What makes a programming language popular..??

[mruh]

What makes a programming language popular..?
There are many BASIC dialects nowadays. What makes PureBasic the most popular BASIC dialect? There must be some special reasons. There are many programming experts here. I really want to hear your opinons.
http://www.purebasic.fr/english/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=54452

Another question is, how can make NaaLaa and EGSL popular? Both softwares are good or nice. I cannot say that they are not popular but what can make them become a very popular software?

[Tomaaz]

I'm not sure if PureBasic is the most popular BASIC and the moment. It's sure the most popular in Google results, but it's not exactly the same. You can also simply search for "basic compiler". What's on the first place?

It's very difficult to answer what makes a programming language popular. I don't know why Python is far more popular than Lua. I don't know why in my distro repository there is an outdated Yabasic and obsolete bwBasic and there is no BaCon or FreeBASIC. I don't know why in Linux magazines you can find tutorials on Scratch, while EGSL is much better choice. The only thing I think I understand is why BASIC is dying. Firstly - there is to many dialects that come and go. Secondly - people still think that BASIC is the same language as it was in 80s. I've got a friend who's doing PhD in computer science. He's using Java and C++ and for him BASIC is a language with mandatory line numbers, only in line IF/THEN block and GOTO statement that must be used almost all the time.

[Aurel]

I'm not sure if PureBasic is the most popular BASIC and the moment. It's sure the most popular in Google results, but it's not exactly the same. You can also simply search for "basic compiler". What's on the first place?

It's very difficult to answer what makes a programming language popular. I don't know why Python is far more popular than Lua. I don't know why in my distro repository there is an outdated Yabasic and obsolete bwBasic and there is no BaCon or FreeBASIC. I don't know why in Linux magazines you can find tutorials on Scratch, while EGSL is much better choice. The only thing I think I understand is why BASIC is dying. Firstly - there is to many dialects that come and go. Secondly - people still think that BASIC is the same language as it was in 80s. I've got a friend who's doing PhD in computer science. He's using Java and C++ and for him BASIC is a language with mandatory line numbers, only in line IF/THEN block and GOTO statement that must be used almost all the time.

Yes PureBasic is for sure most popular basic-like language and have big number of user base.
Phython is much popular than Lua because is pushed into every linux distribution since the
begining and because is promoted as far better option then basic - which is ordinary LIE.
Scratch have long history of smalltalk background...etc...
Tomaaz have a right about dying basic ...it is true there are to many basic dialects and
probably 50% of them are dead or abandoned etc..etc...

[Tomaaz]

Yes PureBasic is for sure most popular basic-like language and have big number of user base.

I disagree. Especially with "for sure" part. PureBasic is a commercial software what usually means better SEO, marketing etc. and more percentage of serious user (stronger community), but I'm sure that FreeBasic and Gambas are generally more popular. Gambas for example, is listed on Tiobe Index. The other BASIC dialects listed there are Visual Basic, Visual Basic NET, BlitzMax and thinBASIC (no PureBasic).

Phython is much popular than Lua because is pushed into every linux distribution since the
begining...

It's not so simple. Perl has longer history as a language included in almost any distro, but it's getting less popular every year. The same with Tcl/Tk that is now even less popular than Lua. To be honest - I'm not surprised that Python's position is stronger than Lua's. I'm just surprised that it is so much stronger.

[Aurel]

Ok maybe you have right about linux users that Freebasic is more popular then pureBasic,
Gambas is only linux so cannot be compared with pureBasic in that case.
pureBasic is a comercial software and offer big free code base in many areas of programming
when freeBasic in start suffer from not very well created package.
By default in freeBasic you don't have any editor,right?
Amount of examples simply and what this examples represent are somehow clumsey.
I believe that freeBasic is maybe more powerfull than pureBasic but is not so easy to use
for new programmers like pureBasic.

Yes you have right about Perl,tcl/tk is almost dead language but python is supported by
Google because Guido is a main programmer there ,i think that is the main fact.
But still sucks on windows and is far worst then any good basic-like compiler.

[mruh]

WOW.. Tomaaz and Aurel, thank you!
 
 I know more about different kinds of programming languages from your good posts.! Thanks.!!!!!
    

[lelldorin]

What makes a programming language popular..?
There are many BASIC dialects nowadays. What makes PureBasic the most popular BASIC dialect? There must be some special reasons. There are many programming experts here. I really want to hear your opinons.
http://www.purebasic.fr/english/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=54452

U need many users, people who have fun to make programs with this languages. You need a good forum, tutorials and a good support (can be a community, IRC, Mail...). A development langueg is now popular, then many people use it ;-).

