Programming languages in engineering

[rjsa]

C# syntax is damn easy and Visual studio makes it really easy on I/O and UI. When you move forward enough to feel the performance loss of managed code you can always compile the hardcore coding in a C++ dll and keep C# for the cosmetic layer.

C# also makes a pretty seamless jump to Java, and the way around.

No experience with Fortran,

[Jersey Tom]

Voted MatLab, but I really prefer simulink. I'm finishing my Electronic Engineer degree, specialized in mecahtronics. Simulink is really cool to design control systems.

Simulink is indeed very nice for drawing up (literally!) systems. However.. and I haven't used it in some time.. for as relatively slow as "written" MATLAB is, I've always been under the impression that Simulink is far slower. Perhaps that's a myth, I've never benchmarked it.

[RideRate]

Big time matlab for me including simulink for the big complex applications. I'm always big on quick m-files for performing tasks, organizing data, and performing analysis. The broad spectrum of tools and compatibility is what makes matlab an absolute must have.

C would be #2 for me and I use it for my simpler embedded applications and controls.

I try not to use anything else but forced into VB on occassion.

[DaveW]

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned Scilab as the free, multi-platform alternative to Matlab.

For engineering work, "SourceForge" is a comprehensive resource.

[Cold Fussion]

What's everyones complain with matlab's text file handling? From my time with matlab and c++, building text file parsers in matlab has been no more obtuse than I remember it being in c++, although my experience with c++ was limited to first year computer science.

[Greg Locock]

It is usable so long as you use eval. eval is great. eval is wonderful. eval is too bloody dangerous by half.

[Cold Fussion]

My personal opinion though is that at some point, you're pushing the boundaries of what matlab is good for. I view matlab (excluding simulink) as good for evaluation small data that easily imported that can operations can be applied on. Once you start getting into heavy I/O, I think you should really consider a proper programming language more adapt than matlab. My opinion is that I'd use matlab anywhere I would consider using excel, as it is easy to create something very quickly, and your data is properly sanboxed from your operations, where as in excel it isn't. I personally struggle to see the advantages of excel, other than it being effectively free.

[Jersey Tom]

What's everyones complain with matlab's text file handling? From my time with matlab and c++, building text file parsers in matlab has been no more obtuse than I remember it being in c++, although my experience with c++ was limited to first year computer science.

C# and .NET really make file IO very easy, IMO.