programming languages

Rank

C vs Smalltalk

  1. I learned this language early in my career as a programmer

    100%
    C 43 out of 43 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  2. This is a mainstream language

    94% 6%
    C 36 out of 38 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  3. This is a low level language

    92% 8%
    C 95 out of 103 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  4. This language makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot

    90% 10%
    C 60 out of 66 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  5. I use many applications written in this language

    90% 10%
    C 108 out of 119 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  6. Writing code in this language is a lot of work

    88% 12%
    C 103 out of 117 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  7. This language is suitable for real-time applications

    87% 13%
    C 78 out of 89 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  8. I would use this language for writing programs for an embedded hardware platform

    86% 14%
    C 80 out of 92 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  9. I would use this language to write a command-line app

    86% 14%
    C 91 out of 105 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  10. There is a wide variety of open source code written in this language

    85% 15%
    C 88 out of 103 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  11. I know many other people who use this language

    84% 16%
    C 95 out of 112 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  12. This language is good for numeric computing

    84% 16%
    C 71 out of 84 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  13. Programs written in this language tend to be efficient

    82% 18%
    C 82 out of 99 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  14. This language has a strong static type system

    82% 18%
    C 91 out of 110 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  15. This language is likely to be around for a very long time

    82% 18%
    C 80 out of 97 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  16. Programs written in this language tend to play well with others

    82% 18%
    C 78 out of 95 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  17. Third-party libraries are readily available, well-documented, and of high quality

    80% 20%
    C 83 out of 103 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  18. I often get angry when writing code in this language

    79% 21%
    C 19 out of 24 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  19. This language allows me to write programs where I know exactly what they are doing under the hood

    77% 23%
    C 85 out of 109 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  20. There is a lot of accidental complexity when writing code in this language

    77% 23%
    C 77 out of 99 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  21. This language has a high quality implementation

    76% 24%
    C 33 out of 43 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  22. Programs written in this language will usually work in future versions of the language

    76% 24%
    C 70 out of 92 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  23. The thought that I may still be using this language in twenty years time fills me with dread

    75% 25%
    C 66 out of 88 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  24. This language is good for scientific computing

    75% 25%
    C 72 out of 96 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  25. I regularly use this language

    75% 25%
    C 90 out of 120 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  26. Developers who primarily use this language often burn out after a few years

    74% 26%
    C 56 out of 75 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  27. I know this language well

    74% 26%
    C 586 out of 787 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  28. I use a lot of code written in this language which I really don't want to have to make changes to

    73% 27%
    C 17 out of 23 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  29. When I run into problems my colleagues can provide me with immediate help with this language

    73% 27%
    C 73 out of 99 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  30. I would list this language on my resume

    73% 27%
    C 77 out of 105 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  31. This language is frequently used for applications it isn't suitable for

    73% 27%
    C 52 out of 71 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  32. There are many good commercial tools for this language

    72% 28%
    C 67 out of 92 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  33. This language is unusually bad for beginners

    72% 28%
    C 79 out of 109 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  34. It is too easy to write code in this language that looks like it does one thing but actually does something else

    72% 28%
    C 55 out of 76 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  35. I would use this language for writing embedded programs

    72% 28%
    C 18 out of 25 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  36. I usually use this language on projects with many other members

    71% 29%
    C 74 out of 103 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  37. I find it easy to write efficient code in this language

    71% 29%
    C 79 out of 110 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  38. There are many good open-source tools for this language

    71% 29%
    C 65 out of 91 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  39. This language is well documented

    69% 31%
    C 64 out of 92 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  40. I would use this language for mobile applications

    68% 32%
    C 76 out of 111 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  41. This language has an annoying syntax

    68% 32%
    C 28 out of 41 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  42. The resources for learning this language are of high quality

    64% 36%
    C 67 out of 104 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  43. Code written in this language will usually run in all the major implementations if it runs in one of them.

    64% 36%
    C 25 out of 39 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  44. Code written in this language tends to be verbose

    62% 38%
    C 62 out of 99 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  45. This language has many features which feel "tacked on"

    60% 40%
    C 55 out of 91 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  46. I can imagine this will be a popular language in twenty years time

    60% 40%
    C 55 out of 91 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  47. I can imagine using this language in my day job

    60% 40%
    C 69 out of 115 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  48. This language has a niche outside of which I would not use it

    58% 42%
    C 56 out of 95 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  49. It's unusual for me to discover unfamiliar features

    58% 42%
    C 54 out of 92 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  50. I am sometimes embarrassed to admit to my peers that I know this language

    58% 42%
    C 41 out of 70 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  51. This language is large

    57% 43%
    C 54 out of 94 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  52. There are many good tools for this language

    54% 46%
    C 53 out of 98 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  53. If this language didn't exist, I would have trouble finding a satisfactory replacement

    53% 47%
    C 37 out of 69 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  54. I usually use this language on solo projects

    53% 47%
    C 61 out of 114 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  55. This language is easier to use for it's problem domain by removing unneeded expressiveness (such as not being Turing complete).

    53% 47%
    C 8 out of 15 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  56. Libraries in this language tend to be well documented.

