Selecting a Programming Language

Assembler       - A formula I race car.  Very fast but difficult to drive
                  and maintain.

FORTRAN II      - A Model T Ford.  Once it was the king of the road.

FORTRAN IV      - A Model A Ford.

FORTRAN 77      - a six-cylinder Ford Fairlane with standard transmission
                  and no seat belts.

COBOL           - A deliver van  It's bulky and ugly but it does the work.

BASIC           - A second-hand Rambler with a rebuilt engine and patched
                  upholstery.  Your dad bought it for you to learn to
                  drive.  You'll ditch it as soon as you can afford a new
                  one.

PL/I            - A Cadillac convertable with automatic transmission, a
                  two-tone paint job, white-wall tires, chrome exhaust
                  pipes, and fuzzy dice hanging in the windshield.

C               - A black Firebird, the all macho car.  Comes with optional
                  seatbelt (lint) and optional fuzz buster (escape to
                  assembler).

ALGOL 60        - An Austin Mini.  Boy that's a small car.

Pascal          - A Volkswagon Beetle.  It's small but sturdy.  Was once
                  popular with intellectual types.

Modula II       - A Volkswagon Rabbit with a trailer hitch.

ALGOL 68        - An Aston Martin.  An impressive car but not just anyone
                  can drive it.

LISP            - An electric car.  It's simple but slow.  Seat belts are
                  not available.

PROLOG/LUCID    - Prototype concept cars.

Maple/MACSYMA   - All-terrain vehicles.

FORTH           - A go-cart.

LOGO            - A kiddie's replica of a Rolls Royce.  Comes with a
                  real engine and a working horn.

APL             - A double-decker bus.  It takes rows and columns of
                  passengers to the same place all at the same time
                  but it drives only in reverse and is instrumented
                  in Greek.

Ada             - An army-green Mercedes-Benz staff car.  Power steering,
                  power brakes, and automatic transmission are standard.
                  No other colors or options are available.  If it's good
                  enough for generals, it's good enough for you.