<p>I will be starting my BS in EE soon and hopefully from there go on to my MS in BME specializing in medical devices. I was wondering what programming languages is the most commonly used in the workforce and why, i.e. C, C++, Java, Matlab, Labview. Id like to get my library of references started soon. Thanks for any input.</p>
<p>Pick a popular language. That’s about the best you can do. There’s no single language that the entire workforce uses. C++ is never a bad choice but you never know what a company may want you use.</p>
<p>Matlab is not a programming language.</p>
<p>I looked up a few job openings and all of them required C or C++, alot of them didnt mention Java. Reason why I put Matlab as a programming language is thats how Wikipedia referred to it as. Looking more into it I see its a software tool along with Labview and VHDL. Does anybody know if Matlab, Labview, VHDL basically the same? Is there a popular software tool that EEs use the most out in the field?</p>
<p>Matlab, Labview, and VHDL are NOT basically the same.</p>
<p>There is no single software tool that most EEs will use. It really depends on the job.</p>
<p>I’d say C/C++.</p>
<p>“MATLAB is a numerical computing environment and fourth generation programming language.”
[MATLAB</a> - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matlab]MATLAB”>MATLAB - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>Matlab is a programming language and as a BME and EE you’ll probably see plenty of it. Of course the language you learn doesn’t matter, it’s the CS concepts that are important.</p>
<p>VHDL is a little different from all of the other languages mentioned. As far as I know, VHDL is not translated down into instructions for a microprocessor. Instead, it is used to describe digital circuits. It is a pretty EE language, though. I had to learn it for a class.</p>
<p>edit: errr, I’m wrong. wikipedia tells me that there are VHDL compilers out there . . .</p>
<p>you program at the register transfer level and it is then compiled to the actual wire connections, but I think its not translated to instructions for the microprocessor. I guess its not a program to be executed.</p>
<p>VHDL and Verilog are hardware description languages.</p>
<p>You use them to describe hardware.</p>
<p>Matlab… it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. For me, it’s like a bunch of people got around a table and had a 75-hour consortium on how to take C/C++ and make it as terrible as possible.</p>
<p>Matlab syntax leaves things to be desired but it is extremely powerful for what it was designed to do and once you get used to it, you learn to live with it.</p>
<p>It’s also not meant to write really long applications but short scripts.</p>
<p>All languages have a specific niche they fill. Rather than always relying on a particular language, you should choose an appriate language for the task.</p>
<p>Ok,from the info I got from you guys, looking at company job openings and what classes I will be taking I have an idea of what I need. My background right now is a BS in BMET but I want to become an engineer in the medical devices field. Thats why Im going to start out as a BS in EE at a new school. Im still working out the kinks as far as what classes transfer and which ones I can test out of. Im sure the basic courses will (Eng, Psych,Econ) but the elctronics/circuits might not. So with that info does anybody have any ideas of what books I should get? I think Calculus, Physics, C++, Matlab. Also, are those “-----” for Dummy books worth it?</p>
<p>If you are going to be studying EE, this is an excellent book on computers & C:</p>
<p>[Introduction</a> to computing systems … - Google Books](<a href=“Introduction to Computing Systems: From Bits & Gates to C & Beyond - Yale N. Patt, Sanjay J. Patel - Google Books”>Introduction to Computing Systems: From Bits & Gates to C & Beyond - Yale N. Patt, Sanjay J. Patel - Google Books)</p>
<p>God damn the ignorance here is astounding. Everyone’s just throwing out names and general opinions in an attempt to show off their petty knowledge.</p>
<p>Matlab not only refers to a nice set of tools, it <em>is</em> also a programming language.</p>
<p>VHDL is an incredibly awesome ‘language’ used to describe digital circuits, and synthesize them onto an FPGA, for example. Your code describes how a bunch of little look up tables and some other components are hooked up to each other. Allows you to make almost any digital circuit you can think of; even CPU cores.</p>
<p>And it all comes down to this: there is no programming language designed for EE & BME students… or any other engineering major.
You will not find companies that use just <em>one</em> single language for their projects either.</p>
<p>My recommendation is, if you’re looking forward to start programming to benefit your career, learn a C-like, statically typed language (Java, C++, bla bla), and learn a dynamic or scripting language (python stands out like none other).</p>
<p>Afterwards, learning another language is usually a week’s worth of effort.</p>
<p>IMO, if you are still in high school that any language or development tool that you familiarize yourself with will help you.</p>
<p>Just like once you know a foreign language, the next one is much easier - once you learn a programming language learning another one will not be very difficult.</p>
<p>Programming is more about the algorithms and logic involved. You can write good code or sloppy code in any language. Focus on learning good logic and the language itself will not be that important.</p>
<p>[MIT</a> OpenCourseWare | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science | 6.042J Mathematics for Computer Science, Fall 2005 | Home](<a href=“http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Electrical-Engineering-and-Computer-Science/6-042JFall-2005/CourseHome/index.htm]MIT”>http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Electrical-Engineering-and-Computer-Science/6-042JFall-2005/CourseHome/index.htm)</p>
<p>Not really an answer to your question, but I self-studied this and LOVED it.</p>
<p>If you want to know a good language that will help you most in your disciple id say c++.</p>
<p>Well thanks for all the input from everybody I have a basic idea of what to do. Fesago your comment makes sense as far as starting off learning a basic programming language and scripting language, then go from there. I never heard of python but I will look into it. Its frustrating that I completed a BS degree and we barely scratched the surface of a programming/scripting language. Im a disabled vet so the VA takes care of my education.
They take forever to do anything and dont like it when I step on their toes,so I have to wait for now. Hey, but its a free education.</p>
<p>“python”
- Yuck. (waiting for it…)</p>