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Which programming language should I learn?

I

Ivanhoe

Member
Hello,

I wish to learn a programming language. I do not have a programming background apart from having a fair idea of VBA, which I enjoyed learning. Which language should I opt for ? Would it be a good idea to learn C# without having learnt C & C++? Would it be too difficult to grasp?

I work in Employee benefits but wish to reconsider this option . In this regard, can some one please tell me what is a quant.actuary? It would be great if you could let me know of some of the options that an actuary has, which involve programming.


Regards,
 
I would say there is no "right" or "wrong" language to learn - any programming language can do anything any other can do, but some are better shaped than others for certain tasks. Plus, no matter what you learn, when you use it in industry you will use a different implementation of a different standard with different facilities.

What I would suggest is learning a few languages with completely different styles - C++, Haskell, Lisp, for example, and solving a few non-trivial problems in each. I'd also suggest working through an introductory text like Bjarne Stroustrup's Programming Principles and Practice - not a swift read but a great introduction to real world design.
 
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