Question about programming/scripting languages

[Cusem]

I've been using AutoIT for about 3 years now and absolutely love it. Next to a little little bit of QBasic experience, I have no experience programming whatsoever. I started using AutoIT3 to create simple scripts to automate certain procedures with windows maintenance and after that mostly for writing helpful scripts for playing poker (Table alignment, bet pot scripts, etc.). I learned AutoIT solely by reading the helpfile and with help from the (truly awesome) forum. I'm not an AutoIT expert at all, but I am at a point I can manage myself pretty well using AutoIT (no experience with COM, API, DLL's at all though).

About a month ago I got an idea for a poker analysis program which I want to develop. I however doubt if AutoIT is suitable for creating a project intended for public release (commercial or freeware; depends on the endresult). Could you guys comment on this?

From my former scripts I remember they worked like a charm on my system, but when a friend of mine tried to use it on their system they often would be buggy. This is likely to be the result of bad coding though.

The program I want to create has to work with PostgreSQL and be able to read/write and visualize data from a database. Much like a tracker program like Holdemmanager or Poker Tracker 3 (for those of you who are familiar with these). Although I'm making something different, functionality like those tracker programs are close to what I need to create. A GUI will also be necessary but I guess every language supports GUI's.

I don't know anything at all about other programming languages. I don't even now the difference between .NET framework, VB.Net, ASP.NET (if it even exists), Java, C++, C#. So if AutoIT isn't suitable, what language would you guys recommend for what I want to do and why? The awesome thing about AutoIT in my opinion is it's extensive Help file and the awesome support on the forum, which allowed me to learn to work with it.

[Valuater]

.NET framework, VB.Net, ASP.NET (if it even exists), Java, C++, C#.

I don't know any of those guys either...

This language can do that I am sure.!!

So lets get cracken!!! If you start with Koda Form designer you can create the GUI with the necessary info and look you want.

Then we can start on some of the functions

8)

[WideBoyDixon]

If you have some intensive processing to do then I'd be tempted to write it in C++ (or similar) and use the plug-in framework to incorporate your functions in to AutoIt.

WBD

[RomanK]

If you've used AutoIt for long, you may find the VB-Syntax the easiest. (Google for microsoft visual basic express 2008)

However, if you don't have problems with learning completely different syntaxes, I'd recommend C# (I don't really know it well, but what I know is that VB.net and C# are equal in what they can do, but have a completely different syntax).

Without wanting to offend anyone, C and C++ seem to be kind of outdated to me...

.Net framework is not a language, it is like a helping toolkit for programming... they do things if you type one line of code, where you'd need 20 if you don't use it. But in general, when using VB.Net you don't notice, when the framework is being used. (is this right??! I'm not sure)

ASP.Net is a server-side language, in difference to all the others who are client-side! You use it to code complex websites with dynamical content (often connected to a database).

I guess ASP.Net (or aspx - their files) is the microsoft counterpart to php.

regards,

roman

[monoceres]

Without wanting to offend anyone, C and C++ seem to be kind of outdated to me...

I'm not offended, I'm amused. You're recommending Visual Basic and saying C++ is outdated?

I assume you know nothing about the subject so I would recommend you don't embarrass yourself any further. It's not like AutoIt is written in C++ and a new standard is soon introduced to the language or anything

Saying C++ is outdated is like saying tractors are outdated because there are hotter sport cars out there.

[weaponx]

It's not like AutoIt is written in C++ and a new standard is soon introduced to the language or anything

Reading that just reminds me of how NOT fun it is to read C code.

[Valik]

I pretty much agree with everything monoceres said.

Reading that just reminds me of how NOT fun it is to read C code.

You're going to love lambdas, then. Imagine a methed up autistic child writing code. That's lambda syntax (in about any language that support lambdas - including Python). I love lambdas:

def __init__(self, logger):
        self.debug = self.MakeLambda(logger.debug)
        self.info = self.MakeLambda(logger.info)
        self.warning = self.MakeLambda(logger.warning)
        self.error = self.MakeLambda(logger.error)
        self.critical = self.MakeLambda(logger.critical)
        self.exception = self.MakeLambda(logger.exception)
        self.log = self.MakeLambda(logger.log)

    def MakeLambda(self, function):
        return lambda name, msg, *args, **kwargs: function(
            "Module \"%s\": %s" % (self.CleanName(name), msg), *args, **kwargs)

A cookie to anybody who can figure out what the fuck that code does.

