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Java Or C#


StephenM
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hi,

firstly, please forgive spelling errors, on the move.

like larrys anouncement, i recently also got some good news that will change my career path.

i have been tryinggb to learn php/js in a part time capacity for 4 months or so. i do enjoy it but i took a look around at courses to see if i could get some credentials on the cv. and structure to my learning path.

i found a 1 year higher diploma in software development designed for graduates of other disciplines with some/ little / or even no programminggb experience. at the end the student will do an internship for an enteprise and the course is 100% direced towards becoming employed in an enterpise in the ict sector. it has a short internet programming module but otherwise is heavily geared on java and c# i think.

so i was wondering:

does learning these languages benefit you a little bit / some / significantly / very significantly if later i decided to go back to php or js?

can those internet languages be learnt more easily on a part time basis if in tandem one is learning java/c# or are different languages more of a discrete learning process?

finally, anybody got views on the pros and cons of enteprise level employee vs freelance?

and if you work for a company and are an intern or junior developer, are you still sort of learning on the job? do companies allow / flexible in this regard? or is there a ton of pressure on top of you?

how quick can you progress? is it based on your performance or internal politics play a role?

 

i know these are general questions but maybe ppl have some personal experiences.

 

rgds

stephen

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Lots of questions here.

 

They do absolutely benefit you, yes. Both C# and Java are fully object-oriented programming languages, while PHP supports both procedural (top-bottom execution of programs) and object-oriented programming. In my experience, learning at least one object-oriented programming language will help you immensely as a programmer on the whole. The main reason for this is because you will learn best-practice programming practices, and therefor extend your "toolset" of task you are able to complete. While you can be a developer without knowing how to code object-oriented, you are greatly limiting yourself. Jumping from C# to Java or visa-verca will also go pretty smoothly once you know one or the other.

 

I can only speak for the situation here in Norway, but Java and .NET (Microsoft's C# framework) developers are very much in demand. In comparison, there's not many jobs for PHP developers there.

 

I'm still doing my bachelor in computer science. From what I've gathered, you are not expected to be ready for work right after graduation. The companies I've talked to has an estimate of two to six months with several courses, certifications and training before you are ready. You will most likely start out as a tester or similar first. When you've mastered that, you'll get your chances to write code. In smaller companies, with smaller teams and projects, you are more likely to get a chance early on if you prove your worth.

 

Regarding stress/expectations/pressure, I would say there's little of that. You'll start on the "ground floor", and has to prove your worth and work out how the company functions internally first. It does seem like consultancy companies expect a bit more from their workers here, but only those with top grades gets internships.

 

That's my five cents. I'm based in Norway as said earlier, so it might be a little bit different over there. Norway is a very high educated country with lots of programming businesses, so I would guess it's pretty representative.

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hi Antonio,

thanks for your answers. its been very useful and reassuring.

in ireland, i think its the same.

and its good to hear that learning oop programming is very useful. the course is focussing on oop for the first 3 months.

its good that the companies give you space to progress but sometimes i wonder how ready i or anyone with little programming experience can be ready after 9 months in university for a 3 month internship. i know the course focusses on programming and tries to condense everything.

im not complaining too much though since im 30 and i dont have time for a few years in a course again.

any recommendations on books for java? i was thing about readinng : beginning java objects.

dunno how im gonna get through all this material php, js, ecommerce and now java.

 

thanks,

stephen

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No problem, Stephen.

 

I don't think anyone is truly ready, with a few exceptions. Working in a software development company so much more than knowing how to code. You often need experience with revision control software, (GitHub, Subversion, etc) know your companies development methodology (Organization) and have certifications. This is mostly what you do the first few months you've been hired at a company from my understanding. You don't want to be that guy that broke the build. Hehe.

 

I have never learnt as much about programming as when I took a course called "Algorithms and data structures". That course went over a single semester, and I had two courses prior to that. Basic Java and Object-oriented programming. You are 30 years and have waaaay better work ethics than kids my age. You'll have no problem doing the course if you study with regularity. Keep in mind that you also have to code to make the knowledge stick, especially for more advanced topics.

 

Regarding books, I don't really feel qualified to give you any recommendations. I would check topics on Stack Exchange and check out book reviews on Amazon. I can also say that Beginning Java Objects seems like a really good book looking at the description, so I'm sure that's a good place to begin.

 

If it's not critical for you to learn it now, I would ignore ecommerce and JavaScript, and focus on learning programming thoroughly. It'll be much easier for you to pick up those topics once the others are covered. If you still want to learn PHP, I would highly recommend Larry's PHP Advanced and Object Oriented Solutions by David Powers. The one by David Powers is one of the books I hold highest.

 

Alsp, if you do start out with Java, feel free to send me a personal message on here if you need help.

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thanks for the replies antonio, it really does help. i think you are probably right, i could put js on hold and do what i can in terms of php. knowing how to build an ecommerce site is one of my main goals though but i think ill wait until edition 2 comes out. i will start java once the course starts.

i have to say contributors on this forum and these forums of larrys are excellent.

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