C# - What potential does it hold?
Hi.
I'm currently learning C#, but from speaking to other people of my age, they all seem to be into C++ and C.
If you were to suddenly start learning C#, what other languages would you think were neccesary to learn alongside it? (SQL, php?)
Would learning C# on it's own hold any potential for a good job in programming?
Thanks.
>If you were to suddenly start learning C#, what other languages would you
>think were neccesary to learn alongside it? (SQL, php?)
SQL and VB.NET, of the top of my head. SQL, obviously, for most programming languages because a lot of applications use databases and a lot of those databases use some flavor of SQL. The majority of .NET apps are written in VB, and the jump isn't so prohibitive that you wouldn't consider learning it along with C#. C++ couldn't hurt as well.
Personally, I think that a strong foundation in C and assembly does wonders for the quality of a programmer, regardless of how high level work they end up doing.
>Would learning C# on it's own hold any potential for a good job in programming?
Yes, provided "learning C#" includes learning most aspects of .NET as well.A C# programmer who can't write a Windows form probably won't hold a job.
My best code is written with the delete key.
I just started C# this past week (though I have a strong C++ background) and so far I'm really liking it, because of how rapid the development time can be with windows forms and .NET programming.Originally Posted by dannysmith
And C# programmers are in demand, I can see now why it's a very popular language for application developers. GUI development is easy and there's a ton of features built in.
You ever try a pink golf ball, Wally? Why, the wind shear on a pink ball alone can take the head clean off a 90 pound midget at 300 yards.
I like VB.NET for the same reasons.And C# programmers are in demand, I can see now why it's a very popular language for application developers. GUI development is easy and there's a ton of features built in.
Something funny about C# and VB.NET that I've realized though. They made both C# and VB.NET, which are basically the same language (they do exactly the same things, in basically the same number of lines, using the same libraries, etc.). So it's really about which syntax you prefer, and that was the point. I heard someone explain .NET as, language-neutral, platform-specific. Whereas Java is language-specific, platform-neutral. Anyway, the funny thing is, to be an effective .NET programmer, it turns out that you really need to know BOTH languages! Which is funny...MS created both languages so that people could choose which they prefer, but for practical purposes this means people need to learn 2 languages instead of 1!
The crows maintain that a single crow could destroy the heavens. Doubtless this is so. But it proves nothing against the heavens, for the heavens signify simply: the impossibility of crows.
It's not. There's Jython and JRuby and some others. Though it is true that .Net is more general than the JVM.Whereas Java is language-specific, platform-neutral.
All the buzzt!
CornedBee
"There is not now, nor has there ever been, nor will there ever be, any programming language in which it is the least bit difficult to write bad code."
- Flon's Law
Heh, I find this rather odd, I've been programming in C# for 2 years now, did quite alot of projects in it. And I've never had to use any VB. The only times I had to combine C# with another language was when I wanted to access some homemade usb device. That time I used C++ as a tier between the hardware and C#.Anyway, the funny thing is, to be an effective .NET programmer, it turns out that you really need to know BOTH languages! Which is funny...MS created both languages so that people could choose which they prefer, but for practical purposes this means people need to learn 2 languages instead of 1!
Surely all ( read most ) of the examples of .NET ( asp.NET for instance ) are written in VB.NET. But one look at VB code and you can translate it into C# ( or at least most of it, the rest you figure out on the way ).
To the OP, mySQL is also something good to start with, but like anything that comes in different flavours they are somehow all the same. A dbms stays a dbms , so a table in mySql is probably also a table in SQL ( and if not, it will have a name similar to that which would be intuitive).
It's all perspective. I code in VB.NET, and it seems like all the examples are in C#. But yes, I think both languages are pretty easy to read...it doesn't take much work to translate C# code to VB code.Surely all ( read most ) of the examples of .NET ( asp.NET for instance ) are written in VB.NET. But one look at VB code and you can translate it into C# ( or at least most of it, the rest you figure out on the way ).
The crows maintain that a single crow could destroy the heavens. Doubtless this is so. But it proves nothing against the heavens, for the heavens signify simply: the impossibility of crows.
Ok thanks I think I've got a pretty good perspective on things now.
