Learning different languages

[Magnus Lycka]

Rich wrote:
> Anyway, my question is: what experience you people have with working
> with different languages at the same time?

I typically use Python, C++ and SQL. When there's been
lots of Python and little C++, I tend to forget to
terminate C++ statements with semicolon... Otherwise
I seem to keep them apart.

In general, I think Python made me a better C++
programmer. You certainly can't apply all Python ideas
in C++ or vice versa. The languages have different
strengths and weaknesses, and an idiom which is good
in one language might be bad in the other. Still, it
was with Python I learned OOP properly, and since
Python doesn't get in the way as much, using Python
has made it easier to develop as a systems designer
and architect.

SQL is certainly different enough from the other to
prevent any confusion.

Concerning more similar languages, such as Python, PHP
and Perl, I don't really see the point of mastering
several languages that are so similar.

To be honest, learning Python made me never want to touch
Perl again, and learning PHP felt very much like going
backwards, so I didn't get beyond a very superficial
understanding. I feel so much more productive with Python,
and it can handle all the things PHP or Perl handles well
enough. There are certainly cases were PHP would be more
convenient, and a big existing base of Perl code, but I've
managed to get by well with Python anyway.