The hottest Languages Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Functional Genie

Software Design: Tidy First? • 243 implied HN points • 08 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Programming Software Development Languages Engineering
  1. When coding in Rust, it can be tricky to use the right idioms, especially when dealing with functions that return an Option. It's good to pay attention to how you handle these results.
  2. In Rust, the common way to check for values is with an 'if' statement, which can take some getting used to if you're new to the language.
  3. Building a high-quality map implementation in Rust can be performance competitive, but learning the language and its features is essential for success.

Adiós Duolingo, hello Anki

De Novo • 88 implied HN points • 05 Jun 25
🚌 Education Learning Technology AI Languages Methods
  1. Anki is a flashcard app that helps with memorization using spaced repetition. It's great for learning detailed information and can share decks for team learning.
  2. Using AI to make Anki cards can be helpful, but it's important to check for errors. It's best for reinforcing knowledge rather than learning completely new topics.
  3. After years of using Duolingo, switching to Anki seems more effective for real learning. You can create a system to track your progress similar to Duolingo's streaks.

An Interview With Oscar About College in Ireland

Design Mom • 1434 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
🚌 Education College International Languages Courses
  1. Oscar chose to study in Ireland to do his coursework in English and be closer to his family in the EU.
  2. In his university in Ireland, students have to pick specific Courses when applying instead of declaring a major later on.
  3. American universities start with general education classes, while in Oscar's university, students apply directly to their preferred Course from a list.
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Open Thread 1

Nooceleration • 216 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🚌 Education Blogging Podcast Travel Books Languages
  1. The blog Nooceleration will be the primary venue for the author's work.
  2. The author plans to cover topics like Biosingularity, 2024 predictions, and network states.
  3. Personal goals for 2024 include developing a concept around The Biosingularity and traveling to Argentina.

Idel-Ural

kamilkazani • 314 implied HN points • 10 Nov 23
🌍 World Politics Languages
  1. Idel-Ural is a region shaped by the Volga river and Ural mountains.
  2. Ethnic situation in Idel-Ural is simpler compared to the North Caucasus.
  3. Chuvash people speak the last living tongue of the Bulghar-Oghur family.

Facing Facts, even fraught ones: the quest for proto-Indo-Europeans in 2023

Razib Khan's Unsupervised Learning • 983 implied HN points • 23 Sep 23
💾 History Languages Genetics Archaeology
  1. Indo-European languages have spread widely across the globe through historical events and cultural exchanges.
  2. Genomic technologies have revolutionized our understanding of the rise and spread of Indo-Europeans.
  3. Debates around Indo-European origins have evolved, integrating fields like genetics, archaeology, and linguistics.

Elixir-like pipes in Ruby (oh no not again)

zverok on lucid code • 57 implied HN points • 16 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Programming Software Development Languages Frameworks
  1. Elixir has a special way to chain functions called the pipeline operator, which makes code easier to read. This idea has caught the attention of many programming languages, including Ruby.
  2. Ruby already has a method-chaining style that makes some proposals for a pipeline operator unnecessary. Ruby methods work differently than in Elixir, which poses challenges for introducing this feature.
  3. The author experimented with a new approach to mimic the pipeline operator in Ruby using a method that transforms code at a low level, but it's not intended to be a permanent addition to Ruby. It's more of an exploration of potential features.

Becoming a beginner again

Tribal Knowledge • 19 implied HN points • 03 May 24
🕹 Technology Programming Learning Tools Languages Innovation
  1. Embrace the mindset of a beginner to approach problems with fresh eyes and dive into learning without overthinking.
  2. Experiment with new tools, languages, and technologies to keep yourself engaged and continuously learning in your field.
  3. Maintain curiosity and openness to new experiences in order to stay motivated and discover innovative solutions in your work.

Norse vs. Germanic

Norse Mythology & Germanic Lore • 59 implied HN points • 04 Dec 23
🎭️ Culture Mythology Religion Languages Traditions Beliefs
  1. Germanic refers to language, culture, and religion, not just bloodlines, race, or ethnicity.
  2. Norse, a subset of Germanic, is a term for medieval Scandinavian speakers of North-Germanic languages.
  3. Germanic mythology shares similarities with other Indo-European traditions, like the thundergod motif, but divergences in stories can lead to variations in how gods are perceived.

A World without C

Deus In Machina • 72 implied HN points • 07 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Programming Software Languages Innovation Legacy
  1. The push towards memory-safe languages like C++ over C is gaining attention due to concerns about software security, especially in critical systems like government infrastructure and services.
  2. C's simplicity and widespread usage make it a common choice for interlanguage bindings, but its simplicity can also lead to challenges in areas like memory management and handling large projects.
  3. While C has a rich history and legacy, there is growing discussion about the potential for newer languages like Zig to eventually replace C in its core functionalities, driven by advancements in the programming landscape.

