<p>^ok, at Clemson we have a MATLAB class but civil and environmental engineers had the option not to take that class and I chose not to. I’ll definitely try learning matlab this summer.</p>
<p>I already did, Aladdin:</p>
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<p>Nobody’s going to notice that you took a course in something, unless you’re applying to grad school for something computationally-intensive. Just learn a language by whatever means is useful to you, even if it’s learning it outside a classroom setting, and put it on your resume as a skill you have.</p>
<p>Thank you aibarr: </p>
<p>Actually I finished high school and I’m studying for my entrance exams to go through collage.</p>
<p>So,after finishing this mission with success I’ll start seeking for help in programming.</p>
<p>What do you think ? Is it a good start to enter university ?</p>
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<p>Namely, you don’t normally compile your code into an executable in MATLAB. This, by nature, defines it as a scripting language. </p>
<p>Regardless of what people call it, learning it as a “programming language” is silly. Sure, it’s a great tool to know – as I’ve said I myself have done extensive work with it – but more to the topic of this thread, most industry professionals and academics are not going to use it like a conventional programming language. If you’re looking to get some “programming” experience that would be most relevant towards your career, learn something like C/C++ or Fortran.</p>
<p>Edit: And aibarr, I’ve actually yet to encounter someone that does call it a programming language, industry and academic alike.</p>
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<p>but Python, Ruby, Java, Scheme, et al. . . . are interpreted as well & people commonly call these things programming languages.</p>
<p>i mean you can create your own rules for what you consider a programming language, but don’t pretend that everyone follows them.</p>
<p>I’m also a CEE and at Rice, all engineers (except bio-e’s) are required to take introductory MATLAB. civ-e’s, elec’s, and mech-e’s are also required to take matrix analysis with MATLAB. Point being, we need to know MATLAB, so it’s definitely a good idea to be familiar with that. I’ll second alchemist007 in that MATLAB’s language is not so different from Java (in which I took an introductory class in high school) so if you learn MATLAB first the transition to Java scripting won’t be too hard.</p>
<p>[MATLAB</a> Compiler - MATLAB](<a href=“http://www.mathworks.com/products/compiler/]MATLAB”>MATLAB Compiler - MATLAB)</p>
<p>I had to compile everything in grad school…</p>
<p>Use C unless you are CS/ CpE major. Why? C is very powerful language, but it is considered low due to its nature when you compare it to Java and C++.</p>
<p>When I had Python for the first time, my professor asked why wouldn’t anyone want to program a web service in C? We know C is powerful, and Python is not close to it. But time and money matter in practice!!!</p>
<p>Unless you are going to write an operating system, you probably don’t want to write C program. C is consider a difficult language for beginners, especially if you never really need to understand how data and algorithm work. </p>
<p>I’d go with either combinations: Java, C++, or C++, Python.</p>
<p>To answer your question:
What are some things a civil engineer could use a language like java for? </p>
<p>Let’s answer this question instead: “What can a computer program do?”
Now you got the answer.</p>
<p>And yes, Matlab and other mathematical applications are consider important for engineering people.
I don’t count MATLAB as a programming language. It is just another “toolbox” with the ability to write programs.</p>
<p>Fortran and Coblt are still used intensively in military and business sectors.</p>
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<p>why not? what makes something a programming language?</p>
<p>So the conclusion is : </p>
<p>First learn Matlab : But what specific issues must I learn in Matlab that fits civil engineeering ?!</p>
<p>Then learn Java : Similarily the same question >?!</p>
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<p>And I could go by what a few people on this board say, or what numerous professionals and academics that I’ve encountered believe. Hmm… I think I’ll take the latter. </p>
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<p>Thank you aibarr, for yet another link to MATLAB’s website. I think I’ve already stated that I’ve extensively used MATLAB, so it should be apparent that I know you can purchase a compiler for it. I’m not blind to MATLAB’s versatility…</p>
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<p>cs departments (these people study computing for a living) all over the country teach programming classes using java, a primarily interpreted language. </p>
<p>lol you’re a mechanical engineering student right? you don’t know anything about computers.</p>
<p>The numerous professionals and academics that I’ve encountered believe it’s a programming language. Might be different in your field, but this was specifically phrased as being a question about the civil engineering profession. In this industry, it’s a language.</p>
<p>@ Aladdin:</p>
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<p>Matlab is a technical language (if you take the general perpsective that it is a language 
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It does all kinds of mathematical objects computations.
