to program in yes C# is superior imo. but java is java ... its everywhere.

edit: if you are trying to decide between the two just write a few basic programs in each and if one is better for you than the other then so be it.

I agree with Ryan. Since Java came first, C# could take some lessons learned right out of the gate. Also, C# has been more consitently updated, adding a number of nice features. I haven't gotten around to using Java7 yet, but it looked like there was some good stuff in there.

I'm one of the outliers here, but I don't think Java sucks.

Source?

I can sort of understand saying it is hard to think in functional paradigms if you are only familiar with imperative programming, but I don't think that there is any logical reason to believe that functional programming is easy.

Dumb question:

My buddy has a ton of PDFs full of data tables that he wants to be able to import into a db. He tried a few pdf -> text and pdf -> excel conversion programs, but they all screw up the formatting in ways that seem pretty unrecoverable--the order of the text is all wrong. But, if I just literally open the PDF and just copy the text, I get something that's formatted pretty well. There's way too many PDFs to do this manually. Is there any nice way to automate that process?

Regarding the negativity towards C++

If you are doing game programming, systems (i.e. OS) development or writing algos in finance, you definitely need C++.

If it's programming as a hobby, then yeah it's fine to stay away and all the suggestions of python, ruby, java are fine.

C++ is the language of the gods

sounds like a perfect job for AHK

. That sucks cause I don't know AHK and def don't have time to figure it out for this.

lol


do we have a good thread for programming comic strips?

This is one of my favs thus far:

Definitely time to start one

this is mine

why would you need C++ to write algorithms in finance?

speed of execution.

fwiw I'm talking about algorithmic trading

It turns out that XPDF has this awesome -layout flag that attempts to preserve the original layout of the text. It was absolutely perfect for me.

Excellent post, thanks a million.

I was also shocked to see BASIC in the course description. I'm hoping they just haven't updated the description or something. I feel like learning that would be a waste of time. I never see BASIC listed on job postings.

Seeing people say learning C++ is masochistic doesn't bode well lol. I've decided to just focus on Python for now instead of taking the Java or C++ class as well. Don't want to put too much on my plate. I was considering finance though so I would have to learn C++ at some point I suppose.

Not everything you learn in school is going to be directly listed in job listings. Some ideas apply to all languages and using a simple language to learn them isn't the worst idea.

<nitmode>

Microsoft didn't really lose money this quarter....the quarterly 'loss' was due to an accounting write down, basically them finally choosing to recognize the fact they made a mistake with a $6b acquisition they did FIVE years ago, which has clearly been worthless for a while if they are now choosing to write it down.

So they CHOSE to finally recognize for accounting purposes a $6.2 billion negative, leaving them with a $492m loss for the quarter. If you ignore this write down and other one-time charges, they REALLY made almost $7b for the quarter in 'real' business terms.

Just worth pointing out in case anyone didn't know the details for the news. Microsoft is still an insanely profitable company every single quarter. But, everyone loves to report the headline that 'zomg microsoft lost money for the first time!!'

</nitmode>



Also, a huge +1 to learning Python, Ruby, or ASP.Net/C# over either BASIC or C/C++.

Basic ftw. Probably the first program my dad ever showed me how to write on a C64

blew my little mind seeing my name scroll down the screen!

you play(ed) online poker you had to have used AHK or something similar i thought everyone did. on top of that you program and dont use AHK? you can learn ahk in 15min as a noob. you can write scripts that activate hotkeys only when your compiler window is active, etc, its tits. things like..... (for me) i write public void foo() press ctrl+J and it auto puts the brackets in the right places and leaves the cursor in the empty line ready to go .... thats priceless.

edit: another one of my favs is selecting a block of code/text and pressing a hotkey that cuts, types a /* */ and pastes it in the middle of it. at the same time i dont understand why /* */'s wont obey the laws scope and how one little */ can block twenty /*'s

there's definitely a price paid in speed for the convenience of java. I started programming in C++ and I still love it especially for the speed but what really gets on my nerves is having to declare and define. In c# (vs2010 at least) ctrl w + o is insta definition --> declaration by collapsing everything into little boxes ( boxes that for some reason get completely erased with one mis-touch of the backspace button >.< )

Does anyone know of any free VPS hosting services that aren't a scam?

I doubt it. Hosting potentially (deliberately or accidentally) hostile virtual machines for free sounds... unprofitable.

I remember there being a phase where multiple hosting providers offered them for free in the not too distant past, probably to promote other services they offer that aren't free.

I Googled a bit today and noticed that most of them now require you to jump through 5,000 hoops (more effort than just paying for a host).

I'm surprised they recorded a loss though. I would have guessed you could gradually write down that asset so that you stay profitable each quarter. Although maybe the stories have no impact on their business so it wasn't worth the effort.

When the execution of your programs translates to profits as it does in the context I was referring to, nobody cares if the programmers fingers bled for the sake of convenience.