Member Avatar for FMcinnis

Hi everyone. I just found this forum and wasn't completly sure where to post this so I figured I'd try here.
I'm trying to decide what programming language to use in building a health related piece of software. I'd like the program to be able to track a number of factors over time such as pain level, sleep patterns, etc. I'd like it to be able to chart the findings and compare them over time, both individually and together. Any suggestions?
Sorry it's not much info but I'm about to go to sleep so fuzzy brain. :yawn:

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For a personal health tracker that logs pain, sleep and other time-series metrics, the practical priorities are low‑friction entry, clear trend visualizations, robust local storage/export, and privacy. As asked for an easy GUI, and building on ’s emphasis on UI (and ’s point that many languages can do the job), pick the platform and toolset that get a clean interface and reliable charts quickly rather than chasing raw language speed.

Choose a stack to match deployment needs. Desktop-first (single machine) is fastest to ship; managed frameworks (for example, .NET/WPF on Windows) yield polished GUIs and many chart libraries. Cross-platform desktop options include Qt (C++/PyQt) or Electron (JavaScript/TypeScript). For multi-device access, a web or mobile-first approach (React/TypeScript + backend, or Flutter for mobile) simplifies sync. Keep storage simple initially: a normalized time-series table with metric, value, unit, timestamp and optional notes. Example schema:

CREATE TABLE measurements (
  id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY AUTOINCREMENT,
  metric TEXT NOT NULL,
  value REAL NOT NULL,
  unit TEXT,
  ts DATETIME NOT NULL,
  note TEXT
);

Design the UX around one-click/one-scroll daily entry (sliders, buttons, defaults), and provide fast charts: zoom by date range, overlay metrics with normalization or separate axes, smoothing (moving average) and correlation scatterplots. Troubleshooting tips: index the timestamp field for faster queries; aggregate old rows into daily summaries if rendering slows; normalize units on import to avoid inconsistent plots. Always provide CSV export and local backups.

Practical first steps: define the tracked metrics and minimal fields, sketch a single-screen entry flow, implement storage + CSV import/export, add a simple time-series chart, then iterate with test users. If the app will hold identifiable health data or be used in clinical settings, implement encryption (in transit and at rest), access controls and seek legal/compliance advice about HIPAA and local regulations.

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Member Avatar for FMcinnis

I forgot to mention I'd like the final product to have an easy to use graphical interface.
Suggestions anyone? :)

Member Avatar for BestJewSinceJC

Easy to use or easy to build? I recommend Java, although surely I'm pretty quick to recommend Java so you might want some other opinions as well. Java is great for user interfaces - ease of programming and ease of use, but I'm not so sure about processor and time intensive tasks like tracking sleep patterns and such. There are a lot of arguments about how Java compares speed wise to languages like C++, but I think recently they have been compared as closer to equal, with C++ being the victor in most cases, as in the past. Again, might want to do your own research on this or wait for other opinions.

Member Avatar for FMcinnis

Thanks for the info. The plan is to have it be easy to use. I'm looking into possibly Java, C++, or C#.

Member Avatar for ithelp

C,C++,Java,C#, Visual C++ will do.

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