Just to note, if anyone else here is learning C#, I've found some pretty good videos:
http://www.azroc.co.uk/csharp/csharp.php
Just to point out a couple of things. C# is not platform specific. If you really wanted, you could install Linux on a PS2 to compile .NET code. Mono and Portable.NET are two projects to create a version of .NET that can be compiled for use on Linux/Unix/etc.
I don't think you really need to learn VB.NET if you're learning C#. It's easy enough to translate to C# and the job demand is for C#. What are the practical purposes for learning both languages? If I really wanted to I could learn a ridiculous number of languages to use with .NET, but I see no reason, funny as it sounds to be programming ASP.NET pages in PHP.
ya well i would i have to say ... yes it might be "easy enough to translate" C# to VB.NET, if you had a good understanding of "both" languages and not have to consult books or colleagues when the coding got hardcore.
I don't think you really need to learn VB.NET if you're learning C#. It's easy enough to translate to C# and the job demand is for C#. What are the practical purposes for learning both languages?
And the "Practical Purposes" well there is many ... ill just name a few ...
1) Employment/ Higher salary
2) goal/ambition
3) Self Betterment
4) Respect
...
being "Practical" would suggest ... Learn !
It took me a while to finally decide, but I think the reason I chose C# is:
Number 1. I like the C style syntax
2. Microsoft backed
3. Linux compatible (with mono)
4. C# and CLI runtime both standardized by ECMA, so that others can make open-source runtimes based on those standards(for other operating systems such as Linux).
5. XNA looks cool
6. Reasons 1-5 give the language a bright future.
I think it will be a slow rise, but eventually will be one of the most, if not most popular languages.
My reasoning may partially stem from the fact that I do not know a single person (in person, with evidence of their skill) who codes well in both that prefers VB.NET. I still wonder, because I'd personally rather learn C# so I have that skill, then move on to something like if one has not learned it yet, multithreaded programming with pthreads on Linux.
I do agree that all of those reasons are good in general for learning new languages (or new subjects in general), but it was stated that one needs to learn both for practical purposes. Wouldn't a practical purpose be making a quick program to do mass data entry to a database (Access, SQL Server, MySQL, etc.) be a practical purpose? I'm just wondering where a second .NET language will really help. I've been hearing about demand for C# programmers (I've even been doing some projects myself), but I have not heard anyone tell me that learning VB.NET will help in a specific way.
I have yet to learn any VB.NET, but have been successfull so far in understanding the syntax. There may be some small language specific differences, but with how similar .NET is, if I understand the outcome and what's being used from the .NET framework, I can probably figure a way to come up with a program with near identical behavior. Wouldn't it be better to learn one language (I'd pick C# due to syntactic preferences and what I've heard about the job market), then gain a fairly good understanding of CIL?
Your reasoning/his reasoning ... Would a second language help if you were in Europe !
A second language would help, but what language for what country? Would Swahili or Mandarin help in Germany or France?
I'm looking for specific reasons to learn VB.NET. Learning CIL would be universal to all .NET while I still have not been shown a good application for VB.NET if one already knows C#. What practical purposes will I need VB.NET if I already know C# (since it was stated for practical purposes I should learn both languages)? Are you going to learn every variation on Spanish or move on to French or German? Maybe learn Mandarin and/or Japanese so you can go to even more countries.
Bah, debating in a vacuum. Learn how to program - the language is an implementation detail. Personally, I have no pressing need to learn VB.Net; C# works for me and for my employer. If that changes, no big deal; picking up more languages isn't that difficult, especially when they're so similar, and I'm not religiously devoted to C#. Learn what you need to and move on. Since the OP sounds like C# is his first language, it's more important at this stage to learn to program well.
I agree with Prelude; a strong background in C is helpful, even if you never use C on the job. It trains you to think in certain ways. I'd add Lisp or another functional programming language to that list for the same reason.
If I did your homework for you, then you might pass your class without learning how to write a program like this. Then you might graduate and get your degree without learning how to write a program like this. You might become a professional programmer without knowing how to write a program like this. Someday you might work on a project with me without knowing how to write a program like this. Then I would have to do you serious bodily harm. - Jack Klein