Google matlab and look at google images to see what sorts of images you see. A lot of graphs. It can solve a lot of things for you. For example, plotting xyz space, stimulation models, and mathematic computations.</p>
<p>Knowing how to write M-file program in matlab language can be very helpful. One can write a C++ program and use matlab as a mathematic engine, as long as you know how to write such program. </p>
<p>So for civil engineering, there is no “MUST” learn language. I know civil engineers use other softwares and applications as well. MATLAB is not the only one. You should check with your upperclassmen and see what languages were they required to graduate (the courses). Most engineering school requires as least one computer science (usually Java, C, C++, Python), and languages like matlab probably counts as technical course. </p>
<p>In calculus 3 (mutli-variable), most schools that I know of use MATLAB as part of its course learning. So you probably will get to touch MATLAB anyway.</p>
<p>MATLAB is very powerful indeed. It can solve the most un-doable derivative for you :)</p>
<p>Java, C++, Python are more common today. Most people I know only recommend people to take C if they are computer science major. </p>
<p>Again, depending on your school. Moreover, after your graduate, and you get a job, your employer will tell you what exactly he wants you to know.</p>
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<p>Great assumptions, you are wrong on both by the way. Speaking of CS, if you are so inclined to think others don’t share the same view, try emailing Bjarne Stroustrup about this. If I really need to cite sources, maybe you’ll trust what he has to say on this subject (if he responds that is). I’m not really sure why you think I would feel inclined to make things up on a website I hardly visit, but your attitude is quite hilarious.</p>
<p>By the way, just to point out, is an Ipod a calculator? No, but it can function as one… Is my blackberry an “mp3 player”? No, but it can function as one also… Just because it has the functionality to do something, doesn’t mean it actually is one.</p>
<p>I’m done spamming this thread about a pointless argument. My original intent was to inform the OP that learning MATLAB as “a language” is not a robust idea, unless he/she is just beginning programming and wants to learn the structure/basic syntax of “a language”.</p>
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<p>you didnt even do this. you just came into the thread, pushed your glasses up on the bridge of your nose, and said, ‘well technically MATLAB isn’t a programming language.’ disregarding the fact that it is wrong, it’s not being helpful at all.</p>
<p>@ silence
I think from a cs technical prospective, MATLAB is a programming language. But personal preference is also welcome.</p>
<p>What gstein suggests is that he doesn’t want the poster to assume that learning MATLAB is THE language for civil engineers. And that MATLAB is a programming language that employers want civil engineers to know. </p>
<p>I know most schools require all engineers to take at least one computer science language because learning one will open more employments to graduates. Even basic structural programming can be a bonus toward a graduate’s resume. </p>
<p>In public I can refer MATLAB as a technical language. But when I discussed this with my classmates (I had MATLAB in freshman year), I referred it as “technical application”. Most people may not use MATLAB as a programming language like C++, Python, or Java.
Writing an M-file program requires knowledge of MATLAB synatx, which it depends on the toolkits the coder is using. But then again, gstein is probably suggesting poster not to confuse with that MATLAB is the computer language that an engineer should learn.</p>
<p>I don’t know about whether civil engineers ever have a technical lab course using matlab. But I know calculus 3 and in computer engineering, MATLAB is used in both courses for stimulations and computations. But I don’t count it as a programming language. This is just how I categorize things under personal preference.</p>