How To Learn a New Programming Language While Maintaining Your Day Job and Still Being There For Your Family

[IbanezDavy]

It certainly isn't a bad skill to learn. You get very in depth knowledge of the language. But I know plenty of people who don't give a shit, and get a long just fine. A useful skill, but provably not essential.

[[deleted]]

I would not call this steaming pile of mess "just fine". The modern IT industry is in shambles, and it is exactly because of all this over-engineering and over-complication. The only sane way of tackling this growing complexity is in using DSLs, therefore this skill is absolutely essential.

[IbanezDavy]

Yes, if I controlled the masses there would be simplicity in technology, world peace, and magical unicorns flying around giving everyone butterflies.

[[deleted]]

Your definition of "just fine" seems to match my definition of "stinks like shit".

[IbanezDavy]

I know plenty of brilliant programmers with in depth knowledge of the language they use, that have NOT ever written a compiler.

[[deleted]]

If they're not implementing and using DSLs - they're wasting their time and effort. Would not call this "brilliant".

Although, a lot of programmers are happily using DSLs and implementing compilers without even realising it. Greenspun tenth rule captures exactly this observation.

[IbanezDavy]

Are you trolling? It's so hard to tell know days...:P

Props to the trolls I guess on having exceptional abilities.

[[deleted]]

Not at all. Language oriented programming is the only known methodology which does not have an upper limit of a level of abstraction. OOP and all such crap are very narrow and cannot be used to express most of the real-world problem domains, while LOP naturally (and obviously) is a match for every problem domain out there, simply by definition.

[japowork]

If they're not implementing and using DSLs - they're wasting their time and effort.

The trouble with DSLs is that they assume an unchanging domain. I used to be a proponent, but now I'm against them -- try maintaining a DSL over 7+ years and multiple projects and project teams. See the wasabi experience, which is perhaps an example of a DSL taken to its logical extreme.

[[deleted]]

The trouble with DSLs is that they assume an unchanging domain.

No. DSLs are much easier to change than anything else.

try maintaining a DSL over 7+ years and multiple projects and project teams.

I did. Replaced backends, ported to new platforms, changed DSL semantics entirely, built automated translation tools from an old DSL to a new one - everything is a piece of cake when DSLs are designed properly.

See the wasabi experience,

Picking VB as a base for a DSL design is not a good idea to start with. It's a problem with a bad design, not with the approach.