Why are there so many programming languages? And why are there still being so many made? I would think you would try to perfect what you have instead of making new ones all the time. I understand you need new languages sometimes like quantumcomputing or some newer tech like that. But for pc you would think there would be some kind of universal language. I’m learning java btw. I like programming languages. But was just wondering.
For which language do you have to pay the language inventor to use it?
Coldfusion (Adobe) comes to mind. There is an open source CFML clone or two, but the real deal is a bit pricey. It’s mostly used by government, higher ed., and healthcare. It’s not terrible, but it was cooler when it was younger IMO.
If you invent a language and it takes off, you’re literally the expert on it and will reap the financial windfall of that.
That sentence seems correct. As for your question, you’d rather have to ask yourself: When would you pay for a programming language?
Back in the old days before internet and commodity hardware, before easy distribution, before non-trivial software, before basic compiler knowledge was common people were easily impressed, so naturally you could sell your compiler for primitive grug BASIC.
Today, that situation is different. A language by itself is meaningless, a risk, even, in some ways. A while back some developer of REM Objects was bitching about in the old aggregator on how nobody wanted to spend money on their special proprietary BASIC. Like it was just another product. They don’t know
how to use a computerhow programming languages work. This extends to even finding users willing to use your stuff for free. I don’t want to knock on REM Objects in particular, you know you could add way more examples like Seed7, every lisper ever etc., but let’s get into why people pay for programming languages.