From Small Apps to Smart Programming Languages: A Developer's Journey

Imagine building your own real thinking AI. It's a fascinating thought, isn't it? Picture this: you retire to a serene Pacific island, where you no longer have to worry about financial concerns. This dream isn't just a pipe dream; it all starts with small steps, such as creating simple applications that can be completed in short periods.

Starting Small: Creating Your First Applications

You can begin your journey by creating very small applications like a TODO app. The app doesn't need to look complex; it should be simple enough for you to develop it quickly. As you gain confidence, you can move on to hosting it somewhere, such as Heroku, and share it with others. Simple applications can be multiplayer board games (like Ludo or Battleship) or card games (Solitaire or Uno). Once you get comfortable with creating these basic applications, you can take on more significant projects.

Developing Further: Creating Modules and Contributing to Open Source

Once you've mastered small and medium-sized projects, you can start creating modules that other developers can use. You can publish an npm package or Java package, which will be shared with the community. Contributing to open-source projects is also a great way to learn and improve your skills. It provides an invaluable opportunity to understand other codebases and contribute to the collective knowledge. However, always start small because until you achieve success, you may lack the motivation to move forward. Remember, the key to success is to take those first steps into the realm of programming.

AI and Language Processing: A Focused Area of Discovery

From the mid-1980s, I had ideas about AI and language processing. Some of these ideas have proven to be correct but, realistically, they were more difficult than anyone had imagined. It has taken longer than originally predicted for these ideas to evolve into reality. If I had found a way for a small business to bring these ideas to life, I would have loved to try it. Unfortunately, that pathway wasn't open to me.

Innovations in Programming Languages: A Dream in Progress

Programming languages are the backbone of any software development. However, the idea of creating a new language that acts like "smart clay" is a fascinating one. Imagine a programming language where you can show it code you don't like and the code you do like, and it automatically writes the necessary macros to transform the former into the latter. This dream language would act like smart clay, adapting to your needs rather than acting like static bricks.

Envision a compiler running on AWS EC2, utilizing vast amounts of resources to find clean, general solutions for you. And what if this language learned from the experiences of all its users? Could this be the LaaS (Language as a Service) of the future? The only concern is the significant gap since no significant developments in programming languages have occurred in the past 40 years. At this point, most people might struggle to imagine using anything beyond the next C derivative. Nonetheless, the dream of a smarter language persists, waiting for the right breakthrough to make it a reality.

Onward and upward in the realm of software development. Start small, and eventually, you might build the AI of your dreams or contribute to the next big leap in programming languages.