[ale] [OT] Rev Bayes and the best programming language

[Tim Watts]

Best programming language?  Java.  It's YUGE and very classy.  The best!


On Sat, 2016-05-07 at 11:20 -0400, Leam Hall wrote:
> I just read a chapter (1) on Bayes and decision making. Wanted to try it 
> out on a conundrum I've been wrangling for some long period of time: 
> "What's the best programming language for me?" Posting here for feedback 
> and critique, many of you are smarter than I.
> 
> Not evaluating any language on pure technical merit, but on personal 
> measures. Starting with X measures, and assigning them percentages in 
> blocks of 25. So a value can be 0, 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100%, and a maximum 
> total of 100% * measures with an average of total/measures. Using large 
> blocks helps prevent analysis paralysis.
> 
> The current measures are:
> 
>    Is it suitable to the sort of things I want to do?
>      For example, Assembler isn't as suited for interactive web pages.
>      Possible, but not suited.
>      Assumes I know what I want to do.
> 
>    How quickly can I produce something?
>      Assumes I have put 20+ serious hours into learning it. (2)
>      Produce output; web pages, computation, whatever.
> 
>    Do I enjoy that language?
>      If you enjoy it you're more likely to do it, which is how
>      you get better at it.
>      Enjoyment also helps overall life outlook.
> 
>    Does it help me achieve my goals?
>      Whatever your goals are, does this contribute to achieving them?
>      Assumes I have concrete goals.
> 
> 
> So, let's play with some options. C, Ruby, Perl, Shell.
> 
> Most of what I want to do involves text wrangling; straight text, some 
> XML, and the occasional database query. Almost all of it is for human 
> consumption either primarily or secondarily. Scores for this might be:
> 
> 	C	 25	(A lot more effort than scripting)
> 	Ruby	100
> 	Perl	100
> 	Shell	 50	(Harder to do XML and SQL)
> 
> Looking at what I want to do, how quickly can I produce something? In my 
> case the base test is "run a program that produces a valid character for 
> the Traveller RPG".
> 
> 	C	 25	(My C is weak, even after months)
> 	Ruby	100	(Already have base code)
> 	Perl	 25	(I have forgotten most of my PERL)
> 	Shell	 50	(There's a SQLite call I don't know)
> 
> Now a very subjective test; how much do I really enjoy coding in that 
> language? To me this might even have a heavier weight than many 
> measures. However, since we're only using a few, and since they are all 
> pretty significant, it stays equal.
> 
> 	C	 25
> 	Ruby	 75
> 	Perl	  0	(I actually got nauseous the last time I tried)
> 	Shell	 50	Boring.
> 
> Lastly, does it help me achieve my goal(s)? My real goal is to stay 
> gainfully employed until I croak. Retirement is for people who forget 
> they won't be able to do what they can do now, then. I enjoy my work and 
> want to keep doing it.
> 
> 	C	 75
> 	Ruby	 75
> 	Perl	 75
> 	Shell	100
> 
> 
> Assuming my pen and paper calculations are correct (3), that gives a 
> probably if "best" as:
> 
> 	C	 37.5
> 	Ruby	 87.5
> 	Perl	 50.0
> 	Shell	 62.5
> 
> Other languages have their merit; Python and Go quickly come to mind. 
> PHP is big as well. You would likely choose different measures and 
> different languages.
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> Leam
> 
> 	
> 1. Duhigg, Charles "Smarter, Faster, Better" (2016). Chapter 6 "Decision 
> Making"
> 
> 2. Kaufman, Josh "The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything...Fast" (2014)
> 
> 3. Added on paper and then irb to get the average.  :)
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