Best in Show

Text display may seem like a cut-and-dry topic, but I discovered it is fascinating to compare and contrast how different languages aid the programmer seeking to show the output from a script or application.  The talk examines nine different technologies / languages.  As, to which is the best, you’ll be the judge!  Or, perhaps the notion of “one size fits all” is fallacious; context certainly plays a role in influencing one’s choices.

This talk involves solving a simple problem involving string manipulation in multiple popular computer programming languages.  It presents a solution in each language and uses it as a basis to critically assess aspects of the given language. In particular, the presentation casts an eye at each of the "P"s in the LAMP stack, namely Perl, Python and PHP.  Also, thought-provoking C and C++ based solutions comprise this presentation as well as problem-solving with Ruby and bash shell scripting. The usage of JavaScript and JQuery completes the discussion.  

This sort of exercise will challenge your assumptions of how you think a programming language ought to behave.  As it turns out a concept that one may assume exists across the spectrum of computer programming languages may only appear in your current favorite language.  The consequences of such differences can be dramatic, forcing developers to rethink their problem-solving strategy.

This talk is for everyone who sooner or later has to deal with displaying text and needs to appreciate the pros and cons of the various choices. An additional bonus is that by focusing on strings, you can also discover whether any of the foregoing languages is the right fit for your mindset.  While "the right tool, for the right job" is a popularly embraced notion, user comfort matters, too.  This presentation provides a sufficient peak at the different languages to help you decide which you'd like to learn next.