The Semicolon Wars

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According to the article The Semicolon Wars, written by Brian Hayes, there are about between 2,500 and 8,500 programming languages. It's a Madness!
With all these programming languages, it is complex to answer the following question: Which programming language is the best?

Although I don't know more than 20 programming languages, I agree with the author when he mentions: "what's most fascinating about programming languages is how dramatically they differ." Diversity is good! The different categories of programming languages adapt to different ways of thinking and focus on solving different types of problems. All languages have their advantages, disadvantages, and limitations, there is no such thing as a silver bullet.

Something I found very interesting and reflexive, was the argument of the linguists Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf, that maybe it can not be applied in human language but in the language of computers: "what you can think is conditioned by what language you think in." I completely agree because your knowledge, skills and the way you think, can be a limitation when using a programming language or not.

The author tells us about his preferred language: the "immortal" LISP. Hayes argues the syntax is very simple and that the language is consistent and uniform. Personally, it is the first time I work with this language so the syntax seems strange and a bit confusing, but I'm sure it's just a matter of practice and study.

I appreciated the way the author finished the article, saying that each person can rank the programming languages as they consider. That a language is in the first place does not always mean it is the best, but that it is probably the best we know or suit us better.

This article was so funny, educational and entertaining, I think that this article has the potential to provoke a great variety of debates among all those who are involved with computer science.



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