Programming

ID:185048
 
May 11 2006, 5:36 am
What do you think is the best programming languages to learn, that would give you a greater chance of finding a job in the future? I was thinking about getting heavily into web-based languages like php, asp.net, etc then stuff like VB.net and C#.net for windows based programs and of course there used in asp.net at the same time, so i thought it would be like killing two birds with one stone.
May 11 2006, 8:00 am
PHP is a good idea. I would stay away from any of the .net stuff. If you get a job programming, there is a good chance you will be dealing with old C++ code, most likely originally wrote for UNIX. You want to be platform unspecific because there are so many out there. Many companies use mostly Macs, and only keep PCs on hand for the rare times that they require Windows(which is nolonger a problem thanks to Intel based Macs).

asp.net is nowhere near the quality of php. It does work, but once again, you require a Windows webserver, which is not a good idea(A webserver is a very basic thing, if you remove the overhead that is windows, you can increase the performance of your webserver). *nix based systems allow you to cut out all the extra stuff and have a system that does nothing but serve webpages and files(FTP).
May 11 2006, 9:36 am
Java is good. Very useful. I hear cell phones and blackberries are programmed with it. Runescape is too...

It's similar to DM, only with semicolons and brackets.


--Vito
May 11 2006, 9:40 am
In response to Vito Stolidus
Many programers will tell you Java isn't good, for a very good reason. It's bloaty.
May 11 2006, 9:44 am
In response to Dark_Shadow_Ninja
I call FUD on that.

Java is a great programming language, if used correctly. Like any other programming language, Java can look bad if not done properly. I personally don't use it, but it is a viable option for programmers. However, if you are looking for a job in the future, best to learn C++ as soon as possible.
May 11 2006, 10:22 am
In response to Scoobert
I call "not FUD". Java *is* great, and it can do a lot of really great things -- which is one if its problems. It CAN do SO MANY things that it often quite bloated. Many of its native elements, like tables in Swing, are so loaded that they are many many times more overheadsome than they would be if a programmer designed his own implementation (unless you just happen to need everything that the tables provide, etc).
May 11 2006, 10:28 am
In response to PirateHead
Well, is that not the case for any higher level programming language? I would not call it a problem, just the natural order. It also depends on how you discribe bloated. To me, bloated means it is going over a certain point, to pointless extra. For Java, this is not the case, it is just unused functionallity.
May 11 2006, 10:31 am
In response to Scoobert
Yeah... C++ is a good start. A lot of higher-level languages are very similar to it.


--Vito
May 11 2006, 10:49 am
In response to Scoobert
Python, Perl, and Lisp/Scheme/cLisp are "higer level programming languages" that I've used. They do not have nearly as much "unused functionality", as you put it, as Java does. That's one of the reasons that IT analysts have been saying for years now that Java is going out the door, and will become a primarily academic language. Of course, I personally prefer Scheme as an academic language, but that's just me. :-)
May 11 2006, 12:55 pm
In response to PirateHead
C, C++ or any derivation of those languages is good place to start.
May 11 2006, 2:23 pm
In response to TheLunarWolf
I think everything but ASM has been thrown out so far, so here we go! I [don't] recommend ASM!

Anyways, I've heard good things about Python. /Recommended.
May 11 2006, 2:29 pm
C++

~Kujila
May 11 2006, 3:18 pm
In response to Vito Stolidus
Vito Stolidus wrote:
Java is good.

Ugh. No.

I hear cell phones and blackberries are programmed with it.

I'll concede this point. Java has done good things on mobile devices.

Runescape is too...

Yeah, well, the less said about that the better. =)

It's similar to DM, only with semicolons and brackets.

Except that the user interfaces you create with DM aren't nearly as laggy.

Which is ironic since BYOND runs at ten frames per second.
May 11 2006, 9:59 pm
In response to Crispy
i would offer up the recently 're-discovered' AJAX technologies (they've actually been around for some years now, but they've been given a collective 'brand' name to try and make it sound sexy and new) of XML plus your favorite web-language (PHP,Perl,Python and the like) plus Javascript. this combination powers many of the browser-based applications you now see out there (like Gmail, WriteMe, etc.). browser-based application developers are slowly growing in demand - atleast here in Europe.

my experience in that area in just recently landed me a nice job converting offline-windows-based software to it's browser-based counterpart so that you are not tied down to a specific operating system. my monthly salary is at about € 1,800 (after taxes) and should go up after a 6 month review. granted it's probably not much compared to my overall experience, but i'm doing something i really like and am fairly good at. € 1,800/month goes a long way for a single person in a bouyant European economy.
May 12 2006, 8:43 am
In response to Crispy
Yeah, java is quite slow. It's versatile, easy, comprehensive, and I think fun, but it's slow. That's the drawback.

--Vito
May 12 2006, 4:16 pm
In response to Vito Stolidus
I disagree about it being fun. Using programming to solve problems is fun; wrestling with endless pointless abstractions is un-fun. =)
May 12 2006, 4:18 pm
In response to Crispy
I think Java is a horrible way to get a job in the future, as answering the question of this whole topic. I have yet to see a real job that would be interesting use Java, except a job in Java Sun or something. Otherwise, there is no use for Java at all.