Programming languages

legolas

Hey guys. I am loving this and I want to get more involved. What programming languages do you suggest? I have been doing linux for 2 years, and am loving it too! I know my way around the prompt pretty well, and I have written some simple scipts for backup and whatnot with the shell.
1. I want to do some more heavy duty things like make vanilla extensions,
2. manage my Mysql database,
3. and know more programming for just system administration.
I already see that PHP and Mysql are biggies, so I just ordered a couple books for them. I don't want to get into a big Perl v.s. Python debate - enough of that on the internet, but now I see that PHP CLI can do scripting stuff too, so should I just dive into PHP or what? I know just a tiny bit of HTML, but, is that enough to start learning PHP?
I am open to any thoughts here so please, with my background and interests, what languages would you suggest?
Thanks

Fyorl

Vanilla extensions are written using PHP 4. HTML is not a prerequisite but it would be handy if you want to create any sort of user interface for your extensions. I wouldn't worry too much though as HTML is trivially easy to pick-up. Managing a MySQL database will probably only require PHPMyAdmin (which comes with XAMPP if you want to test your extensions on your own server). Also, you only need to know some basic SQL commands to do any database-driven stuff with PHP. Perl and Python are a bit irrelevant since they're not used with Vanilla. I personally use the PHP CLI for all my home-scripting needs because I can't be bothered to learn Bash well enough. I should really use Python as it's faster than the PHP CLI but I don't use it enough to learn it properly.

Max_B

Don't forget to add JavaScript (and the DOM[s]), up to your list. It's a very valuable language, often under-evaluated.
…and you'll need it hard if you want to do anything serious on today's web.

Fyorl

Just a warning about Javascript. It is a bitch if you've just come from learning/using PHP. Mainly because it insists on multi-threading absolutely everything without you explicitly telling it to. Also, by default it will pass variables by reference at every opportunity that it gets which can create some major headaches. In PHP, there is no multi-threading support (although, when running, PHP does actually spawn multiple processes) and by default almost everything is passed by value (with the exception of objects as of PHP 5).

legolas

Ok, I just bought some PHP books on the internet, and am reading some tutorials right now. My sister does Java, so when I move back to my hometown, which will be in a couple of months, I will have her to question non-stop.
I want to learn Python, it just sounds like there is a lot you can do with it.
Thanks guys.

Fyorl

I hate Java. It killed my inner child.

legolas

Why is that? I hear a lot of people say they don't like it, and then others say it is a good language?

WallPhone

Same reason some people swear by their brand of car and others say its junk.

There are a lot of people who say PHP is junk, because it lacks consistency, some features, and is generally rough around the edges. But I usually enjoy coding in it.

I don't like Java because you need what seems to be sixteen braces and parentheses to just do a hello world. I also generally dislike the naming conventions coming from a Microsoft development background.

Python is next on my list of languages to learn. No braces.

Fyorl

Yeah, the reason I dislike Java is down to taste really. It's mainly for the same reasons as WallPhone - simple things seem to take far more work than they should. I also dislike the syntax, much the same as with Javascript however I don't have much choice in that respect. Python's just great to work with. Clean, clear syntax (also nicely forcing programmers to use indentation) and doing what you want with it is really straightforward.