Programming language to use to make plots from a database?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the best programming language to use for developing a web application that can plot data from a database, with a focus on both 2D and 3D visualizations. Participants explore various aspects of web development, including user interface design, data processing, and model calculations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant, a graduate student, seeks advice on the best programming language for building a web application that plots data and conducts model calculations.
  • Another participant suggests using HTML5 for the user interface and outsourcing data processing through APIs like Wolfram or Microsoft's Azure.
  • A third participant recommends learning Python through online courses, highlighting its ease of use, cross-platform capabilities, and strong math libraries, while noting that almost any language could achieve the desired outcome.
  • One participant expresses enthusiasm for learning programming and shares their experience with online platforms like Udacity and Code Academy, indicating a desire to understand the future direction of web programming.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the utility of Python for the project, but there is no consensus on a single best programming language, as some suggest that many languages could be suitable for the task.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes varying levels of programming experience among participants, and there are no definitive conclusions about the best practices or future trends in web programming.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in web development, particularly those looking to learn programming for data visualization and model calculations.

Zerhyn
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I am a graduate student who has basically no experience programming but I would like to learn so I decided to give myself a project. What I would like to do is build a web application that can plot data (2D & 3D) from a database. Once I get that far I would like to have the web application conduct model calculations. I would like users will be able to select the data they are interested in and then proceed to run a model.

What programming language would be best to proceed in this direction?

Thank you!
 
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OK. So what I have gathered so far is that I should develop the UI via HTML 5 (I would like this web app to be universal on almost nearly all platforms). Then outsource the data processes using API's to the likes of Wolfram or Microsoft's Azure.
 
I feel like I'm advocating this website a lot lately, but I'm very enthusiastic about it and I can't help but recommend it to anyone wanting to learn programming.

www.udacity.com

If you take CS101 you'll learn how to program in Python in (nominally) 7 weeks, although the course is not running per se, you'd take it in your own time (which could be a week). I'm currently taking CS253 which is web application programming in Python using the Google App Engine framework and a backend SQL database.

They won't teach you graphics, but you should probably learn the basics first.

Take a peek, I think it would be a very good path to consider - Python will do everything you need, it's pretty easy to pick up, it's interpreted (no compiling - interactive and rapid development) it has great math libraries, it's cross platform.

Having said that, you could accomplish what you want with almost any language / platform you choose.
 
Thank you for the replies! I have been playing around with Code Academy [codeacademy.com] for a few weeks and I'll look into udacity as well. I guess what I was wondering where programming for the web is headed and what were the types of things I should keep in mind. But it appears I just need to start doing and I'll find my way there eventually.
 

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