Developer Voices

If you ever feel overwhelmed by the number of different programming languages, this week’s episode might just offer you some solace, as we talk about an attempt to reunify many of the most popular languages by focussing on the bread & butter things that every language supports.I’m joined by Martin Johansen, who’s been working on a new tool called Progsbase. With it, he’s created a spec based on all the things programming languages can agree on, and is building a library that can cross-compile between them. Write a program in Java, and it can be automatically translated to PHP, Python and a great deal more.But how far can he take that idea? Is there really enough unity between these languages to build something universal? How do you bridge the divide between manual memory management languages like C and garbage-collected ones like Java? And what would it actually feel like to write code this way? Let’s put Martin’s plan under the spotlight and find out…–Martin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/martinfjKris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/krisajenkinsKris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisjenkins/Progsbase homepage: https://www.progsbase.com/The Spec: https://www.progsbase.com/docs/programs/The Progsbase library repository: https://repo.progsbase.com/The Bug Bounty: https://www.progsbase.com/bug-bounty/–#software #programming #podcast #programminglanguages

Jonathan Schneider, one of the authors of OpenRewrite, discusses the power of automated code-rewriting tools and how they work. Topics include engineering challenges at Netflix, rewriting Terraform, and implementing an internal compiler. They also touch on the decision-making process for using libraries and language support for Gleam and WebAssembly.

Hannes Mühleisen, co-creator of DuckDB and a professor of data engineering, combines academia with practical software development. They discuss the evolution of database architectures, emphasizing user-friendly designs and real-world applications. Hannes shares insights on optimizing SQL query execution, including advanced parallel processing techniques and the significance of vectorization. The conversation also covers DuckDB's flexibility with various file formats and the challenges of developing hardware-friendly databases, showcasing modern solutions for efficient data handling.

Simon Peyton Jones, a veteran language designer and researcher, talks about building a large language from a small, tightly designed core. He discusses his work on the Verse programming language which blends functional programming with logic languages like Prolog. Simon also discusses the importance of teaching computer science in education and reshaping the way it is taught in England.

Data Engineering expert Ashley Jeffs discusses Benthos, a tool for quick data pipeline setup. They cover simplifying data connections, advantages of Benthos, and when to use it. Topics include stream processing, transitioning to Go, error handling, custom plugins, and getting started with Benthos.

Expert in game programming, Tyler Cloutier, discusses using game development concepts like event sourcing and subscriptions in database architecture. They explore the challenges of traditional databases, tick rates, and data subscriptions in gaming and non-gaming scenarios, emphasizing the importance of unifying data architecture for optimal performance.

In this engaging discussion, Bill Hall, the creator of the Odin programming language, emphasizes his vision of "programming done right," aiming to refine C while integrating modern features. He shares insights on the defer statement's utility and contrasts Odin's design philosophy with C, focusing on user experience. Hall highlights Odin's journey, balancing tradition with innovation, and critiques C's macro system while promoting Odin's hygienic macros. His refreshing take makes Odin not just an alternative, but a comfortable evolution of C for today's programming needs.

Experienced architect Bobby Calderwood discusses event-driven architecture and the advantages of thinking about software from an event-based perspective. They explore event sourcing, its definition, and its value in various domains including finance and analytics. The conversation also covers the tech stack associated with event-driven architecture, the relationship between event sourcing and functional programming, and the concept of event modeling in system design.

Professor Christian Schafmeister, an award-winning nanotech researcher, discusses the use of Lisp in designing nanotechnology. He explains the advantages of Lisp for expressing chemistry concepts and talks about implementing his own Lisp interpreter. The challenges of collaborating on software development in Common Lisp and the integration of parallel processing and threading are also explored. Additionally, the progress and challenges in designing molecules for nanotechnology are discussed.

Sometimes, what a programming language makes harder is just as important as what it makes easier. For a simple example, think of GOTO. We’ve been wisely avoiding it for decades because it makes confusing control flow desperately easy. Types and tests are other examples - they’re as much about specifying what shouldn’t work as what should. And perspective is what makes this week’s topic particularly interesting: Roc is a language that’s functional, fast, friendly, and extremely interested in making your life easier by enabling some possibilities and restricting others.So this week we’re joined by Richard Feldman, the creator of Roc. He’s been an advocate of the Elm programming language for years, for its tight focus on taking the best bits of Functional Programming to the browser. And in recent years he’s been inspired to build his own language, taking that philosophy to other places and platforms.But which bits are “the best bits”? And how do they change when the domain you’re coding for changes? How is Roc built and how would we build systems in it? Let’s find out…--Roc’s homepage: https://www.roc-lang.org/Richard’s GOTO Copenhagen 2021 talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n17wHe5wEwRichard on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rtfeldmanKris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krisjenkins/Kris on Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@krisajenkinsKris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/krisajenkins