how do chinese program?

[Ashford]

hey guys,
I was making a program and all of a sudden it hit me how do Chinese or anyone who speaks a different language English for that matter make programs? All the programming languages that I know are in English and have certain syntax based on English so i was just wondering how non-English speaking people make programs, do they have to learn English?

 

[Reloadron]

For what it's worth this may help a little. However, yes, to program in the more common languages a command of the English language helps.

Ron

 

[ARandomOWl]

Most (if not all) major programming languages use English keywords because they were developed in an English speaking country. There are languages that have been developed in non-english speaking countries or by non-native english speakers such as ChineseBASIC. But obviously if you want to program a major language that has no localized version in your language then you would have to learn the English keywords.

 

[BrownOut]

In Sushi Linux

 

[Reloadron]

In Sushi Linux

OMG that was funny!

Ron

 

[Sceadwian]

Why don't you give the average American a copy of your C code and ask them if it's in English or not, they'll look at you with a dull eyed stare and probably say something like "I recognize a few of the words, but this is a language?"

Recognizable language in programming is minimal at best, programmers don't think of it that way though because they know how to deal with the native tongue so to speak. Some object oriented languages are more intuitive to the less technically apt that 'pure code' however the point still stands; C is a language in and of itself, the typical 'names' associated with common C functions would make no more sense to a common English speaking non technical native as it would to the Chinese.

 

[Ross Craney]

Reminds me of when I was a telecommunications trainee (40 yrs ago) & a workmate sent a telex to Hong Kong wanting to get a reply back in Chinese.

PS - please dont reply asking what a telex is !

 

[birdman0_o]

I've wondered this too!
There must be Chinese compilers and assemblers though.
The words, operations we use are replaced with a language that nobody can read intuitively (binary)

 

[bienafv]

You learn english, a lot of documentation on libraries are only available in english.

I'm dutch so have a fair idea of this problem.

 

[MrAl]

Hello there,


Long long time ago i had an operating system that was made in the Spanish language. I didnt speak Spanish but knew a little of it, but it didnt take long to learn the few words and syntax needed to work the system just fine, and it was interesting to do it that way too. The key thing is that the programming languages dont have that many words that have to be learned in order to use the system, unlike a true human language that is much more variable. This means it wouldnt take long to learn a programming language in another language other than your birth language. Yes it takes a little while, but within a week you can learn to do really a lot, much more than when learning a foreign language. I would say it's about equal to doing a beginning course on another human language, but probably even simpler than that.
I still have that operating system around somewhere It was MSDOS in Spanish (ha ha). It was cool though.

 

[Sceadwian]

Self negation. Ahh language and understanding at it's best!

 

[3v0]

We program in English
And also you'll find Chinese words in it.

Just like French, German etc. You see English keywords, names and comments in the native language. Understanding a program written in a different language is only somewhat harder then one written with poor name choice and few comments.

English use in programming is rather sparse for all but maybe COBAL.

Most languages have some form of the following.

flow control
if then else loop for got while then return break function

data
variable character integer real short long

the math is universal.

The hard part is learning to think like a computer.

 

[BrownOut]

Understanding a program written in a different language is only somewhat harder then one written with poor name choice and few comments.

You been looking at my code?

 

[Mikebits]

I just thought they programmed in Engrish...

 

[KeepItSimpleStupid]

Try setting up networking or networked printers on the Chinese version of Windows when you only know English. EEk.