Thread: The top 10 dead (or dying) computer skills

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    Still A Registered User DISGUISED's Avatar
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    The top 10 dead (or dying) computer skills

    I was reading this article earlier today linked from slashdot. C made the list.

    6. C programming

    As the Web takes over, C languages are also becoming less relevant, according to Padveen. "C++ and C Sharp are still alive and kicking, but try to find a basic C-only programmer today, and you'll likely find a guy that's unemployed and/or training for a new skill," he says.

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    Devil's Advocate SlyMaelstrom's Avatar
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    That, in my opinion, is ridiculous on quite a few levels... first off, not only are some companies still asking for software to be written in C, but even after they aren't, there will be tons of it in circulation for years to be updated and maintained. Secondly, I don't know a single C programmer that is "training for a new skill" as if to say the only thing they've ever known is C and immediately rush to learn something new once they get laid off.
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    Its hard... But im here swgh's Avatar
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    C is the mother of C# and C++, so it will never phase out. I know people who code in COBOL and Fortran. Every language has a use. Nothing is ever outdated,
    Double Helix STL

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    Woof, woof! zacs7's Avatar
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    True, even Fortran is still being maintained! New compilers and such come out every year or so...


    Can't wait for Fortran 2008!
    /sarcasm

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    Hurry Slowly vart's Avatar
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    As if the Web is only target for Commarcial Applications... lol
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    Lurking whiteflags's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by vart View Post
    As if the Web is only target for Commarcial Applications... lol
    Maybe it's not just commercial apps, but embedding programming as a whole: robots, Electric doors, clocks, car radios, and elevators, to name a few, must now really be enjoying the benefit of being programmed with Internet-ready browsers as a standard.

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    Last edited by whiteflags; 05-25-2007 at 03:02 AM.

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    Isn't PHP and a raft of other so-called web languages based on C, i.e. they lift most of the stdlib?

    Do me a favour.

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    Woof, woof! zacs7's Avatar
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    'based' yes, written in too! So I assume they'd be 'wrapping' a lot of the standard library functions.

    So take C away, kiss PHP good-bye, along with a lot of C-based web browsers. Now we just have to wait until someone tries to create an OS in PHP :\

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    Nasa's rovers (still operational) on Mars are driven (navigation) by software written in c++. I'd hardly call the c language dead.

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    Woof, woof! zacs7's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Oldman47 View Post
    Nasa's rovers (still operational) on Mars are driven (navigation) by software written in c++. I'd hardly call the c language dead.
    Actually they tend to use Python now.

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    Mayor of Awesometown Govtcheez's Avatar
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    My dad programs in dying skill #1 there. There's still room for it around.

    Also, coming from slashdot I'm a little bummed BSD's not on that list

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    Quote Originally Posted by zacs7 View Post
    Actually they tend to use Python now.
    Not according to Bjarne Stroustrup's application page (updated this year in May), and various other sources. I'm not referring to the entire project, of course, just the navigational systems aboard the rovers. No doubt, they're utilizing various languages for specific tasks.

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    Dude, my boss insists me programming in c because he said it was the most portable code that can be used by the engineers. So I don't think that c is one of the dying languages. The people that I am working with (mostly masters and PH.Ds) made a bet at which one would fall out first, C or C#. Trust me, they think C# would phase out before C does.
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    Crazy Fool Perspective's Avatar
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    It's true! C is DEAD, you're all wasting your time!

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    and the hat of int overfl Salem's Avatar
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    You don't think M$ will kill off C# just as soon as it stops making money for them?
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