What's the gain on learning multiple languages?

[fringie]

Different languages have different strengths and weaknesses. Some can do things others can't. Many languages can do most of the same thing so there's an element of preference as-well.

[homeofmew]

VB is more Dead than VB.Net, but I have not seen it used in the workplace for years now.
But they apparently still release stuff. 

[Dat Guy]

A workplace is not a relevant structure to judge programming languages' deathness.

[Franck]

17 minutes ago, homeofmew said:

VB is more Dead than VB.Net, but I have not seen it used in the workplace for years now.
But they apparently still release stuff. 

In the sales business world at least 50% of dll i get my hands on are VB6 the rest is a mix of C++ and Delphi but mostly Delphi. Most "program" as they call it are even Excel files with VBA code in it. I have a client app right now with 324 third party dll, 2 are C++ the rest are all VB6 but with a larger overview over my career that has not been the average. And i am not talking of small companies, I am talking of large know business like Trane, Dupond, Hubbell, Sporlan, Carrel. etc.

[straight_stewie]

22 hours ago, homeofmew said:

Web based Languages like CSS/HTML only can be used when Developing websites,

This is not true. About 49% of formatted document generation APIs use XML, 49% use HTML, and the other 2% use a proprietary scheme. (alright. I pulled those numbers right out of my... butt in my experience the vast majority of document generation APIs rely on either XML or HTML)

Additionally, in-vogue GUI frameworks are starting to use HTML+CSS to build the GUI on a desktop application.

[homeofmew]

7 hours ago, straight_stewie said:

This is not true. About 49% of formatted document generation APIs use XML, 49% use HTML, and the other 2% use a proprietary scheme. (alright. I pulled those numbers right out of my... butt in my experience the vast majority of document generation APIs rely on either XML or HTML)

Additionally, in-vogue GUI frameworks are starting to use HTML+CSS to build the GUI on a desktop application.

There is no way it's 49%

[Dat Guy]

7 hours ago, straight_stewie said:

Additionally, in-vogue GUI frameworks are starting to use HTML+CSS to build the GUI on a desktop application.

I was really hoping that Electron would quickly fall out of fashion again. It is a huge security risk.

[straight_stewie]

2 hours ago, Dat Guy said:

I was really hoping that Electron would quickly fall out of fashion

IMO HTML+CSS is the right direction to go in, but not necessarily the best solution for platform-agnostic desktop GUIs anyway.

 

The idea of separating markup, data, and code is the right one. But desktop applications are different than web applications. XAML+C# is a pretty good combination for desktop applications, although admittedly not perfect.

There's another reason to learn multiple languages: Separating application domains allows you to use different tools that make you more expressive and more productive. It additionally allows your output to be more maintainable.

In a spoiler because I drifted off topic. Just a rant on platform-agnostic computing:

Spoiler

I wonder when we will actually get the ability to write truly platform agnostic applications. There's a few large companies that would already have the capability if they'd stop beating around the bush and just let the licenses go.

 

But asking for three different OS distributors, two different graphics card manufacturers, and one software developer to actually do their job is apparently too much to ask.

I don't know how to tell them this, but they'd all make more money if they would just agree on a single family of graphics APIs. I figure that if Microsoft made DirectX12 freely implementable, or agreed to a perpetual license with the Linux Foundation and Apple, and NVidia made NVlink freely implementable, then the current state of personal computing performance would be advanced about a decade in one shot and Microsoft and NVidia would be in on the ground floor.

I can't recall learning about a single time where proprietary computing actually worked out for the license holders in the long run. So far Microsoft is the longest lasting, but that won't last much past the end of this decade if they can't pull off their usual Embrace, Extend, Extinguish business model with Linux. Thus, the move back to mobile devices and pushing Azure.

 

[Dat Guy]

HTML and CSS are horrible directions for the desktop in my opinion. The relevant word is “native” here. An application that does not feel native will make more users unhappy than you think.

 

Also, do you remember Microsoft’s Active Desktop?

[straight_stewie]

5 hours ago, Dat Guy said:

HTML and CSS are horrible directions for the desktop in my opinion. The relevant word is “native” here. An application that does not feel native will make more users unhappy than you think.

I just meant the idea of separating presentation from code was the right direction to head in. I thought I specifically said that HTML+CSS was not the best solution, just the right direction. I guess I could have been clearer about that.

 

6 hours ago, Dat Guy said:

Also, do you remember Microsoft’s Active Desktop?

No.

[Dat Guy]

It came with Windows 98 (resp. the Internet Explorer 4). It allowed to use HTML as your desktop (widget). It was horrible.