smart thing to do??

[unclepink]

hey guys,
today when there are so many fields in IT u can jump in, beginners like me get totally confused about what to shove and what to love..what would u say is the best way to go for people like me who believe in learning themselves ( aint got the dough for the college )..I am an engineering bachelor from a top college but didn't like the thing i was doing.. so while i want to keep the money coming in, doing what i am doing, i would like to learn something ...suggest me a language or field which u think has some substance and is not just a fad.. i mean good stuff..and of course it should be practical at the same time i should be able to seel myself in the market afte 1-2 years of self prep..
thank u guys
pink

 

[howardnl]

Pink,

I don't think you can go wrong with C++/MFC. C++ has been around a while and I don't think it is going away anytime soon. Programming Windows With MFC by Jeff Prosise is a good resource. I would also try to learn ASP .NET - using C#. If you know C++ and/or C# then you can do pretty much anything - desktop apps and web stuff.

Java had a lot of hype when I graduated from college a year ago, but I'm not going to waste my time with it. If I were you I wouldn't learn it either, unless you want to program a toaster. Any robust app would probably run better with C++.

I'm not sure how much spare time you have, but you might try to get a part time job programming, that is the best way to learn, IMO. If not, just read and write code. This site is good and so is

http://www.codeguru.com

for when you have problems.

Just my $.02.

Good luck,
Nick

 

[unclepink]

thanks man,
what do u say.. i should be thorough with C++ before taking MFC.. right, so that i have the better understanding of the concepts. moreover which book do u think is good for beginners for C++ and has a good depth and is exhaustive at the same time ..basically a good package so that u don't have to read different books for each topic.
pink

 

[howardnl]

pink,

Yes, I would learn C++ first. Unfortunately I don't know any good books. I learned in college with a Deitel & Deitel book (can't remember exactly what it was called). It was a decent book, but my experience as far as C++ books goes it limited. Make sure you get something that covers the basics and then covers the object oriented stuff like inheritance, polymorphism, etc. You can probably find an online tutorial to take you through the very basics and maybe some of the more advanced stuff.

I'm not sure if you are familiar with databases and SQL, but if not you should also make an effort to at least learn the basics. You will need it. SQL is pretty easy to learn and you will definitely need it at some point.

One other thing. Get as much input as possible and then make your decision. These two posts are just my perspective and what has been good to me (at least so far). I'm sure there are those who disagree, but I don't think you can go wrong by learning C++.

Good luck,
Nick

 

[dkallen]

Sure, you want something that is not just a fad.
But you most especially want to do something you enjoy.
After all, that is at the root of your current dissatisfaction, from what you say.
Have you spent time figuring that out?
Once you know that, the range of options can more smartly be suggested.

 

[xloop]

One language - C#.

Don't bother with C++. C# practically does everything c++ does and it's alot safer!

Seeing as some of the .NET framework was actually written in C# i don't think microsoft are going to dump it anytime soon.

So, long term C#, short term ASP!

Good luck

 

[chiph]

C++ is definitely more "hard core", but it's a lot easier to shoot yourself in the foot with it too. I'd learn C#, as it allows you to do all the usual OOP (Object Oriented Programming) stuff, but without the hassle of managing memory.

In C++, if you forget to free some memory/objects, you end up with memory leaks which are very hard to track down, and result in programs that consume more and more memory as they run, until the machine crashes.

Chip H.

 

[jfrost10]

Hey Pink,

Microsoft has a C++.NET step by step book out now

http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/5733.asp

so if you did want to look into C++.net, that would be a good choice.

However, C# is the default fav it looks like with .NET coders, and it is a very powerful language, so don't throw it to the side.

xloop: what are you talking about, "ASP short term"? ASP is a technology man, not a language. AND you can program asp.net WITH C#. (heh, asp.net mark here, sorry)

Jack

 

[Scott24x7]

Pink,
Another programmers opinion... but I would say go with C#. There are a number of reasons. One, the .NET framework from Microsoft is solid, and very here to stay. C# is the logical choice here, as it is the only language in the suite that was written SPECIFICALLY for the .NET framework. Second, C# is obviously rooted in C++ (which is obviously rooted in C...) So, if you want to learn a leading-edge language, do it now. No one else knows C# yet either. Third, C# is a Microsoft product, and will become "The Norm" very quickly. Look how quickly ASP has taken root. In only 3 years, it is now everywher, and C# is the next logical extension. Also, I agree with what someone mentioned earlier in that, don't bother with C++ unless you're in to writing device or printer drivers... C# is just as robust for almost everything that C++ is, without all the *MASSIVE* headache of memory managment.
To that end, an excellent book is Begging C#, written by Karli Watson, in the Programmer to Programmer series. (Big RED book about 3" thick.) It is excellent, because it takes you all the way through C#, and does not assume that you have *ANY* previous programming knowledge. If you take the time to go through that book, it is very comprehensive, you could teach yourself a very solid basic background in the C# language in 6 to 12 months time, and be ahead of almost everyone working in C#. The biggest problem you will face, if $$$'s are an issue, is buying a copy of the .NET framework, which isn't exactly what I would call on the "Inexpensive" list. I don't know the exact cost, because I got mine through my Universal MSDN subscription, (Which run about $2,500 USD)... I assume the full .NET will cost you around $700 to $1,000...

Best Regards,
Scott

Please let me know if this has helped

 

[jfrost10]

Just a note about Scott's (TheManiac) post:

buying the whole Visual Studio.NET suite is a little costly, but if you want you can purchase just the C# part of it for about $170 Canadian. It should give you all the basics for developing C# apps, but without the other language support, and I'm guessing also without some of the bells and whistles that the full vs.net suite would contain.

Still, for a beginning developer on a budget, it might be a good place to start.

jack