Computer science is no longer a burgeoning field in education -- it is one of the more popular. With steadily growing job markets due to increased reliance on computers and the internet, learning programming languages may one day be a secondary-school requirement like taking Spanish or French.

For those interested in staying ahead of the curve or just pursuing their interests in programming, there are lots of resources out there available for students and teachers alike. Novices need not be lost, especially because the first language is always the hardest -- after that, they come much more easily. For background information on how programming languages have evolved, and how you can use them, check out the links below to some of the top sites around.

History - Popular Programming Languages - Uses

History of Programming Languages

·           The Ada Programming Language: Built the United States Department of Defense in the late 1970s, the Ada programming language was the most extensive (and expensive) of its time. This history from the University of Michigan-Dearborn includes a bibliography and plenty of relevant links for further research. 

·           Computing History Museum: American University's Computing History Museum has an online component, naturally, which gives visitors virtual tours of the museum and teaches about the history of programming languages online. There is plenty of material explicitly made for teachers, including syllabi, lesson plans, ideas for student projects, and more.

·           HOPL: An Interactive Roster of Programming Languages: Powered by Perth, Australia's Murdoch University, the vast Encyclopedia of Computer Languages includes a comprehensive History of Programming Languages (HOPL). HOPL is interested in the "why" of the history, with great attention spent on why certain languages were developed at certain times, and what philosophical, social, and political undertones combined with the technological side to birth these languages when they did.   

·           O'Reilly Media's History of Programming Languages: Since 1978 O'Reilly Media has prided itself on educating students and programmers alike on computing technology. Their page on the history of programming languages is top-notch and includes a helpful poster on the history, perfect for projecting to a classroom. 

·           Penn State Lehigh Valley's History of Programming Languages: For a brief overview of the history of programming languages spanning centuries before electricity, check out this helpful timeline from the Lehigh Valley campus of Penn State University. Some of the entries go into great detail, particularly in the more contemporary decades covered, and also provide links so that the reader may see samples of the programs discussed.

Popular Programming Languages

·           PHP: PHP is an HTML scripting language; i.e. it's used to build websites, and for serious developers is an essential language to learn. At the PHP development team's website, beginners can get a tutorial on the language and peruse their online manual. Programmers with more experience can join the forums and check out the guts of all the new releases. 

·           Visual Basic .NET: Microsoft's Visual Basic is one of the more popular programming languages for its ease of use, and is often one of the first languages a programmer learns. Don't take that to mean its just for novices -- .NET, an update of VB that works on the Microsoft .NET framework, is widely considered a must-learn because it is highly adoptable and can lead to many programming jobs. 

·           C#: Another Microsoft offering, C# (pronounced C Sharp) is the next step in the evolution of the C and C++ languages, two of the basics for beginning programmers. For those working within in Microsoft framework, learning C# is absolutely essential.  

·           JavaScript: Not to be confused with Java, JavaScript is an object-scripting language used in literally millions of webpages today. It is lightweight and much simpler (and easier to code) than Java. Computer scientists consider it a good investment when taking classes on the language because it is rather easy to learn but is used everywhere. 

·           Perl: Like PHP, Perl is a scripting language for web servers that is very popular. A powerful tool for processing text, Perl goes for efficiency rather than aesthetic beauty. 

·           Python: Python is a bare-bones language designed to be very readable. Because it is so simple, allowing users to work quickly with lower maintenance costs, it is often used by Google.  

·           HTML: One of the most basic and easy to learn languages, some programmers would scoff at the notion of considering HTML a programming language. Regardless, it is essential as the most basic building-block of designing a web page. 

Uses

·           Video Game Design: Video games are designed generally using C++, which is the perfect language for creating dynamic 3-D objects. Programmers make increasingly complex worlds and more detailed animations with each new generation of gaming platforms.

·           Software Engineering: Software engineering, or design, can be one of the most advanced and important uses of programming language. Building the software that other platforms and applications run off of requires ingenuity, creativity, and a thorough understanding of the languages being used. It's also one of the most important applications of becoming fluent a programming language.

·           Web Page Design: If you can design an attractive and intuitive web page, you should have no problem finding steady work. With a thorough understanding of HTML and other related languages your skills will be in high demand.

·           Web Page Programming: To be in even higher demand, learn how to program a web page by learning JavaScript, PHP, and other similar languages. Web page programming consists of building dynamic, interactive pages. Learn to use Flash objects, video, streams, and other complex bells and whistles that are now the standard for quality web pages.

·           Support: Knowledge of programming languages is needed to provide technical assistance, particularly to big organizations running on complex networks. Fixing bugs, fighting off viruses, repairing broken applications, and helping non-tech savvy users requires expertise in programming languages.

Back To Top

Source: http://www.guidetocomputertraining.com/library/programming-languages-basics#ixzz1MzIsNsCU