by "Hooker" (Hooker)
Published 03/15/2017 at 09:40
by "Hooker" (Hooker)
Published 03/15/2017 at 09:40
No Tags
STARS: 1
Way back in college, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I once learned to code. Well, I “learned.” Meaning, I went to class, half assed listened, then I went to the store, grabbed a bottle of Goldschlager and went to town. Man, I miss college life.
Anyway, I am now 31 years old and want to get back to coding. Maybe. Possibly. Might want to start doing some development on the side. Because I have SO much spare time with my full time job and such. I never said I was considerably intelligent.
I’m leaning toward Java on the recommendation from several friends. I like it’s object oriented-ness, it’s “run anywhere” mantra and the fact that it’s named after one of my favorite morning rituals. Coffee! Anyway, I remember very little from my college days. I’m starting to jump back into it on the training site “Lynda.com.” So, my question to any programmers out there, is Java a good pick? Is it still a marketable skill? Best resources for learning? Am I completely insane?
Thanks in advance for any advice/warnings you can provide. I’m a total noob at this again and feeling fish-out-of-water-ish. You never know what’s going to happen to the automotive industry and I work at a dealership. So, I am trying to grow my skills to make my self marketable in case I need it.
"TysMagic" (twjeffery)
03/15/2017 at 09:47, STARS: 1
“I went to class, half assed listened, then I went to the store, grabbed a bottle of Goldschlager and went to town. Man, I miss college life. “
I can’t help you, but I will say this is what I did in my programming classes once I realized I was past the point of rescue. I’ve looked back through some of the code and found drunken messages I wrote complaining about how BS this or that was. Good times I’ll never fully remember
"Tripper" (tripe46)
03/15/2017 at 09:49, STARS: 1
At least you went to class, I usually got half way and decided to go snowboarding:) I’m in IT but on the infrastructure/networking side. I keep kicking around coding as most people just assume that I know how to do that. I’ve spent some time with online resources like code academy, but I’ve yet to dedicate the time it will take to actually learn something.
"Nibby" (nibby68)
03/15/2017 at 09:57, STARS: 1
My teacher in a programming class I took in undergrad gave us the dumbest assignments. “Write a program in Python that converts written numbers to integers, up to the trillions.” Fuck that.
"Matt Nichelson" (whoismatt)
03/15/2017 at 09:57, STARS: 1
Haha. Haven’t heard Goldschlager in years. That and Mad Dog 20/20 was the go to for lots of people my age back in the day.
"TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
03/15/2017 at 09:59, STARS: 1
One good place to learn is Microsoft Virtual Academy. They have good projects and classes if you want to learn all of the Microsoft tools like C# and whatnot.
"Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif" (lumpy44)
03/15/2017 at 10:00, STARS: 1
I did the Python training through Lynda as my personal development for my satellite imaging job. Anyone who wants a programmer will want them versed in a bunch of languages anyway so one will not make a huge difference.
Oh and if you choose Python and see a course on there with a bald guy talking about breakfast at the start, just skip it.
"jminer" (jminer)
03/15/2017 at 10:02, STARS: 3
I’m on the server admin side in IT so take this advice with a grain of salt. I believe java has been on the decline lately. It’s not going away anytime soon, but Java and it’s jvm have been at the heart of many security flaws so people have lost some appetite for it.
C# is a good one to get into if you’re a windows guy, easy to learn and visual studio is a thing of beauty compared to other IDEs. Code is fairly interchangeable across Web and desktop, jobs are usually pretty easy to find.
If you’re talented you can find a job in just about any language though. I know one guy who programs for DB2 on AIX and a few who still program and maintain old Fortran systems...
"bob and john" (bobandjohn)
03/15/2017 at 10:03, STARS: 1
"RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire" (ricerocketeer2)
03/15/2017 at 10:05, STARS: 1
My friends who made career changes and now code for a living do a lot of front end stuff ... CSS, JavaScript, Angular, etc.
Java is useful (my most familiar language, actually) but your mileage may vary. Plenty of Java applications still out there though. Make sure you pick up the “Enterprise” stuff because that’s what actually makes money (and annoyingly, what my college didn’t bother teaching).
See for reference: http ://softwareengineering.stackexchange.com/questions/202675/what-is-the-difference-between-enterprise-java-vs-core-java
"Tekamul" (tekamulburner)
03/15/2017 at 10:09, STARS: 2
I’m not a programmer, but I’ve had to write solutions in a handful of languages for different needs.
Java is marketable, along with C#.
"Nibbles" (nibbles)
03/15/2017 at 10:15, STARS: 2
+1 on the C#. Its growth, along with Java’s slow-yet-steady decline (and the fact that Java is literally the worst security flaw ever ), means the skills will be in demand. Also I’m learning C# and having a blast.
