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by uomopertica 2048 days ago
While I agree that Python is better than R for programming etiquette, I would argue that proper programming practices and techniques are better learned in languages with static typing and proper variable scoping. Do yourself another favor and also look into C#, Swift or even Java.
1 comments
coward8675309 2048 days ago
If R is a reasonable tool for a given problem, C# or Swift or Java almost certainly will not be. The realistic alternatives to R are other numerical analysis packages, Julia, and Python. “The” answer for any given person or project is likely to be a function of your colleagues and peer group, your problem domain, your library needs.

One of course is allowed to learn more than one thing. Maybe play with a bondage and discipline language to expose yourself to the concepts the parent comment is advocating for.

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FridgeSeal 2047 days ago
They're not saying use Swift/C# for those problems, they're saying learn good programming practices from those languages and tools and then go do things in R/Python with that expertise under your belt.
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coward8675309 2047 days ago
A lot of people don’t have the luxury of doing both those things. They’re confronted with a problem and need to solve it, and solving it requires choosing and learning how to use a tool. If you have plenty of free time, choosing C#, Swift, and Java seem like odd choices for a pedagogic programming language. For learning about type safety, spending a couple weeks playing with SML or Haskell would be a good idea, though they’re both functional.

As a student I constantly complained that we were being taught these useless languages. As a grownup I realize that while some of the Comp Sci faculty may’ve been out of touch, their goal was not teaching us commercially viable skills. They were endeavoring to teach us how to think. Once you know how to think you can express those thoughts in nearly any language, no matter how hostile to those thoughts it may be.

But maybe you just want to get things done, and if that’s so, the answer for data problems is basically one or more of R, Python, Julia, etc.

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