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TimTimTimma
July 1st, 2010, 12:55 AM
Hello all, I need your help!

I programmed in PHP for 8 years and have been taking a two year vaca from anything programming related, I want to get back into programming but with something that isn't limited to just a web server. I have been considering ruby and python.

I am not sure which way to go here, I want to be able to build client side applications but if I so please, I would like to be able to also program on the web. I know Ruby on Rails does web programming and does JDango but coming from PHP I am not sure which would be the better direction to go.

I could use some of your opinions and any syntax examples you can provide or link me to online that showcase client side programming and server side programming. Thank you in advance for your help!

~Tim

kahumba
July 1st, 2010, 01:06 AM
There's no perfect answer, so have the facts your way.
On Linux - Python is used a lot more often than Ruby so I'd go for it.
Otoh why another interpreted language, so if you wanna bite the bullet I'd suggest C or C++.

ratcheer
July 1st, 2010, 01:09 AM
Personally, I prefer Ruby, but you will find that most programmers in this forum prefer Python. I doubt that either is hands-down better than the other.

Tim

maximinus_uk
July 1st, 2010, 02:18 AM
Either are fine, although there may be more python resources.

C is useful to know if you want to more about how the computer works inside (but it will a lot harder and less fun). C++ is generally not a good programming language to learn.

kahumba
July 1st, 2010, 02:38 AM
C++ is generally not a good programming language to learn.
Tell that to the overwhelming majority of 3D game developers. Use the right tool for the right job.
Point is, please don't state half truths here and no bad bias either.

CptPicard
July 1st, 2010, 03:46 PM
Tell that to the overwhelming majority of 3D game developers. Use the right tool for the right job.
Point is, please don't state half truths here and no bad bias either.

It's the very old debate here; but 3D game programming is a rather specialized field, and the language itself is not particularly helpful in the learning process that goes on when learning to program in general. I've always believed it and still do that learning to program in some other language and then adding C++'s particulars when/as needed is a faster process than learning C++ first, especially as in other languages you get higher-level ideas that you'll eventually design with much, much faster.

kahumba
July 1st, 2010, 07:47 PM
I know it's an old debate.
If you call 3D game programming a rather specialized field one can call pretty much anything a "rather" specialized field. By defining vague exceptions the rules lose their value.
I'm myself learning 3D programming and I noticed that C++ is the de facto standard here, no matter be it for games or not. And I don't think I'm in the "specialized" field.
By that logic I'm also in another "rather specialized field" because I'm into Java desktop programming.
I learned C lately and quite frankly I don't like it, the "const" is messed up (if you know what I mean), it has no clue about inheritance so you have to keep casting all around your code with ugly upper case macros which makes the code look more bloated (just to name a few issues I have with C), bottom line - there's a lot of issues with both C and C++, sometimes one of them is better for a given task, sometimes it doesn't really matter unless you're a paranoid. That's why I'm saying use the right tool for the right job and it makes me smile when I read yet again someone saying/implying C++ is bad and C is the Saviour/better while knowing that it's a half truth because it depends on a given case and on anyone's taste.

medic2000
July 1st, 2010, 09:14 PM
Why don't they use another language than C++ in 3D game programming?

StephenF
July 2nd, 2010, 01:03 AM
Why don't they use another language than C++ in 3D game programming?
The real question is what makes C++ best suited to the task? From a technical standpoint, games are all about rendering objects with enough speed to create a playable environment.

unter
July 2nd, 2010, 05:18 AM
It's the very old debate here; but 3D game programming is a rather specialized field, and the language itself is not particularly helpful in the learning process that goes on when learning to program in general. I've always believed it and still do that learning to program in some other language and then adding C++'s particulars when/as needed is a faster process than learning C++ first, especially as in other languages you get higher-level ideas that you'll eventually design with much, much faster.

i do agree here. i find when learning c++ (and c) it all very hard and confusing. my approach for learning then is to learn the programming concepts in ruby or python and then go apply them in c++ which then is easy :D i wish one day we dont need to do things in c++ there is easier way ..