Best Reference Site For Each Programming Language?

Howling writes "I've been a PHP programmer for a few years and after taking a trip through many sites Ive learned that www.php.net is probably the most complete source when looking for information/documentation. I have been trying to find similar sites for every other language (Java, perl or ASP, for instance) without equal success, though. I ask: what is the best documentation/reference site for your preferred programming language?"

Scheme

[klutometis (1123525)]

If it's scheme [wikipedia.org] you're looking for, there's R5RS [schemers.org] and the SRFIs [schemers.org]; also, don't forget the world's possibly best-written programming book: SICP [mit.edu].

Perl and Python

[mangu (126918)]

cpan.org and python.org

Re:Perl and Python

[SatanicPuppy (611928)]

Agreed. I'd also add Perlmonks.org [perlmonks.org]; it's not documentation per se but it's damn useful.

For java, you have to master the API [sun.com]...Even modules that other people write are often documented with javadoc, and look just the same. Once you use it for a while it becomes familiar.

Re:Perl and Python

[mangu (126918)]

The funny thing is that for some 20 years, before I started using Python, my favorite and almost only language was C, and I don't know of any really good site for C.

However, I do know of a really good author, that is a "dead tree" author, for C: Herbert Schildt. I would recommend these [amazon.com]. Any of them. Well, just kidding, I haven't read them all, I doubt anyone has, but I bet they are all good.

My favorite is his book on artificial intelligence [amazon.com]. It's out of print now, but it was one of the reasons why C was my favorite language for about 20 years, and it still would be if Python hadn't come out.

Re:Perl and Python

[by Anonymous Coward]

C was my favorite language for about 20 years, and it still would be if Python hadn't come out.

You know this of course, but I thought I'd mention that your C experience isn't wasted as a Python programmer. The cycle: design in Python => profile => redo bottlenecks in C, is the basis of industrial strength Python application.

Re:Perl and Python

[Praedon (707326)]

Yep, those are good too.. but I'd also add something that was basically born from Slashdot, it's Rosetta Code [rosettacode.org] For common solutions with multiple code for different programming environments.

Java.sun.com

[acon1modm (1009947)]

just google: java X class where X is whatever you want. Top results will be sun java docs which are complete and have links to parent and descendent classes, implemented interfaces, etc.

FYI

[by Anonymous Coward]

If you use Eclipse you can configure the javadoc URL in your JDK configuration and pull up the pages from within the IDE. VERY handy.

Here's what I do

[shellster_dude (1261444)]

php: php.net
coldfusion: adobe.com
html, css, javascript, sql: w3schools.com
python: python.org
c/c++: devshed.com
java: java.sun.com

Anything else: my brilliant co-worker.

Re:Here's what I do

[MrMunkey (1039894)]

For JavaScript I head over to

developer.mozilla.org

It's pretty clear, but unfortunately you still have to watch out for browser incompatibilities. They sometimes will have a note about it though.

Tcl -- use the Wikibook

[Xcott Craver (615642)]

One of the best tutorials and references for Tcl is the Wikibook [wikibooks.org] on Tcl programming.

Indeed, it's one of the best programming texts I've seen in any language.

Object Pascal and C

[jmpeax (936370)]

Object Pascal reference [freepascal.org] & C reference [uiuc.edu].

Suggestions for perl

[howlinmonkey (548055)]

Documentation: peldoc.perl.org
Community: perlmonks.org
Articles: www.perl.com (O'Reilly site)

I have found the perl community to be the most open, supportive and cohesive group of all the languages I work with. Right now I am working with PHP, perl and C#, and perl is by far the easiest language to get help and correct information. I can find tons of info on the other languages, but the information isn't always the best quality.

Good luck with your search.

For all languages

[Korbeau (913903)]

experts-exchange.com

*ducks*

Re:For all languages

[nog_lorp (896553)]

answers.yahoo.com

*geese*

Re:For all languages

[mr_mischief (456295)]

ask.slashdot.org

*swans*

C/C++

[Kuraitou (1366125)]

http://cprogramming.com/ [cprogramming.com] - best site for beginners in my opinion.

Re:C/C++

[nog_lorp (896553)]

www.cplusplus.com

Beats the hell out of man pages for the POSIX C libraries.

stack overflow question

[fragbait (209346)]

Perhaps this a question for Stack Overflow [stackoverflow.com]?

-fragbait

PHP.net is great.

[nog_lorp (896553)]

PHP has probably the best documentation of an language thanks to PHP.net. It is really wonderful, everyone should follow their lead.

Re:PHP.net is great.

[Maian (887886)]

I don't know. I've recently had to use PHP for something, and I've been struggling to find out the performance of each function. For example, the php.net articles on count()/sizeof() functions on an array tell me nothing of whether it's O(1) or O(n). PHP really strikes me as a programming language for non-CS majors.

C: K&R.

[proidiot (747008)]

For C, use the most holy book:
K&R
(aka "The C Programming Language" by Kernighan and Ritchie, http://cm.bell-labs.com/cm/cs/cbook/ [bell-labs.com])

www.gotapi.com

[YutakaFrog (1074731)]

http://www.gotapi.com/ [gotapi.com] It's got all the good reference sites in one. You click the reference site, it adds a tab to the gotAPI webpage. It has a really good search box. No signup required. Best all-in-one reference ever.

Other languages

[poopie (35416)]

SNOBOL - http://www.snobol4.org/ [snobol4.org]

Logo - http://el.media.mit.edu/Logo-foundation/logo/programming.html [mit.edu]

FORTH - http://www.phact.org/e/forth.htm [phact.org]

Prolog - http://www.logic.at/prolog/faq/faq.html [logic.at]

Algol - http://www.algol68.org/ [algol68.org]

Lucid - http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/Lucid [haskell.org]

PL/I - http://www.users.bigpond.com/robin_v/resource.htm [bigpond.com]

Parashift

[D Ninja (825055)]

C++ FAQ Lite [parashift.com] is an excellent site for C++ information.