Talk:Programming language/Archive 8

Caption of java program
The caption states: [..] which will print the message "Hello World!" to the standard output when it is compiled and executed.

I'm sure we all know that is statement is not quite true, although Java is compiled to bytecode, it's still only readable to the JVM. I think we could clarify this point; perhaps adding 'executed by the JVM'.

Suggests on how to clarify the above statement would be great.

The statement also isn't true in the sense that this code alone will not actually print the message to stdout when it is run, since it lacks a main method. In fact, it won't even compile without main. Not sure if the caption alone should be changed, or if the article needs a better (functioning) example. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.61.84.253 (talk) 17:03, 7 July 2014 (UTC)

int main
I suppose this won't bother anyone who is reading about programming languages for the first time, but the function "main" must return an int in C (usually 0 if nothing goes wrong). It is declared as "void main" in the example code in the picture at the beginning of the article. This can be confusing to someone who goes on to learn C. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.190.20.114 (talk • contribs) 16:53, 5 January 2016 UTC

History
Re-reading the article I'm a bit surprised that the history section doesn't mention Fortran, PL/I, or Algol (that I see, I may have mised it) Cobol gets a sentence. Also, assembler languages are programming languages and probably deserve mention. Peter Flass (talk) 17:22, 11 January 2016 (UTC)

Issues or problems in teaching programming languages
what are issues in teaching programming languages

Overview - On Baghdad
I saw that in the overview the language seemed a little off to me. Specifically: This wording kind of has implications and isn't really neutral. Alternatively it could say "during the Islamic Golden Age".
 * The earliest known programmable machine preceded the invention of the digital computer and is the automatic flute player described in the 9th century by the brothers Musa in Baghdad, at the time a major centre of knowledge.[1]

- LawrenceTemple (talk) 04:08, 19 August 2016 (UTC)
 * I used the Gold Age variant of your idea. The context is strongly about the timeframe and advances of knowlege, so that detail isn't non-neutral, and is clearer than just a comment about the location itself. Thanks for the suggestion! DMacks (talk) 14:37, 19 August 2016 (UTC)
 * That is ethnocentric, they could also say that the flying carpet was the earliest form of an airplane.
 * The Chinese, per-Colombian cultures, ceased to exist during that era?
 * The pro-Islamic bias is obvious. The automatic flute player is in no way related to programming languages that the article is supposed to talk about. The automatic flute is a very primitive "device" and should not be in the article. But then again, considering the Muslim-pandering with is mainstream nowadays, nothing surprises me anymore. Shame on Wikipedia administrators for allowing heavily biased BS to be published.

124.35.178.162 (talk) 01:23, 21 February 2018 (UTC)
 * Just so you fellas get your facts straight, the first hydraulic automated device was not invented by Muslims. The construction of the first hydraulic automata was made by Ctesibius (flourished c. 270 BC) and Hero of Alexandria (c. 10 – 80 AD). Hero describes a number of working machines using hydraulic power, such as the force pump, which is known from many Roman sites as having been used for raising water and in fire engines.

124.35.178.162 (talk) 01:36, 21 February 2018 (UTC)
 * I'm unsure what hydraulics has to do with the article, it's not mentioned anywhere in the article or elsewhere in the talk page. Somebody got a little carried away with a rant I think. Regarding pre-Columbian cultures, there is no evidence of machinery or automation, or even the wheel, although they were quite advanced in other areas (mathematics for calendars, for instance). I'm sure if an earlier Chinese reference is found, this line can be replaced, but currently the flute is the best candidate for the earliest programmable machine. But see next section:


 * Can an automatic flute player be legitimately considered "a programming language"? For a full programming language, you need 3 things: some kind of action, a decision (if) statement, and a branch (jump) statement.  Even early HTML has decision statements, based on browser type, etc. Player pianos and weaving looms were definitely steps on the way to automation and then computers, but the instructions for a player piano do not comprise a programming language.  At best, this could be mentioned in the history section, but not the lede.Nerfer (talk) 20:58, 6 September 2018 (UTC)