Remember, no matter what the fanbois tell ya The World Runs on Windows®
"facw" (facw)
03/15/2017 at 10:20, STARS: 1
C# is probably more marketable than Java. Java is the standard app development language for Android though, and it isn’t like it is strictly a learning language. Regardless, most of the concepts are transferable and Java is a C-style language so switching to C# or C++ isn’t much of an adjustment once you’ve learned one. I know C, C++, C#, Java, Python, PHP, and Scheme (don’t ask about that one), and aside from Scheme you can move between them pretty easily (Python isn’t quite C-style, but it’s syntax is clean and easy to understand, and its library functions mirror C’s to a fault).
"zeontestpilot" (zeontestpilot)
03/15/2017 at 11:18, STARS: 1
I like Java, and I believe it’s a marketable skill. Source: I’m a application developer that specializes in Java. It really depends on where you market it though. Having java on your resume is a jumping off point, you don’t have to know it well. I’ve talked to people in my office who have never heard of junit, a testing framework. I’ve often wonder how they verify that the code works before they put it on a host.
Of course, finding a job is difficult, since most people want 5+ years of experience in multiple technologies. Finding my current job took 6 long months to do. It was also my third time applying to the same company (different positions). This was three years ago.
Also, word of advice, some companies that’ll contact you are scams. Source: I fell for one. They wanted me to exaggerate my years of experience by 3 years on resumes; I refused to because lying to any potential client is never good. The company let me go and threaten to fine me $60k if I ever spoke bad about the company. I can never get back those months back. Research any company that contacts you. I ended up working for a popular company that I knew was good and honest.
If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask. I’d love to help prevent what happened to me.
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 11:33, STARS: 0
I appreciate the recommendation! See, this is why I need people who are in the industry. I know very little about the life and times of current trends. Thank you!
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 11:33, STARS: 0
Damn right it does! Thanks for the added information!
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 11:35, STARS: 0
Thank you! I have experience in the technology industry. In the software development process and testing as well. Just don’t have any coding experience! I will definitely holler if I run into anything potentially shady. There’s certainly enough of it out there! Sorry you got scammed!
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 11:37, STARS: 1
I’ll definitely take a look into C#. In theory, I took two entire courses in college on C++. But let’s be clear, I haven’t seen that stuff in 10 years. Haha. It’s good to know there is some familiarity between them. Kind of like my old music teacher used to say “Learn how to play the piano and you can learn any instrument.” Thank you!
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 11:38, STARS: 0
Yeah, I never learned anything about enterprise in college either. I feel pretty comfortable saying college was a large waste of money and time. However, I wasn’t as driven at that time as I am now so I likely would have failed anyway. Haha. Thank you for the tips!
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 11:40, STARS: 0
It’s nice to know I’m not completely alone! I was a different person in college for sure. Not driven. Not even remotely. I did the base level of work to pass my classes. Got a degree and made a good ish living for my self. But I feel like I did myself huge diservice.
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 11:41, STARS: 1
Yeah, I have done the same. Also, people think because I have a computer background I can hard code them a full e-commerce website. Like, what? Go to GoDaddy, use website builder (it sucks but it works) and voila! Website with e-commerce!
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 11:41, STARS: 1
That’s solid advice. Especially the breakfast guy. The courses seem pretty robust but not all are. Thank you!
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 11:42, STARS: 0
Yeah, how am I going to use that in the real world? Kind of like the fact that I am just now (at 31) learning the finer things about finance and credit. I feel like that should be an entire class in school.
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 11:43, STARS: 0
Is there a large cost associated with that? I’m looking to stay relatively inexpensive.
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 11:43, STARS: 0
I’m hearing that more and more. I’m going to look more in the direction of C#.
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 11:44, STARS: 1
Yeah, I’ve moved on to some of the finer things. As a result, when I see a bottle of that stuff in the store, I tend to cringe. Haha.
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 11:44, STARS: 0
Right. Learn to code, make tracking great again!
"Nibby" (nibby68)
03/15/2017 at 11:49, STARS: 1
Too busy teaching you how to do things you’ll never use again!
"Tripper" (tripe46)
03/15/2017 at 11:51, STARS: 1
My co workers are always like “Can’t you just write an interface to over complicate this report that I hate producing because it takes 4 clicks?” My response is always “If I could I wouldn’t be working here.”
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 11:55, STARS: 0
Absolutely! I’m going to start using your phrase! People always have higher expectations than reality. It’s weird. At best.
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 11:57, STARS: 0
Lies! I used the pythagorean theorem the other day! Kidding, of course, but I’m sure there is someone who has to use that stuff right? Engineers? No idea. It ain’t me.
"macshome" (macshome)
03/15/2017 at 12:10, STARS: 2
It depends on what sort of programming you want to do.