    52% 48%
    C 18 out of 34 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  57. This language has a wide variety of agreed-upon conventions, which are generally adhered to reasonably well, and which increase my productivity

    52% 48%
    C 45 out of 86 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  58. This language has a very dogmatic community

    51% 49%
    C 50 out of 97 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  59. I am reluctant to admit to knowing this language

    51% 49%
    C 38 out of 74 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  60. This language is good for distributed computing

    51% 49%
    C 46 out of 90 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  61. This language excels at concurrency

    51% 49%
    C 51 out of 100 picked C over Smalltalk Smalltalk

  62. This language matches it's problem domain particularly well.

    48% 52%
    C 19 out of 37 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  63. I would use this language for writing server programs

    48% 52%
    C 53 out of 103 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  64. This language has a niche in which it is great

    48% 52%
    C 53 out of 102 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  65. This language is best for very small projects

    47% 53%
    C 53 out of 100 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  66. I would use this language for casual scripting

    46% 54%
    C 57 out of 107 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  67. This language has a very rigid idea of how things should be done

    46% 54%
    C 63 out of 118 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  68. I use this language out of choice

    46% 54%
    C 47 out of 88 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  69. This language has a good community

    46% 54%
    C 54 out of 100 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  70. If my code in this language successfully compiles, there is a good chance my code is correct.

    44% 56%
    C 25 out of 45 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  71. This language has a good library distribution mechanism.

    41% 59%
    C 18 out of 31 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  72. This language is best for very large projects

    41% 59%
    C 53 out of 90 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  73. I still discover new features of this language on a fairly regular basis

    39% 61%
    C 49 out of 81 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  74. I often feel like I am not smart enough to write this language

    38% 62%
    C 21 out of 34 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  75. I enjoy using this language

    37% 63%
    C 76 out of 122 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  76. Code written in this language tends to be terse

    37% 63%
    C 68 out of 108 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  77. This language is minimal

    37% 63%
    C 63 out of 100 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  78. I enjoy playing with this language but would never use it for "real code"

    36% 64%
    C 59 out of 93 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  79. I would use this language for a desktop GUI project

    35% 65%
    C 73 out of 113 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  80. When I write code in this language I can be very sure it is correct

    35% 65%
    C 66 out of 102 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  81. Code written in this language tends to be very reliable

    34% 66%
    C 67 out of 102 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  82. I would recommend most programmers learn this language, regardless of whether they have a specific need for it

    33% 67%
    C 26 out of 39 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  83. I often write things in this language with the intent of rewriting them in something else later

    33% 67%
    C 46 out of 69 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  84. This language is very flexible

    33% 67%
    C 69 out of 103 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  85. This language is likely to have a strong influence on future languages

    32% 68%
    C 64 out of 95 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  86. I would use this language as a scripting language embedded inside a larger application

    30% 70%
    C 66 out of 95 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  87. It is easy to debug programs written in this language when it goes wrong

    29% 71%
    C 71 out of 101 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  88. This language has well-organized libraries with consistent, carefully thought-out interfaces

    29% 71%
    C 58 out of 82 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  89. This language is likely to be a passing fad

    29% 71%
    C 56 out of 79 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  90. Learning this language improved my ability as a programmer

    28% 72%
    C 80 out of 112 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  91. This language excels at text processing

    28% 72%
    C 68 out of 95 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  92. It is easy to tell at a glance what code in this language does

    28% 72%
    C 76 out of 106 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  93. I rarely have difficulty abstracting patterns I find in my code

    27% 73%
    C 68 out of 94 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  94. This language encourages writing code that is easy to maintain.

    26% 74%
    C 25 out of 34 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  95. This language encourages writing reusable code.

    25% 75%
    C 29 out of 39 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  96. This language is good for beginners

    24% 76%
    C 79 out of 104 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  97. I would use this language for a web project

    23% 77%
    C 93 out of 122 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  98. Code written in this language is very readable

    22% 78%
    C 76 out of 98 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  99. I would like to write more of this language than I currently do

    22% 78%
    C 83 out of 107 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  100. I find this language easy to prototype in

    20% 80%
    C 79 out of 100 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  101. Learning this language significantly changed how I use other languages.

    20% 80%
    C 27 out of 34 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  102. This language is built on a small core of orthogonal features

    19% 81%
    C 80 out of 100 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  103. This language excels at symbolic manipulation

    18% 82%
    C 90 out of 111 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  104. This language is expressive

    18% 82%
    C 88 out of 108 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  105. This language has a very coherent design

    17% 83%
    C 73 out of 89 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  106. This language would be good for teaching children to write software

    15% 85%
    C 27 out of 32 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  107. I find code written in this language very elegant

    15% 85%
    C 93 out of 110 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  108. This language has unusual features that I often miss when using other languages

    14% 86%
    C 74 out of 87 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  109. The semantics of this language are much different than other languages I know.

    13% 87%
    C 33 out of 38 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  110. This language is well suited for an agile development approach using short iterations.

    10% 90%
    C 34 out of 38 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

  111. This is a high level language

    10% 90%
    C 102 out of 114 picked Smalltalk over C Smalltalk

What's going on here?

The absolute rankings are interesting for large scale comparisons but when you want to know about two specific languages it's much more informative to look at how the two fare when they go directly head to head.

Here are all the statements which we've got enough comparisons between C and Smalltalk to be meaningful and which of the two our users picked.

The order in which we're presenting them is a little arbitrary (sorry), but we've tried to put the things which they're both good at first so as to give you the most interesting picture of it.