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From: covell@I_should_put_my_domain_in_etc_NNTP_INEWS_DOMAIN (Timothy W. Covell)
Subject: Re: most popular language?
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Date: Fri, 17 Jan 1997 01:32:52 GMT
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	May I add a bit of sarcastic humor to the discussion??
Why are some many of the OO posters so bad at separating their text
into those old fashioned objects called paragraphs??? ;-)
	Anyhow, I'm a recent grad with a Masters in Physics. I know Fortran,
ksh, Perl, etc.  I've just started to learn Java and find it very interesting.
I think that it offers the scientist a lot of potential over fortran and
C.  I also find that my early programs are going through iterations of
development: mostly static, one class; partly static, several classes; etc. 
	As for why Java is a great language for scientists, permit me to
give you my ideas.  One key to Fortran/FORTRAN is that it's simpler than
C/C++.  Scientist want accurate code; they do NOT want to bother with all
of the pointer and memory allocation problems.  Scientists also want to
reuse old code...so what better way is there than java?  One can write
one fit routine and VERY easily use it in other programs AND other 
architectures.  
	One the downside of Java for scientist is the most obvious: SPEED.
Many calculations take weeks worth of Cray time.  The claim is often
made that C is the fastest language.  However, I've seen that Fortran with
a good compiler can be just as fast if not faster for some applications,
especially with the C++ overhead.  Perhaps JIT will aid this somewhat?
	As for which language to learn?  I see a lot of adds for C/C++ 
programmers here in Rochester, NY (Xerox's and Kodak's home town).
I also see a number of HTML/Java jobs.  Unfortunately, the job market here
in Rochester has moved to the short-sited outsourcing/contract mode.  
	Having worked as a contract at Xerox, I can say that most in 
management are morons.  It's the contracts nowadays who do the most work.  
Also, the downsizing has eliminated a lot of the older folks who had 
developed a large core of knowledge of Xerox and it's products.  So, my
moral is that no matter how which language you choose, you'll still have
to deal with the passing whims of managers who think in terms of minutes
instead of weeks or even, years!   Good luck.  Personnally, I'd rather
work at Pizza Hut than at Xerox (my managers were better at the Hut) 
:-) 
(Xerox was founded by a physicist BTW.)
	

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