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What about the Scheme language?

2DExtremeOwner · 2005-09-02T10:58:23

Is it good?What kinds of programs can you do with it?Do any of you guys use it?Do u recomende it? Thanx

For Beginners

Started by 2DExtremeOwner August 29, 2005 10:03 PM

29 comments, last by Spoonbender 18 years, 8 months ago

Roboguy

794

August 30, 2005 01:34 AM

Quote:Original post by Anonymous Poster
Quote:Original post by Name_Unknown
Yes I recommend learning it.

It is an algorithmic language.

It is dynamic.

It is deceptively simple on the surface and extremely rich underneath.

It is a completely different way of programming than what you are most likely to be used to.

There are many implementations.

The only downside to scheme is, while there is a standard, most scheme implementations do things somewhat differently. I suggest get PLT scheme and learn that first.

It is a timeless language, while other languages come and go, Scheme will always remain because it is based on a mathematical model of computing and not on the latest hardware trends.

It is not a very good language for system/real-time stuff (it could be ... ) mostly because there are no commercial Scheme machines available (but there are Scheme machines designed at MIT).

Go forth and learn Scheme my friend.

"while other languages come and go" ?????

Such as ???

And dont list a bunch of assembly languages or languages that were little more than someones Masters project.

Many language are eventually outdated (with the possible exception of languages that can be extended fairly easily, like Lisp dialects). See COBOL, PL/I, ALGOL, etc.

http://www.roboguy.net(WIP) - lisperati - SICP - Haskell - Python - OCaml - Lambda the Ultimate - Good Math, Bad Math - Wiki (not Wikipedia) - Pure - Term-Rewriting Functional Language

2DExtremeOwner

142

Author

August 30, 2005 09:48 AM

ok scheme looks like a nice choice but look at my situation:

Im currently learning BYOND (to test ideas and learn more about what it takes to work on games in general,im getting a bit better on the coding of it as well.
And i have Beginning C++ Game Programming by Michael Dawson which is i nice read but i dont feel prepared to get into C++.

So basicly i hear that learning (simpler) languages help prepare for bigger languages like C++ so will Scheme help me on this?
How long would it take someone to learn the basics of scheme, alone and giving it atleast 2 hours a day for 6 days a week?
Same Q but for more advanced parts of scheme programming?

Thanx for any and all help that you give!

CoffeeMug

852

August 30, 2005 10:04 AM

Quote:Original post by Anonymous Poster
"while other languages come and go" ?????

Such as ???

Fortran, COBOL, RPG/AS400, C, Ada, Smalltalk...

defmacro.org

CoffeeMug

852

August 30, 2005 10:10 AM

Quote:Original post by 2DExtremeOwner
So basicly i hear that learning (simpler) languages help prepare for bigger languages like C++ so will Scheme help me on this?

Scheme is not a simpler language. It is different. It does not give you full low level control. Instead it gives you high level abstractions you can use to build your software. Most of these abstractions do not exist in C++. If you learn Scheme you will feel suffocated every time you have to use C++ because it's missing high level abstractions you're used to.

Quote:Original post by 2DExtremeOwner
How long would it take someone to learn the basics of scheme, alone and giving it atleast 2 hours a day for 6 days a week?

It shouldn't take *too* learn to learn the basics. Depending on your previous programming experience, your aptitude, and your dedication you should be able to write basic programs within a month or two.

It will probably take years for you to understand and fully appreciate advanced scheme concepts. You'll likely need to venture off to imperative land (C++, Java) and then come back to Scheme in order to fully understand all implications of its features.

defmacro.org

Simian Man

1,024

August 30, 2005 10:40 AM

Quote:Original post by CoffeeMug
Quote:Original post by Anonymous Poster
"while other languages come and go" ?????

Such as ???

Fortran, COBOL, RPG/AS400, C, Ada, Smalltalk...

C is not gone!

CoffeeMug

852

August 30, 2005 10:42 AM

Quote:Original post by Simian Man
C is not gone!

Sure it isn't [smile]

defmacro.org

Simian Man

1,024

August 30, 2005 10:58 AM

According to this:

1: Java
2: C
3: C++
4: Perl
5: PHP
6: Visual Basic
7: C#
8: Python
9: &#106avascript
10: Delphi
11: SAS
12: COBOL
13: PL/SQL
14: Lisp
15: VB.net
16: Fortran
17: IDL
18: Ada
19: Pascal
20: ABAP

Number 2 hardly counts as dead (some of your other "dead" laguages are on here too)
Just because a language isn't "cutting edge" doesn't mean it is not still used and good to know.

CoffeeMug

852

August 30, 2005 11:15 AM

That list is idiotic. They rate languages based on the pool of skills and job requirements they find online. Clearly every other job description has C as one of its requirements because it's a good way to test basic programming knowledge. It does not mean actual projects are written in C.

The language is "dead" if barely any new projects are started using it. COBOL and Ada are certainly dead. Fortran will be dead when post World War II engineers finally retire. C isn't being used on any new user level applications any more. Even drivers and OS code is slowly being transitioned to C++. Really, let go of the past. It is over.

defmacro.org

TDragon

679

August 30, 2005 11:20 AM

*Ahem*.

For those that can't be bothered to dig it up -- the Gnome base system is coded in C and C alone. :D

{[JohnE, Chief Architect and Senior Programmer, Twilight Dragon Media{[+++{GCC/MinGW}+++{Code::Blocks IDE}+++{wxWidgets Cross-Platform Native UI Framework}+++

intransigent-seal

881

August 30, 2005 04:45 PM

Quote:Original post by TDragon
For those that can't be bothered to dig it up -- the Gnome base system is coded in C and C alone. :D

As is the entire linux kernel, as far as I know (well, ignoring GCC specific extensions)

Edit: See: The Wikipedia entry

John B

The best thing about the internet is the way people with no experience or qualifications can pretend to be completely superior to other people who have no experience or qualifications.

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