Which will serve a budding programmer better: A classic book in scheme or a modern language like python? -

I'm really interested in becoming a serious programmer, people who admire hacker chops, as a corporate drone Is opposed to those who can not fulfill Fizbz too.

At the moment, I am dubbed in some languages, most of my experience is in Pearl and Shell, and I am slightly covered in Ruby. However, I can not help, but I think that although I know pieces of bits and languages, I do not know how program is.

I actually learn to learn a huge language that can give me a job (though I want to do it soon), and how I work through the design program or interpretation of the structure and computer I am considering using PLT scheme (now called racket) to do, basically, the scheme is one of the classics, because I have always heard that they should be able to give people high quality Ta, usable, how to write readable code teach.

However, MIT Ython plans for one in SICP P

Therefore, I ask the sage advice of many experienced programmers about the following:

• What plans (and do those books) is actually how one Teaches good program? If so, which of the two books do you recommend?
• Is it still an approach to learning relevant and applicable? Am I on the right track?
• Am I spending my time learning a better and more practical language like Python?
• What plans (or lip in general) is actually a language learns, never to use only? Or those of you who often know the LISPA code on it?

Thank you, and sorry for the trip.

• Do the plans (and do those books) in fact how well one Do Programs Teach? If so, which of the two books do you recommend?

Perhaps better than any x of learning in Yy Tyspend books maybe

• Is it still a relevant and applicable learning approach? Am I on the right track?

Yes.

• Am I better spending my time learning more practical / common language like Python?

Only if you plan to get a job in it, the plan will give you a better foundation though.

• Does the plan (or lisp in general) actually learn a language, which is never used only? Or those of you who often know a lispa code on it?

I work with functional languages ​​in favor to try to keep my brain flexible, to emacs the emacs elisp is negligible.

My personal opinion is that the two tracks must be run before the student claims to know something about programming track a machine That's the computer, you should start with the assembly here and to know how the computer works, after some work and understanding - do not skimp - you should learn C and C ++; In fact, resource management is getting an understanding and what really happens is the track two is a very high level language track - scheme, prologue, hoskel, perl, python, c #, java, and others Let's go with VM or interpreter in this area. Studying is also required to know how problems can be understood and considered in different ways, which does not include loose bits of any real computer.

However, what is will not working while learning the program is a subject of dilemma. You will need to find a language - the plan is acceptable, although I recommend starting at the lower level first - and then stick to that language for at least a good year.