What language should I use? Please help :/

I'm searching for a language to write a prog for windows in.

I don't want the prog to be bloated (vb) and I want it to work with all Windows Versions starting from Windows 95 if possible.

All this Programm has to do is to take a parameter when it is called:
myprog.exe parameter

This parameter is a path to a file. Then it should copy this file to another place. That's basically* it.

* I still need functions that allow me to:
- check a file size
- delete a file
- popup a Message Box
- replace something in a string
- if possible something like explode() like in php

Does anyone know some alternatives (no vb: bloated, no c: it seems to be to difficult for a starter like me)


Thank you very much, this is for a non-profit project I'm doing

I would do it in WIN32 API so I could do away with the command line arguments and use a GUI.

But that would require C or C++

DELPHI uses a form of OO PASCAL and is a GUI wrapper for the WIN32 API.

C can be difficult to grasp but as you mentioned the PHP function I am assuming you are familiar and PHP is loosely based on C, therefore if you can learn one you can learn the other. Visit amazon and search up the C++ Bible this is a fantastic reference book esp. for beginners and it will be reallly useful in getting your non profit job done and you will also be able to continue learning for future possible contract projects.

HTH

ok.. i think i'm gonna do that.
a question: whats the difference between c and c++.
and another: can i code in c/c++ without very expensive software?

Delphi costs too much :/

There are a couple of free c and c++ compilers and tools floating around for Windows like lcc-win32, but I don't know of what quality they are. I think Borland also has a free C++ Builder compiler that you can download. Many moons ago I used 3.0 of their IDE / compiler tools and I thought they were pretty good, but that's been years.

There are some free compilers available:
http://www.bloodshed.net/compilers/index.html

One good one that wasn't on the above list is here:
http://community.borland.com/articl...0,20633,00.html

You said that Delphi was too expensive. I just wanted to make sure you knew there was a personal edition for producing non-commercial software for $99 and an edition of C++ Builder for $69.
http://shop.borland.com/dr/v2/ec_MA...771140000077276
http://shop.borland.com/dr/v2/ec_MA...771140000077276

I've seen boxed sets of older commercial products selling on eBay for as little as $30 (Delphi 2, C++ Builder 4, etc.)

use Python, it's great for everything

can Python be compiled? and can one really do that with Python? Because I liked Python. The debugger always showed me where my errors were


and thanks for all that compiler Links I have not decided yet on what to use.