[GRASS-user] Re: GRASS-user] What scripting language should I learn?

[Maris Nartiss]

At first - get clear Your goals. Why You are playing around with GIS
tools? Depending on Your tasks, You might need Shell, Python, SQL, R,
C, Java etc. Those languages cover different GIS use cases and thus
it's impossible to say "pick one". Most likely You will need to be
familiar with SQL (data management in databases) unless You don't plan
to work with vector data at all. Python as scripting language is a
good choice as GRASS and QGIS both provide access to GIS functionality
within Python.

Second - "command line" is highly powerfull tool and easy to use (one
can send instructions via email or print in a book without tens of
screenchots). Still You have to know WHAT You going to do. No "let's
just click this or that". Take a look at GRASS analysis module help
pages - they all contain ready to use (copy/paste) examples for
different use cases + You can search GRASS wiki for more examples.

Third - if You have computer with 64bit CPU, install some 64bit
GNU/Linux. You can have a dualboot system without problems. Ubuntu for
beginner will be just fine. GNU/Linux will have lots of good and free
development tools, also GRASS, QGIS are mainy developed on Linuxes and
thus have less problems running than on windows. Keep in mind -
standard Windows shell (one You get with CMD) is a joke in comparison
with Linux shells and terminal emulators.

Think different ;)
Maris.