Worst Language Ever

tinyTux · 07-21-2011, 02:09 PM

What's the worst programming language you've ever coded in, and why? Standards can be objective or subjective, but it has to be a language you've actually done at least some coding in: not, for example, "I didn't want to learn this language because it was too complicated for me".

Personally, I'd have trouble picking one because most of the languages I've learned are on the whole not too bad, at least given their underlying goals and assumptions.

dugan · 07-21-2011, 02:10 PM

Definitely COBOL.

TobiSGD · 07-21-2011, 02:12 PM

Microsoft Basic V2, that is the version that was used on the Commodore C64.

raconteur · 07-21-2011, 02:25 PM

I agree with dugan, COBOL was the worst.
I'm finding C# to be a very close second.

dugan · 07-21-2011, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugan

Definitely COBOL.

Okay, I've thought about it and I'm changing my answer.

It's JCL.

As bad as COBOL is, it only comes close to JCL in badness.

PrinceCruise · 07-21-2011, 02:49 PM

2)C# when I was in college, not utterly bad but I had hard time dealing with my logic on it.

1)COBOL on AS400 platform for a short period of time, Horrible I say.

szboardstretcher · 07-21-2011, 02:51 PM

Im torn between saying LISP or FORTRAN.

I despise them equally I guess.

markush · 07-21-2011, 03:06 PM

Visual Basic.

Markus

ta0kira · 07-21-2011, 03:27 PM

IDL is a pretty hideous language, especially if you have formal knowledge of linear algebra. If autoconf counts, maybe that will be my vote, instead.

I went through the following transition of hating languages, each supplanted upon learning the next one:

Java -> R -> MATLAB -> IDL

Who's next?! I'm actually somewhat alright with R now.
Kevin Barry

Snark1994 · 07-21-2011, 03:31 PM

Well, it probably doesn't count due to the fact it wasn't designed for general use, but "brainf***" must surely be in contention

PrinceCruise · 07-21-2011, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snark1994

Well, it probably doesn't count due to the fact it wasn't designed for general use, but "brainf***" must surely be in contention

I'd never heard of that before, needa check that.

SL00b · 07-21-2011, 04:08 PM

Assembler. <shudder>

I'm surprised JCL got a mention. I've always found it to be very easy.

Sergei Steshenko · 07-21-2011, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by szboardstretcher

Im torn between saying LISP or FORTRAN.

I despise them equally I guess.

LISP is actually a pretty elegant language - opposed to Fortran. One begins to understand LISP elegance after learning how things are done "under the hood", e.g. after learning what AST (Abstract Syntax Tree) is.

Sergei Steshenko · 07-21-2011, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ta0kira

IDL is a pretty hideous language, especially if you have formal knowledge of linear algebra. If autoconf counts, maybe that will be my vote, instead.

I went through the following transition of hating languages, each supplanted upon learning the next one:

Java -> R -> MATLAB -> IDL

Who's next?! I'm actually somewhat alright with R now.
Kevin Barry

"R" is a pretty decent language - though I didn't have a chance to really code in it. Matlab (and GNU Octave) is much worse, though GNU Octave is now one of my everyday languages.

Sergei Steshenko · 07-21-2011, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SL00b

Assembler. <shudder>

...

Why ? I.e. not that much abstraction (though there is a high level assembly), but in the end the code has to reach HW. I.e. someone has to understand in detail how HW works, and the only alternative to assembly is machine code which is worse.