[Wus]

Heh, I remember when my roomate was taking programming languages and had to write some Scheme code... utterly horrible; it took him a long time to realize that he needed to completely rethink the way he coded to deal with it. To be fair though, some people seem to love it :/

[Valik]

Speaking of lambdas, I had the following exchange with Jon:

[12:11:18 PM] Valik: Just be glad we aren't using C++0x or I'd write as much as possible in lambdas.

[12:11:29 PM] Jon: >.<

Which, based on his reaction, makes me wish C++0x was already here.

[weaponx]

Speaking of lambdas, I had the following exchange with Jon:

Which, based on his reaction, makes me wish C++0x was already here.

I guess he better be ready to brush up on C++.

[Zedna]

The program I want to create has to work with PostgreSQL and be able to read/write and visualize data from a database.

My advice is to use AutoIt as language (because you know it the best), Koda for making GUIs and SQLite (instead of PostgreSQL) which is native part of AutoIt (in form of well documented standard UDF).

For visualizing of data use SQLite display functions of your own ListView controls filled by arrays returned by SQLite.

Edited May 16, 2009 by Zedna

[Richard Robertson]

I assume the requirement of PostgreSQL was because of a preexisting database.

[Anteaus]

C might be unintelligible gibberish, but php is worse, being even less intelligible, and having all the bad-practices of VB thrown in as well. (spent the last fortnight coding a php app, and it sure gave rise to some shipyard words...)

For database coding it's also worth considering xBase, of which there are now some free variants. A language which uses English-like constructs (instead of looking like a kiddie's first attempt at punctuation) makes for easy fast typing, and easy debugging.

Though, when all is said and done, nothing beats Autoit for general-purpose small apps. It has most of the advantages of xBase in terms of English-like readability, and has wider applicability.

It's not like AutoIt is written in C++ and a new standard is soon introduced to the language or anything

Quick check of URL, not its not uncyclopedia.. but for a moment I wondered.

[Inverted]

As far as readability goes, I was impressed with 2 languages : AutoIt and python. (Also, masm with some careful macros and conditional assembly) But considering I work 100% with Windows, python is out of the option for me, I want all the advantages of a windows-specific language. Also, compiling a standalone python script to be executable is ... eerrmm, well it's many files and big !

I really hate C and all variants of it, so I'm constantly paying the price of being left out of the loop in many published sources/openource programs/examples.

At the end of the day a proper language, consistent programming style, proper indentation, syntax highliting help me keep my sanity !

Edited May 20, 2009 by Inverted

[weaponx]

C might be unintelligible gibberish, but php is worse, being even less intelligible, and having all the bad-practices of VB thrown in as well. (spent the last fortnight coding a php app, and it sure gave rise to some shipyard words...)

PHP is a scripting language and it's not strongly typed, just like AutoIt. I'm not even sure why you would compare C to PHP. You should give some more specific examples of the problems you encountered.

[Richard Robertson]

They share the same syntax. That's all I can come up with.

[RobertBedrosian]

Cusem,

If you will be working strictly on the desktop, and are comfortable with AutoIt and the Microsoft Windows world, I'd recommend VB.

You can get Microsoft's Visual Basic 2005 Express Edition for free at:

http://www.freewarefiles.com/category/programming.php

(scroll down on that page)

That same page also has free VC# Express, VC++, and other good things.

For the web (given the same Microsoft caveat) I'd recommend ASP.NET using Visual Basic. A nice book in the Sams Teach Yourself series is by Scott Mitchell, who is a very clear author. That book also comes with a CD that has Microsoft's Visual Web Developer 2005 Express Edition.

I see that Visual Web Developer 2008 is available for free online at:

http://www.freewarefiles.com/Microsoft-Vis...gram_17937.html

(Win XP/2003/Vista)

These are dynamite products.

You still need a good book.

There are also tutorials. A nice one for Asp.net is:

http://www.w3schools.com/asp/default.asp

Each of the languages has its advantages and drawbacks.