Thinking about learning C# as well
I’ve been investigating on Microsoft’s .Net software development environment. It looks amazing: clean, modern, well architectured, fast, Visual Studio being an amazing programming tool too. I had a nice discussion with Chris, a classmate and friend, tonight. Chris, who develops software for a start-up company, didn’t find it too hard to convince me to take to C# in the meantime as I’m learning Java. Syntaxes between the two languages are extremely close, and I should definitely take advantage of that as .Net looks to me as if it’s the best option for the near future in software development and Internet technologies.
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Jeremy,
Have you investigated Ruby On Rails? A very innovative language which the key concept is :”convention over configuration”. I enjoy myself a lot to learn and use this language.
“it looks amazing: clean, modern, well architectured, fast”
were you looking for a psp?
take a look at this fun for geeks:
http://codor.blogs.com/intro/2006/09/hey_tu_diras_bi.html#comments
Hubert, I’m already having quite a hard time focusing on the basics. Ruby On Rails certainly has many advantages, but you’re an experienced programmer whilst I’m just a beginner.
By the way, one more thing: .Net is devised to be an industrial platform for the software industry in general whilst Ruby on Rails is much more Internet-oriented.
Now, Ruby on Rails is a framework, not a programming language. And it’s so much full of hype right now. RoR or Ruby is not ready for prime time yet. They’re not proven. But there is promise…
Ruby and Python are fine scripting/programming languages which I would recommend to beginner programmer. They’re agile and syntax is quite simple. Results are quick. But they are not _real_ programming languages (but who cares, unless you’re a CS major)
Jeremy, whatever you do, learn _a_ programming language well. Programming language is much more than just the syntax. There are very good reasons to go C# (visual studio being one), but there are very good reasons to go Java (eclipse being one). I would advise against going at both at the same time. I know, I took German and Swedish classes at the same time – result is that I sound like Dutch. =)
Well, neither Visual Studio or Eclipse run on Mac OS natively, so either way you’re screwed. (just joking)
Kari, you’re right: doing too many things at the same time is evil. However, I checked the syntaxes: C# and Java are really similar on many aspects.
About Mac OS: I don’t care)); I like Microsoft Windows a lot and I bought a Macbook Pro for power and design, not for its operating system.
Jeremy, I totally agree with Kari. I know that you want to learn a lot, but take time ! As Kari said, the main point is to learn programming, not specifically a language. That’s why what you have to learn is how to build algorithms, how to “think” programs. Language is just a detail. If you know how to build an algorythm it doesn’t matter which language you know, because it will be easy for you to learn it.
Why do you think that in an engineer school, student do not study all languages ? Because it makes no sence! The main point is the method, not the language !
By the way, if you want to learn something that will be the future of programming, start looking at models (MDA, MDD, software factories, SOA…) but it is perhaps too early… Start better to manage Java and C before anything else
(and after, a little bit html and css)
Ruby on Rails => Rails is a framework, ruby a language.
>hfisselier : you have an error on your link, you have written treebu.wordpress.. and not treebu2.wordpress…
Cédric> I never said Kari was wrong. I actually agree with him and I aknowledge the wise advice your provide me with. Structure counts rather than the language. Thank you for your insight about programming models.
And many thanks for Hubert’s link. But it looks right to me…
They might be similar in syntax, but they’re differnet in how you shoot yourself in the foot with them, cf. http://www.reed.edu/~tuckers/jokes/foot.html
Very funny link Kari. As you’ve just explained to me on MSN Messenger, “to shoot yourself in the foot” is a common geeky joke basically meaning “how much damage you can cause with errors in your code”));
Jeremy, you might also be interested in this link: http://bluebones.net/2006/09/five-programming-languages/
.Net technology’s certainly amazing but its power has a price! I mean that .Net is deeply linked to windows and visual studio, even if Portable.Net and Mono provide a relevant alternative.
Therefore, a firm which wants to turn to .Net should consider the advantages and backwards. It’s important to note that Microsoft develops many partnerships with students and young companies to drive them to its technology.
Some would say they get value for money. To be continued…
Kari> Many thanks for the link. I didn’t know this blog, it looks amazing. However, I disagree with him on the recommendations: Ok, C is important to get to understand the whole Object Oriented picture, pointers and memory management. For the rest, it’s just bullshit: Java is THE current standard in the corporate world, C++ is still amazing for software aimed at being industrialized, and C# is the upcoming thing.
Chris> Welcome to my blog! To all, Chris is the classmate who inspired this post. Of course (and fortunately) power has a price. I’m in the actual process of getting Visual Studio through a student offer..for FREE! A no brainer in my current financial condition
It doesn’t matter if .Net’s actually deeply rooted in Windows environments: Windows still accounts for 85% of the operating systems market. Enough to make a living…