RE: Other programming language I most often use

[runrig]

Would people please stop counting SQL as a programming language? It has no if's, else's, for's, or while's. It is a language, like HTML, but not a programming language.

Anyway, I miss programming in LISP for AutoCAD...

Update:Didn't mean to start a war, but I should'a known better :)
Yes, I'm well aware that extensions to SQL have 'programming language' features (hence the PL in PL/SQL), but SQL by itself doesn't. That's what we have Perl and DBI for :-)

Some relevant links:
Query Language
SQL
Programming Language

[dchetlin]

Hmm. While it's true that SQL isn't Turing complete, I'm not sure how constructive it is to state authoritatively that it's "not a programming language". Certainly it depends on how you define `programming language'.

Trying to police the domain of `real programming languages' strikes me as similar to being an English language maven. Is `irregardless' a "real" word? Is `ain't'? Is HTML a "real language"? Is SQL? Is Postscript?

SQL is non-Turing complete by design. This is a very useful feature. If SQL were Turing complete, it would be less useful for the vast majority of applications it serves.

Why bother trying to determine what is a real language, and what isn't? The point is, people use it. I'd say it's likely to be the language most often used by a Perl programmer (other than Perl). HTML would of course contest that.

ObPoll Response: Ruby and SML/NJ

-dlc

[extremely]

Well, not to get in your face, but _YES SQL FREAKIN DOES HAVE "IF" AND "WHILE" AND "ELSE" It has arbitrary variables, you can create temp tables that can contain arbitrary lists and data structures and more.

I do miss AutoLISP tho =) Mmmm good memories there... I still have the book from 13. I got totally burnt by them starting to use C like multiline comments... One of my best scripts started '/****** =) oops...

--
$you = new YOU;
honk() if $you->love(perl)

[Jonathan]

I disagree. Most implentations of SQL such as Transact-SQL, PLSQL etc have programming language extensions to ansi SQL92 (though none of them fully implement the standard)

"We are all prompted by the same motives, all deceived by the same fallacies, all animated by hope, obstructed by danger, entangled by desire, and seduced by pleasure." - Samuel Johnson