Why learn Perl, Python, Ruby if the company is using C++, C# or Java as the application language?

When I first learned Python, I worked for a Java shop. Occasionally I'd have to do serious text-processing tasks which were much easier to do with quick Python scripts than Java programs. For example, if I had to parse a complex CSV file and figure out which of its rows corresponded to rows in our Oracle database, this was much easier to do with Python than Java.

More than that, I found that learning Python made me a much better Java programmer; having learned many of the same concepts in another language I feel that I understand those concepts much better. And as for what makes Python easier than Java, you might check out this question:

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Often, dynamc languages (especially python and lua) are embedded in programs to add a more plugin-like functionality and because they are high-level languages that make it easy to add certain behavior, where a low/mid-level language is not needed.

Lua specificially lacks all the low-level system calls because it was designed for easeof-use to add functionality within the program, not as a general programming language.

Philosophical issues aside, I know that I have gotten value from writing quick-and-dirty Ruby scripts to solve brute-force problems that Java was just too big for. Last year I had three separate directory structures that were all more-or-less the same, but with lots of differences among the files (the client hadn't heard of version control and I'll leave the rest to your imagination).

It would have taken a great deal of overhead to write an analyzer in Java, but in Ruby I had one working in about 40 minutes.

I have often found that learning another language, especially a dynamically typed language, can teach you things about other languages and make you an overall better programmer. Learning ruby, for example, will teach you Object Oriented programming in ways Java wont, and vice versa. All in all, I believe that it is better to be a well rounded programmer than stuck in a single language. It makes you more valuable to the companies/clients you work for.

Let me turn your question on its head by asking what use it is to an American English speaker to learn another language?

The languages we speak (and those we program in) inform the way we think. This can happen on a fundamental level, such as c++ versus javascript versus lisp, or on an implementation level, in which a ruby construct provides a eureka moment for a solution in your "real job."

Speaking of your real job, if the market goes south and your employer decides to "right size" you, how do you think you'll stack up against a guy who is flexible because he's written software in tens of languages, instead of your limited exposure? All things being equal, I think the answer is clear.

Finally, you program for a living because you love programming... right?

Do you expect to work for this company forever? If you're ever out on the job market, pehaps some prospective employers will be aware of the [Python paradox][1].


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