What language do you use?
12/04/2015

Obviously, one imagines a developer giving directives to a computer in the same way as ordering another drink from the bartender: using a language. In Paris, it would be something like: "one more!".

In an advanced computer language, in C for example, assuming the number of drinks is stored in a variable identified by the letter c, it would be the instruction c++; (notice how this example is clear and unambiguous).

But the thing is, the computer actually only processes with two electrical levels: 0 and 5V (or less but still different from 0) which we translate, in binary, as 0 or 1. Converted to assembly, for example for the Z80 microprocessor, assuming the number of drinks is less than 255 and stored at the memory location identified by the address noted 3301_h (in hexadecimal), our example "one more!" becomes something like:

LD A,(3301)
ADD A,01
LD (3301),A

And finally, in machine language it becomes:

It must be admitted that it's much less clear. Imagine what it gives for an application a bit more complex than "one more!"…

A language that is not spoken is called a dead language but one can still practice it through versions or themes. What then to say of a language that is not even spoken and with which one can only do themes?

Speaking of computer language is therefore an abuse of language. In reality, we must speak of set of instructions ; it's much better and moreover, with set, it's much more playful. Computer scientists are players, as is well known.

A developer's job consists of translating a more or less complex action into a series of elementary instructions. Elementary in the sense that each instruction corresponds to a very simple action. Executed methodically and very quickly by a computer, this series of nevertheless elementary instructions will yield the desired result, with bugs included.

The second problem with the question "What language do you use?" is the singular for language. It's missing an s. Yes, nowadays, a single set of instructions is no longer enough. Developing requires mastering the combined use of several sets of instructions. And by a chance that has nothing to envy hazard, the plural of set is written with an s.

Otherwise, regarding the answer to the question "What language do you use?" the best answer for numerunique would be:

htmlcssjavascriptphpsqlapachesvgCshellpythonlinuxg-code

That is:

• html: for the structure of web pages,
• css: for the presentation of web pages,
• javascript: for user processes in a web browser,
• php: for creating dynamic web pages and server processes,
• sql: for extracting information from a database,
• apache: for configuring a web server,
• svg: for vector drawings,
• C: for complex processes requiring great reactivity,
• shell: for command-line control of a server,
• python: for automating server commands,
• linux: for configuring a server,
• g-code: for controlling a numerical milling machine.

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