Server-side business stuff is still mostly Java and the presentation layers are largely JavaScript. (Although things like Scala, Go, and Swift are circling like sharks.)
Android apps are mostly done in Java, although you can do some things in Go.
Windows apps are often in C#.
iOS, tvOS, watchOS, and macOS apps are largely in Swift or Objective-C.
There are languages that can span multiple platforms, like C++, but generally I would recommend deciding what platform you want to develop for first. Then pick the language that works best with the development frameworks on that platform. In most cases the language is just the glue that holds together the various OS provided libraries that you use to make an app. It makes sense to use a language that it is easy to use those frameworks from.
"macshome" (macshome)
03/15/2017 at 12:13, STARS: 2
Actually that’s a pretty good lesson! It teaches you input, string parsing, string matching, and output.
With those basic skills you can make most any business app.
"Meatcoma" (mastapoof)
03/15/2017 at 14:22, STARS: 1
udemy.com has some online courses for like $10 right now. I’m considering taking some but haven’t.
"Meatcoma" (mastapoof)
03/15/2017 at 14:23, STARS: 1
I learned to code in C#, it’s very relatable to a lot of other languages, vb, javascript just to name 2.
"TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
03/15/2017 at 14:39, STARS: 1
The Virtual Academy is free ! I like it because their programs include projects that are pretty real world
"TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
03/15/2017 at 14:40, STARS: 0
Hey now don’t dis Python. Python is another one that is pretty easy to learn. I used python when I was in undergrad for prediction algorithms and I was invited to present my work I did in a conference. Reason I used python for it ? Way fewer lines of code than any other language
"jminer" (jminer)
03/15/2017 at 15:33, STARS: 1
No problem. Good luck with the journey. There are a lot of resources out there to learn.
Depending on where you live Community colleges are also a great intro into it with a structured approach for not much money.
"Spoon II" (Spoon_II)
03/15/2017 at 16:53, STARS: 1
I’m not a programmer by trade, but I dabble in Java for fun. It’s a solid language to learn, and my computer scientist friends still use it often. Another good one is C#, it’s becoming very common. And Python is super useful for whipping up programs quickly.
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 17:17, STARS: 0
I’ve certainly thought about the community college route, however, with my work schedule (all. the. time) I don’t really have flexibility in the time department!
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 17:20, STARS: 0
See, that’s what I need. I need something that will force me to do something. I’m not terribly creative so coming up with “assignments” for myself to do would be futile at best. Thank you!
"TysMagic" (twjeffery)
03/15/2017 at 17:21, STARS: 0
It wasn’t until near the end of college that I actually got my stuff together. I’m preparing to go back for an MBA and I’m taking a very different approach to it that is for sure!
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 17:21, STARS: 0
Judging by the consensus that’s what I should do as well!
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 17:21, STARS: 0
I’m hooked into Lynda but I will take a look!
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 17:22, STARS: 0
Thank you!
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/15/2017 at 17:24, STARS: 0
I worked for a software company a few years ago that created POS software for quick service restaurants. I’m reasonably certain that the windows platform is where I want to be. Desktop applications.
"torque" (torque01)
03/15/2017 at 20:53, STARS: 1
As someone else said... “pick a platform & that will inform what languages you want” you mentioned MS, so learning (or re-learning) C# will be a good idea.
I’m not a big MS fan. Yes a shit ton (technical term) of business stuff seems to run on it, but open source tools are not only (typically inexpensive) but also where modern development is going. Proprietary stuff (IBM, MS, etc...) continues to loose market share & why makes sense. Why pay more for a proprietary solution, when an open source product is cheaper, works just as well (or better) and has a shit ton of community support?
Yes (on app. Side) Java is still good, Angular JS anyway.
Another one I’m surprised wasn’t mentioned is “learn scripting”. A ton of scripts (at their root) end up really SQL based. And basics for how to work with databases. Regardless of what front end application is based on, there will be a backend Databse that is behind the scenes (UDB DB2, Teradata, Oracle, Hadoop, SQL) etc...
"TDIGuy" (owenrosier)
03/16/2017 at 09:06, STARS: 1
Sure ! Thats why I liked it. I actually took a bunch of courses from them when I started my job which really helped me get in the groove
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/16/2017 at 09:28, STARS: 1
Thank you for the insight into the industry. I’ll look into scripting as well. In theory, I really need the database stuff for my current job. I just hate databases with so much passion.
"macshome" (macshome)
03/16/2017 at 11:55, STARS: 1
In that case I would grab a copy of Visual Studio, there is a free one, from MS and start taking a look at some tutorials in C#.
"Hooker" (Hooker)
03/16/2017 at 12:24, STARS: 0
This. Will do. Thank you!