Which language to learn next ?

Other that C++, I don't really know any other language in any significant depth; so I'm trying to expand my 'bubble' .
The probable candidates are ruby, python, go and D .
So, I read a few of the sorts of 'X Language in 20 minutes' tutorials lying around.

Here are my opinions about them:
ruby : nice... seems flexible.
python: I'm a little confused about its class syntax.
go: nice.. (I was put off by the fact that the compiler refuses to compile for my preferred indentation style, without running the code through a formating filter.)
D: I don't know what to think of this one .

I know that the choice of programming language depends on the task at hand.. but as there is no task to speak of here, just 'productive' time pass,
I'd want the language to be general purpose.
If any of you have experience with the mentioned languages or had had a good experience with something else, I'd like to hear your opinion on it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by manasij7479

python: I'm a little confused about its class syntax.

---

What exactly do you find confusing about that? One thing that comes to mind is the new-style and classic classes thing, but it isn't really a big deal.

Python is awesome for glue code. And if you stay away from some of the more dynamic features of the language, it's not a bad language for prototyping solutions for eventually conversion to C++.

I went through a period of template craziness several years ago, which was mostly fueled by me also doing a lot of Python at the time. Python really puts you into a functional/generic mindset and that was leaking over into my C++ work.

You didn't specifically mention it in your OP, but you could always learn assembly. It's great for understanding C mechanics more, optimization, debugging, fine control that high languages might not provide, and a lot more.

If you don't know one of the general purpose, dynamically typed, GC'd OO languages (perl, python, ruby), you should. Like brewbuck says, they are great for prototyping things (I doubt which one makes much difference) and really really useful. There are a lot of tasks that are not much sweat that way, that would take a lot more effort in a strongly typed language with no GC (which is why they are great for prototyping -- you have a working design you can convert to C++).

Also, they have libraries/modules for everything including the kitchen sink, and a central repository for the libraries (I think: perl = CPAN, python = PyPI, ruby = RubyForge), and some form of quick and simple CLI installer (like w/ linux packages) for the libraries in the repository. C/C++ does not have anything to compare to that; CPAN, eg, has more than 100,000 modules.

I have bunches of perl scripts that I would never have bothered to write in any other language I know, because it would just have taken too much time and be too irritating to maintain.

Finally, those languages are all (I presume...) 100% portable -- file ops, etc, are the same regardless of the platform.

I'd recommend Python. It seems to have more weight behind it than Ruby.

Plus, I just like that Python development is willing to make major breaking changes to the language between major versions. Python may not be perfect now, but with the mindset that breaking changes is "Okay." it actually has the potential to get really close to perfect.

D is trash; they managed to lose some of the "power" of C++ while still managing to look ugly as sin so it doesn't even offer a new set of ideas for you to play with. I'd literally suggest any real language over it. So, no Whitespace or Brain........, but Perl, Python, Ruby, C#, Cobol, Fortran, Ada, and so on.

Soma

Quite honestly if you want to expand your bubble and do not mind the Windows platform there are plenty of technologies to learn in .NET. C# .NET 4.0 added a few new features and along with that there are a host of Microsoft technologies that can be learned that integrate right into C#. The good thing about learning this is that C++ is getting a major overhaul in the new MSVS and soon all languages on the Windows platform will be playing on the same field (so to speak). If you look at the current job market you will see that nearly every 'Windows' job for C/C++ either requires or 'prefers' C# .NET experience as well. My apologies to all the Linux folks and the open sourcies for this but Microsoft technologies are still king and you can never go wrong by learning them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by VirtualAce

but Microsoft technologies are still king

---

At least, on one widely used OS ;) Beyond that, they aren't even serfs -- they're useless.

Platform specific libraries are hard to avoid, but I wouldn't learn a platform specific language unless I was dead set on getting a job that specifically required it (which most jobs are not MS jobs).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by laserlight

What exactly do you find confusing about that?

---

Nothing specific. I was initially trying to learn by analogy with C++ classes and the whole 'dynamic' nature of everything in python threw me off balance.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by brewbuck

Python is awesome for glue code. And if you stay away from some of the more dynamic features of the language, it's not a bad language for prototyping solutions for eventually conversion to C++.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MK27

If you don't know one of the general purpose, dynamically typed, GC'd OO languages (perl, python, ruby), you should. Like brewbuck says, they are great for prototyping things (I doubt which one makes much difference) and really really useful. There are a lot of tasks that are not much sweat that way, that would take a lot more effort in a strongly typed language with no GC (which is why they are great for prototyping -- you have a working design you can convert to C++).

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by phantomotap

I'd recommend Python. It seems to have more weight behind it than Ruby.
Plus, I just like that Python development is willing to make major breaking changes to the language between major versions. Python may not be perfect now, but with the mindset that breaking changes is "Okay." it actually has the potential to get really close to perfect.

---

Python sure seems to be popular!
I'll try my luck with it.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by memcpy

You didn't specifically mention it in your OP, but you could always learn assembly. It's great for understanding C mechanics more, optimization, debugging, fine control that high languages might not provide, and a lot more.

---

I've been putting it off for the future, as low level stuff still frightens me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by VirtualAce

Quite honestly if you want to expand your bubble and do not mind the Windows platform there are plenty of technologies to learn in .NET. C# .NET 4.0 added a few new features and along with that there are a host of Microsoft technologies that can be learned that integrate right into C#. The good thing about learning this is that C++ is getting a major overhaul in the new MSVS and soon all languages on the Windows platform will be playing on the same field (so to speak). If you look at the current job market you will see that nearly every 'Windows' job for C/C++ either requires or 'prefers' C# .NET experience as well. My apologies to all the Linux folks and the open sourcies for this but Microsoft technologies are still king and you can never go wrong by learning them.

---

But, I'll not be looking for a serious job for at least 7 more years. Who knows what can change in that time !

You kids do not know what you are missing out on by skipping the perl. I blame it on GNU and the strongly phallic name.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MK27

You kids do not know what you are missing out on by skipping the perl. I blame it on GNU and the strongly phallic name.

---

Phallic huh? Well that just plants ideas doesn't it...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by manasij7479

I've been putting it off for the future, as low level stuff still frightens me.

---

To each their own. I work best at the low level.

Quote:

---

...but I wouldn't learn a platform specific language

---

I'm not so sure I would write C# off as a platform specific language.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MK27

You kids do not know what you are missing out on by skipping the perl.

---

I would tell you not to throw perl before swine, but then I don't want to become bacon!

yeh python