Project: Codeing Language Syntax Comparison
Challenge: Create a webpage that can dynamically compare two computer language's syntax
After having been a VB.NET developer for sometime, I was looking to get back into C++ and C# for some projects. That was when I stumbled over this webpage created by a Professor at Harding University. Since most computer languages follow the same basic logic and merely differ in syntax, this page allows someone to quickly compare the use of a language they know to one they are unfamiliar with. Showing actual code examples of the two languages side by side, I can quickly grab the context of how the language is used at a glance.
In this case it compares VB.NET and C# languages; but there is another page comparing C# and Java, and even one for Java script and VB script. But later on when I was interested in Java, comparing it to VB.NET would require first having to look up the syntax on the VB to C# page, and then again on the C# to Java page. Which defeats the purpose of doing a comparison as opposed to simply looking the syntax up.
So I got to thinking, what if I could build a page where you could choose which two languages to compare side by side? If built the right way, it could even allow the addition of more languages in the future. The project seems simple in scope, but will still require a good amount of design. It will also give me the chance to build a web site using HTML, XML, PHP, and some scripting; while getting my hands in a bunch of coding languages as well.