Wanna know which language really is the best???
Programming languages, when viewed as user interfaces, may be evaluated formally through usability techniques.
For example, see this usability study from the NASA JPL site (35 mins).
In it, you will see the evaluator pick certain tasks, try to perform them with different programming frameworks, and in the end reporting quantitative results. Powerful!
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If you are new to usability, see Jakob Nielsen’s Usability 101. As you are read about websites and users, perhaps think about programming languages and students.
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Clearly, the choice of tasks is essential. You pick the wrong tasks and your results are misleading.
So, the other day, I selected a small task and wrote code both in language X and language Y.
Results
With language X, I had to look up two things in the API, had 9 compiler errors, one semantic error, and one “headache” error. (What is a “headache” error? View the video.)
With language Y, I had only one syntax error.
The number-of-lines ratio was 3 to 1 (X to Y). Same task.
Before you ask me which languages I used and what the task was, I challenge you to do the same with your X and Y, and your task of choice. Try a task from CS1, for example. Just make sure it is not tied to syntax (e.g., inheritance vs. interfaces).
