on all UNIX systems including OS X. You can get it to run on windows too.

visual basic and c# are windows only.

c, c++, and java are used on all platforms.

Objective C is generally Mac only with some Linux uses.

The basic stuff you learn in ANY language will apply to all of them. So what you learn first doesn't matter really - it depends on what you have better access to on your machine.

For me actually making something happen using php (text editor, web server) is simpler than with PERL (text editor, terminal) which is easier to get started with than c (xCode). BUT, there are probably better beginner tutorials for xCode.

Object oriented stuff like C++ and java can be harder to wrap your head around, but some people actually do best by diving right in.

Have fun

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by larrinski

I know I have perl installed, so it must be more mac specific, but which ones should I focus on if i get more interested in programming? Can someone let me know what "cross platform" languages are and can they really be used on both sides. I really don't want to ever buy another windows machine if i dont have to...

Most languages are fairly cross-platform. Objective-C isn't used much outside the Mac, and C# and all of Microsoft's other bastard spawn aren't used much outside Windows, but otherwise, all the main languages are cross-platform. C, C++, Java, Python, Perl, Ruby — all of them supported on pretty much every platform out there, and are included with OS X if you have the devtools installed.

Keep in mind, though, that cross-platform is not necessarily the same as write once, run anywhere. Even in Java, where that was a main goal, platform differences can cause problems.

[Alcoholica]

I say go with the PHP idea as well. You learn C syntax, can learn OOP concepts if you'd like, and also acquire the knowledge of a really useful language.