Pascal: The language that almost took over the world part 2

Deus In Machina • 36 implied HN points • 16 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Programming Software Languages Development Computer Science
  1. Pascal programs have a structured format with specific sections for constants, types, and variables.
  2. Free Pascal supports multiple dialects which can be specified using mode directives like OBJFPC and DELPHI.
  3. In Pascal, functions and procedures are declared with keywords like constructor, function, and procedure, and variables are prefixed with T and F.

Simula the forgotten programming language

Deus In Machina • 72 implied HN points • 02 Mar 23
🕹 Technology Programming Languages Implementation Classes Functions
  1. Simula was a significant influence on the design of languages like C++ and Java, showcasing Object-Oriented Programming concepts.
  2. Finding an implementation for Simula, like Portable Simula, can be a bit challenging but rewarding.
  3. Simula uses unique syntax like keyword-based blocks, explicit statement endings with semicolons, and different assignment operators for text variables.

English-Language Learners

SFEDup • 19 implied HN points • 28 Feb 23
🚌 Education Languages Demographics Challenges
  1. San Francisco has a high percentage of novice English learners, especially among Latino students.
  2. Home language surveys in California reveal varying English learner numbers and dominant languages in SFUSD.
  3. SFUSD faces challenges in administering initial English proficiency tests, with some students starting to learn English in high school.

Antiquarian Abecediary Annex

Autoscriptorium • 19 implied HN points • 03 Mar 23
📚 Literature Vocabulary Languages Poetry Definitions Etymology
  1. Words like 'Acarprous,' 'Borborygmic,' and 'Clepsydra' are interesting terms with unique origins, adding depth to language.
  2. Learning about words such as 'Horripilation,' 'Ichneumon,' and 'Plangently' provides insight into fascinating phenomena and historical references.
  3. 'Syncope,' 'Usufruct,' and 'Tumulous' introduce us to specific concepts and legal terms worth exploring further.

In C++ We Rust

Sector 6 | The Newsletter of AIM • 19 implied HN points • 07 Jun 23
🕹 Technology Programming Software Development Languages Trends
  1. C++ is becoming less popular, with many developers focusing on newer languages like Rust and Python. It’s like learning a language that’s not used much anymore.
  2. The only people still learning C++ seem to be those interested in its history or looking to write books about it. Most developers just want to get their work done quickly.
  3. Having complete knowledge of C++ is seen as a bold claim nowadays, as many believe that there are more relevant skills to focus on in programming today.

Once a Maintainer: Robert Mosolgo

Once a Maintainer • 5 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Open Source Programming Software Development Languages Performance
  1. Robert Mosolgo transitioned from a background in linguistics to becoming a prolific open source maintainer and creator of the graphql-ruby gem.
  2. He got involved in open source by taking over the React-Rails gem, contributing, and eventually becoming the maintainer, showcasing the accessibility and impact of open source contributions.
  3. His journey into writing parsers for the gem led him to explore his linguistics background, bridging the gap between human language and programming language parsing.

To C or not to C

Blog System/5 • 4 HN points • 21 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Programming Languages Memory management Software Engineering
  1. Knowing C well involves dealing with pointers, memory management, system calls vs. library functions, and understanding the FFI
  2. Knowledge of memory, system calls vs. library functions, and FFI gained from knowing C can be applied to many programming languages
  3. While you don't need to know C to be a good programmer, learning it can help you with understanding fundamental programming concepts

“Useless syntax sugar”: Numeric block parameters

zverok on lucid code • 3 HN points • 10 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Programming Syntax Languages Development Coding
  1. Ruby introduced a feature with numbered block parameters to avoid repeating block arguments, making code more concise and readable.
  2. Using numbered block parameters can improve visual lightness, saving screen space and avoiding unnecessary repetition in chains of short blocks.
  3. The small syntax change of using numbered block parameters can encourage a declarative coding style, emphasizing transformations from inputs to outputs in a more readable manner.

Spoken Egyptian in Age of Mythology

Maximum Effort, Minimum Reward • 1 HN point • 09 Jul 23
🎭️ Culture Video Games Languages Ancient Civilizations
  1. Age of Mythology is a fun real-time strategy game with rich mythology and fantastical elements
  2. The game features unit sounds in ancient languages like Greek and Norse, allowing players to translate some of the words
  3. Deciphering the Egyptian unit sounds in the game is challenging due to limited knowledge of how Ancient Egyptian language sounded

¿Por qué no?

Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends • 0 implied HN points • 05 Nov 22
🎭️ Culture Languages Social media Internet culture True Crime Influencers
  1. Many Duolingo users are spending hours cheating just to earn points and climb leaderboards, leading to concerns about misuse and lack of real learning.
  2. The gamification features in Duolingo incentivize users to cheat and farm XP, with some even spending money on premium subscriptions and in-app purchases.
  3. Duolingo seems to be taking action against cheating tactics, but these actions align with its goal of boosting revenue and engagement, raising questions about the effectiveness of the platform for language learning.