Another question is, how can make NaaLaa and EGSL popular? Both softwares are good or nice. I cannot say that they are not popular but what can make them become a very popular software?

Bring users to this languages and create a big community. Collect many good tutorials, port the languages to many Systems, a good documentation, developers to contact for questions. Make articles for free dev-newspapers...


Another problem is there are to many websites with tutorials, there is no basic site for all tutorials. Ok this is a problem with Linux with there many distibutions :-).

I like yab (a extended version for Haiku OS of yabasic)

[Aurel]

mruh...
One things is what you hare from us and different thing is when you try some languages
and when you say - i like this language because is good for me.
So fist download and try ...then decide what is best for you.
Are you on Linux or on Windows or maybe on MacOs it is a big difference to.

[Tomaaz]

Bring users to this languages and create a big community.

Yes, but how to do this? Making a language popular and bringing users to this language are exactly the same thing, so...

You need a good forum, tutorials and a good support (can be a community, IRC, Mail...)... Collect many good tutorials, port the languages to many Systems, a good documentation, developers to contact for questions. Make articles for free dev-newspapers...

That's the theory and it should work, but not necessarily does. Bacon is a BASIC dialect that has the best documentation and a great support. It's being developed a very professional way. And it's not very popular. It's Unix only, but there are many more popular BASICs for Linux. Some of them are good (FreeBasic, Gambas) others are outdated and obsolete (Yabasic, bwBasic).

And Aurel is absolutely right - the most important thing is to try as many languages as you can and chose those that suit you best. Hobbyists don't have to care that much about languages popularity. They can use what they like. Programming languages don't disappear in a week or month. So even if you choose a language that is getting less popular, it's gonna stay in programming world for a while.

[Aurel]

And mruh
I still don't see what you have in plan to use or you even try any basic

[mruh]

And mruh
I still don't see what you have in plan to use or you even try any basic

Hi,

Yes...I always don't have time to learn programming. I hope that I will not be too busy in the near future.

Anyway, I installed demo version of BBC BASIC a few days ago. There are many examples in this software.!!!

[mruh]

What makes a programming language popular..?
There are many BASIC dialects nowadays. What makes PureBasic the most popular BASIC dialect? There must be some special reasons. There are many programming experts here. I really want to hear your opinons.
http://www.purebasic.fr/english/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=54452

U need many users, people who have fun to make programs with this languages. You need a good forum, tutorials and a good support (can be a community, IRC, Mail...). A development langueg is now popular, then many people use it ;-).

Another question is, how can make NaaLaa and EGSL popular? Both softwares are good or nice. I cannot say that they are not popular but what can make them become a very popular software?

Bring users to this languages and create a big community. Collect many good tutorials, port the languages to many Systems, a good documentation, developers to contact for questions. Make articles for free dev-newspapers...


Another problem is there are to many websites with tutorials, there is no basic site for all tutorials. Ok this is a problem with Linux with there many distibutions :-).

I like yab (a extended version for Haiku OS of yabasic)

Hello, thank you. Your analysis is good. I hope that the authors of EGSL and Naalaa will read this analysis. Now I know more about marketing and promotion....thanks.!!!   

Tomaaz's reply to your post is also a good analysis.!

[lelldorin]

Bring users to this languages and create a big community.

Yes, but how to do this? Making a language popular and bringing users to this language are exactly the same thing, so...

You need a good forum, tutorials and a good support (can be a community, IRC, Mail...)... Collect many good tutorials, port the languages to many Systems, a good documentation, developers to contact for questions. Make articles for free dev-newspapers...

That's the theory and it should work, but not necessarily does. Bacon is a BASIC dialect that has the best documentation and a great support. It's being developed a very professional way. And it's not very popular. It's Unix only, but there are many more popular BASICs for Linux. Some of them are good (FreeBasic, Gambas) others are outdated and obsolete (Yabasic, bwBasic).

And Aurel is absolutely right - the most important thing is to try as many languages as you can and chose those that suit you best. Hobbyists don't have to care that much about languages popularity. They can use what they like. Programming languages don't disappear in a week or month. So even if you choose a language that is getting less popular, it's gonna stay in programming world for a while.

I have an idear :-).

How does people what ist EGSL? Yes by the products made with this language. So we need to add into every complete project a "About" function. I think about this for yab on Haiku too :-).