Re: Programming Language

[David Kastrup]

Conor Cook <address@hidden> writes:

> Dear Lilypond Developers,
>
> I am embarking on a quest to learn computer programming (or IT help
> desk/network administration – suggestions on best choice for career,
> knowing there are lots of variables?).  At this point I am learning
> programming best practices and general knowledge, but I will need to
> begin diving deeper into a language at some point.  Do you have a
> suggestion for a language to start with?  Is there a language that
> would be applicable enough to a general computer systems career but
> with an eye towards also applying to Lilypond’s development, too? 

Python is used for scripts like lilypond-book and convert-ly.  It's
probably a reasonably useful language and/or career skill.

For extending LilyPond, you need Scheme.  Scheme knowledge is only of
limited marketing value but of course the general kind of solving
programming tasks from within a fourth generation extension language may
still be reasonably relevant.

C++ is a good career move, but the C++ in LilyPond's code base is of
rather mixed quality and of rather mixed age: the early parts had to
rely on the features available in early language standards.  So C++
skills acquired while working with LilyPond may be only moderately
representative for the language as such.

Basically, there is a lot of programming in LilyPond.  What you decide
to get your feet wet on probably is best determined by what you want to
end up actually doing in/with LilyPond.

-- 
David Kastrup