Programming + next language?

[Faz]

I am semi-proficient with VB.Net, and want to improve my skills by expanding my languages. I learnt with VB, so am looking for a similar language, and I thought C++, or C#?

I am not limited to those 2, just thought they were quite popular. Also, does anyone know of any courses that can be done over the internet (like people do degrees over the internet), to do with programming, where you gain a qualification at the end?

I basically want to expand my knowledge and make me more employable by increasing my ability.

[Mr. Grapes]

I would avoid C++ unless you want to spend 10 years perfecting your craft... it's a tricky struggle for the first 3 years as you have to do all your own memory management and until you get your head round that properly, your code will be fragile.

C# is deffo the language du jour to learn atm, all the jobs i'm looking at these days are C# with only really maintenance of C++ going. a real PITA if you're a C++ coder and want to change up...

or go the other way and lean objective C and do iPhone/iPad apps

[DoubleTop]

agreed, c# is a good one at the moment - or if you want to go Android apps then Java.

DT.

[M4T VW]

Is there anything eaiser then VB.net?
I want a drag and drop kinda thing with links i can choose, I bit like microsoft frontpage but building programs & not websites

[andyn]

Yeah C# is widely used. C++ still has it's place, but more for applications where every cycle is needed, e.g. games, low-level OS/driver code, etc. etc.

I don't code it myself but my colleague here does and it's quite impressive how quickly he can knock up applications in it, I must confess.

[Mr. Grapes]

C++ is VERY powerful... but requires a lot of knowledge to harness that power. until then it's a dangerous weapon...

If I want to knock an app up quickly, I'll do it in C#.
If it needs ultra performance, C++. doing something quickly in C++ is possible, but lots of things that are built into the .net framework and take maybe a line or 2 of code, will take a screenfull in C++

[Lorem-Ipsum]

I'm not too good with many languages as for me in linux a short script will suffice but for that purpose I like python as its compact. Will have to learn C in the end. lol

If you know one language I wouldn't go for something similar, I would do something different.

Java is nice and easy to learn.

[Faz]

I am doing a little bit of Java at college at the moment and easy is not a word I would use to describe it!!

case sensitivity REALLY ****es me off - 1 wrong letter lower case and the whole code ceases to work. Very useful though, as a web tool, so I would probably learn that sooner or later.

Looks to be C# then, the way I see it, C++ had its time and C# has taken over, kind of, if that is true? Thats good cos my computing textbook which we use for VB has the code examples in pascal and C# too, so I can just learn C# in the exact way I learnt VB.Net

Also, perhaps a stupid question -

firstly, visual studio express - how does it differ from the full edition?
also, visual studio 2008 - how does it differ from visual studio 2010!?

Same question for visual C# and the older version. Does the code actually change? or are more features added?

I can tell I have only just touched the iceberg of programming, but it looks to be a lot more complex than originally thought... . . . . lol

thanks for the advice guys

[Lorem-Ipsum]

The thing is as I use linux most programming languages are written in the shell and executed there too. I'm not sure how you do it on windows.

Java is quite easy when you get the hang of it. I agree case sensitivity is annoying but if you use syntax highlighting its noticeable.

On most machines I use http://bluefish.openoffice.nl/ but TBH I prefer working in the shell.

[InvaderGIR]

Java annoyed me intensely and I wanted to go into C (any derivative). Did my FYP in C++ and whilst it was good to use and I prefer it to Java...the jobs (if that's what you're doing it for) are few and far between. Java Dev jobs are much more common and gain a lot more money...I know where I'm headed. Despite not liking it due to being bloated and generally annoying.

I wouldn't say C# has taken over from C++ at all, C# is as far as I'm concerned a clone of Java (or vice versa), C++ actually requires you to use your noggin and straight C...well...lets just not talk about that.

[Pullen]

This thread is a different language, to me anyway :S

[Ian.H]

[ snip ]

Looks to be C# then, the way I see it, C++ had its time and C# has taken over, kind of, if that is true?

[ snip ]

On the contrary! C# is a Micro$oft proprietary language, C++ is generic and much more cross-platform.

I used to code in VB back when 5 or 6 was the current incarnation. Picked up a copy of Borland's C++ Builder and have never looked back, nor wanted to look at C#. While it's true, using C# may only require a few lines of code compared to a "screen full" of C++ (the same as any library or framework)... that same screen full of code won't require your end user to download a 200Mb+ or whatever framework to run your single application I can release a largish C++ application, create and installer and deploy it in the region of between 1.5 and 10Mb (including either Office 2003 or 2007 toolbars etc if you want fanciness).. you can't do that if you rely on the .NOT framework



Regards,

Ian

[Faz]

ah Ok - so C# is more web based and C++ is application and management?

looking at C# it is quite similar to VB... shouldn't be too hard to get the head around. hopefully

thanks

[InvaderGIR]

What?

C# isn't web-based. How'd you work that one out? If that is to do with me saying it's very similar to Java, I'm on about Java as in the programming language, not java-script the internet language. Two very different things.

Oh, and yeah, it is like VB, a bit.

[Mr. Grapes]

@Ian.H I'm just being realistic to the lad... the job market right now is screaming for c# devs, and hardly any c++ ones, unless they are specifically targeting linux or cross platform applications (or low level driver and high performance apps)

yes c# and .net are proprietary, but .net can be written for linux through MONO if need be.

to say c++ is dying is not really fair, just becoming more specialised, and the amount of jobs is really < the amount of devs hunting them. and as for junior C++ jobs... well not really happening, unless you count the plethora of mid and senior level jobs being offered at junior pay...