Are Programming Languages the same everywhere?

Question

Now I've heard the expression maths is the language if the universe; and most languages are based on maths.

But today i got into a heated discussion with my head of department over whether a bachelors degree in Ireland is the same as in America. The result was inconclusive. His main reason was that languages aren't the same everywhere!

This is news to me.

I know some terminologies are different.

Such as in America, I think they call classes adult and child.

Here, we call them super and sub.

But are languages really that different worldwide?

http://neosmart.net/blog/2006/and-we-thought-java-was-the-same-everywhere/

Answer 1

A bachelors degree in Europe is not the same as in America, due some part to the Bologna Process.

Relating to how languages are used and discussed, then this differs very much from country to country. And is very very hard to answer perfectly.

Answer 2

I've always found the terminology to be language / platform specific, as opposed to the locale in which they are used... For example, VB folks will often talk about a function, and C++ folks will often call it a Method...

I certainly don't see the locale as being likely to have that much of an impact on the terms in use - software development is a techincal area with it's own well established community on the internet - and in practice at least I think THAT'S the locale that matters...

Martin.

Answer 3

One reason why I was inclined to downvote your question (though in fact I haven't) is that to my eyes it is not well expreessed: you seem to be switching between three different concepts:

1. Human languages as they are spoken
2. The content of Bachelor Degrees
3. Programming languages

Self evidently human languages are not the same everywhere, so that's not an interesting question. Hmmm, except that Wittgenstein had some ideas of a core of "sameness" across all languages, so in fact it's a very deep question ... but not a programming one, so I'll set that to one side.

Bachelor Degrees, even in the same subject, vary markedly. MIT and Oxford have different standards from my old alma mater, where I learned to program, Nottingham College of Education.

As for programming languages:

Any given language has some kind of spec, perhaps standard and formal, perhaps de facto. I know of no major language that has a fundamentally different varient in its syntax for different geographies. If my C code compiles against ANSI standard X here in the UK, it will do so in the USA.

Individal programmers may choose variable names in their own language (and no doubt speakers of specialised languages whose "alphabet" includes the { character have their own challenges) but the formal language definition is the same.

If we look at various OO languages, even those not of C lineage we can see some fundamental similarities, despite syntactic differences. So it is quite likely that there would be some recognisable features across the universe, but the sheer plethora of languages on Earth makes me thing that our alien friends have plenty of scope for something new and exotic.

Now, more interestingly, would we recognise alien Music?

Answer 4

To me, you seem to be asking two different question: are degrees the same everywhere, and are programming languages the same everywhere?

Concerning the first question, degrees are definitely NOT the same everywhere. In the US especially, degrees vary widely in the types of courses and difficulty depending on the University. There is no country-wide consensus on what a degree's curriculum should be. It is up to the school districts to decide. This is in contrast to France for example, where the curriculum is determined by the government and each school has the exact same one. There are some differences in the quality of education from one school to the next, but not in the curriculum.

Concerning the second question, there are no differences with the actual programming languages. The keywords are the same. However, the tools will vary. Either because they are in a different locale, or because they are different altogether (since some don't necessarily support a given locale, especially third-party libraries, etc.). But the language itself is not the most important. Communication with fellow programmers and clients, understanding the business logic inherent to the market you are developing for are much more likely to have an impact that possible differences in the locale used for the programming tools.

Just my two cents worth.

Answer 5

Not entirely sure if this will help, but I can converse with Chinese programmers when we communicate, "in code," even though we may not speak a word of each other's language. As long as standards such as a notation system and an understanding of computer science are maintained, human language is a non-issue.

Answer 6

I'm only going to address your language question(s) since the content of a degree isn't relevant.

First, your example of Ireland vs America refers to differences in English language. Sure, some people will refer to computer science or programming concepts differently depending on where they live, because of local variances in their spoken language. This can lead to confusion. To some extent this problem exists even in different computer languages. In Java you have methods. In C you have functions and procedures. Are they the same thing? It's debatable.

Programming languages are, however, the same worldwide for a given instance of the language. Java is Java no matter where you are. So if you've learned to program Java in China your skills are applicable to work in Canada. Some languages have their own variants, but it's not location specific.

I should note that the link you have at the end of the question is merely a question about a specific Java implementation and how it works. Java, like all computer languages, has different versions and they run on many platforms. Not all platform+version combinations are possible or usable, and some will have odd bugs or other differences that will surprise you. The fact that Opera doesn't use a browser plugin like IE and Firefox do is merely an implementation detail in Opera and doesn't really reflect on Java itself (though it does reflect on the usability of Java if you have a lot of Opera-using customers).

Answer 7

I have heard lots of tales of folks who were Doctors or other kinds of degreed professionals comming over to this country (USA) and having to drive Taxis to make a living.

The thing is, any cheap scammer can create a "University" here and start handing out diplomas. You really need a degree from an accredited University program for that discipline.

That being said, for CS, you are probably OK. There are so many jobs that most developers here don't even have a CS degree. One from Ireland might not be as good as one from the top schools here, but there really aren't that many of those folks walking around. I've worked with software engineers who grew up literally around the world (every inhabited continent). Currently my manager is an English national who I believe just went to a small technical school there for a 2-year degree.

Honestly, the only language barrier between us I saw in your message is that "maths" thing. Here "Math" is singular, and "Sports" is plural. We can forgive most of the rest if you keep a bit of your cute accent. :-)