Not sure this adds much, but just to +1 the "Every programmer their
language; every language their programmer." line from Becky...

I also teach web architectures as an associate lecturer in sheffield, and
one of the first things I tell students is that no matter what the features
of the problem space, or their own preference, local practice is always the
top trump. Students are warned that trying to "Convert" a
person/organisation is a massive deal and something only to be undertaken
with exceptionally good reasons (And with a gentle plan for culture change
rather than a technical one). Because of that, students go out into the
world having at least had a taste of .net, php and java, and with an
expectation that they will turn their hand to whatever is needed. Of course
each has their own style, preference and favourites, and they are often
given free reign. I do hope its the case though that at least amongst
professional software engineers, the days of "My fave language is better
than your fave language" are long gone. The best coders I know are the ones
always trying to learn something new, even if they only apply that back to
their existing work.

Like most things, it's the person not the language that make the real
difference. From the point of view of the book, I really hope it features
people who are enthusiastic in each of their areas. Rather than trying to
create a methodology for selecting one language to rule them all given a
particular problem (As if such a thing could exist in a really meaningful
way) the approach of showcasing great case studies seems the right way to
go to me. Letting people pick-and-choose the things that suit personal
style and environmental constraints without making too many value
judgements - as seems to be the general idea - is the way to go.

Looking forward to seeing the book!

e


Ian Ibbotson
Director
Knowledge Integration Ltd
35 Paradise Street, Sheffield. S3 8PZ
T: 0114 273 8271
M: 07968 794 630
W: http://www.k-int.com


On 26 March 2014 12:04, Riley Childs <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I agree, I use VBS (Visual Basic Script) for most automation, including
> logon scripting. If you have even one Windows PC, it is worth it.
>
> Riley Childs
> Student
> Asst. Head of IT Services
> Charlotte United Christian Academy
> (704) 497-2086
> RileyChilds.net
> Sent from my Windows Phone, please excuse mistakes
> ________________________________
> From: Becky Yoose<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: 3/26/2014 7:49 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: [CODE4LIB] CFP: A Librarian's Introduction to Programming
> Languages
>
> >
> >
> > I don't believe that Basic has much of a presence in library development
> > outside of Microsoft application scripting. Of course, there are likely
> > quite a few 10 year old VB apps out there.
> >
> >
> Considering that OCLC Macro Language is very similar to VB, as well as many
> Windows OS based automation languages, a intro to VB would be very welcome
> for those of us of a Technical Services persuasion.
>
> Every programmer their language; every language their programmer.
>
> Cheers,
> Becky
>