Learning path: Java or .net?

[jsbtech]

I have been a VB6 programmer for 4 years at a small manufacturing company with poor work environment, no career growth, no company vision and prospect. And, you bet, I am about 18% underpaid. For those reasons, I have been looking for another job for 2 months.

Actually the job market looks great right now but I still have not found any good company which is willing to hire me (or even give me a face-to-face interview). Why? Because of the limitations of my skills just in VB6, Access database, HTML and JavaScript. I feel that I am getting stuck in my career.

For those reasons, I know it is time for me to pick up new language so I look at Java and .net.

First, since I have the background of VB6, I should be able to pick up .net (C# or VB.net) fast.

Second, I took a Java J2SE class 5 years ago. I found that I liked it and I got an A in the class. Plus, if I isn't wrong, getting the first and second Java Certificates seems like faster than Microsoft's ones.

For job openings, I think both Java and .net have about the same opportunities in the market. My dream is getting in a big corporation and work on any big enterprise system or software.

So now my question is: Jave or .net? Which one should I go for? Any comment?

JSB

 

[chrissie1]

Quickest learning curve from VB6: VB.Net

Oh so, very wrong.

Christiaan Baes
Belgium

My Blog
"In a system where you can define a factor as part of a third factor, you need another layer to check the main layer in case the second layer is not the base unit." - jrbarnett

 

[colezpapa3]

Seems like the new stuff is a step backwards. I was involved in a .NET project back in 2005. I was amazed at how stupid it was to create a report. First create a stored procedure, then a data set, then source safe stuff, then crystal ...it was error prone and tedious, where in Access, buid the query then the report. We had major issues with the "New technology", it took years instead of months to create the project. I would stay with JAVA after seeing .NET

 

[RiverGuy]

Access is not in the same evolutionary tree or even forest as .Net. Apples to oranges. Access is a desktop database application which has built in report designing capabilities. .Net is a 3GL programming framework.

 

[LNBruno]

Access is Excel on [small]weak[/small] steroids and should never be used for critical or enterprise business needs, IMHO.

< M!ke >
[small]Don't believe everything you think.[/small]

 

[MasterRacker]

I agree. If you want to do a small workgroup application very quickly, Access is great. If you want something robust, scalable, designed for disconnected data access, multi-tier, etc. - use .NET

_____
Jeff
[small][purple]It's never too early to begin preparing for [/purple]International Talk Like a Pirate Day
"The software I buy sucks, The software I write sucks. It's time to give up and have a beer..." - Me[/small]

 

[xwb]

Don't quite understand this discussion. Java is a language. .net is M$ term for web services. You can create web services with just about any language including Java.

You can even try M$ Java lookalike called J#: Java with .net calls built in.

Most language courses will not teach you about .net. They are just language courses. It is like learning a foreign language. You won't learn the laws of the land just by learning the language.

 

[Chance1234]

I agree with Alex in going from VB6 to C# ,

also if you learn C# your halfway there with Java



Chance,

F, G + Its official, its even on a organisation chart et all

 

[philhege]

.net is M$ term for web services

Um, no. .NET is an umbrella term for MS's programming arena (C#, VB.NET, etc.) I can do a hell of a lot more than create web services with .NET.

Phil Hegedusich
Senior Programmer/Analyst
IIMAK

http://www.iimak.com

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A virtual machine ate my accounting data. I transferred it to a physical box, then I beat it to smithereens with a sledgehammer. I feel better.