Software Developers/Programmers ...

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,365
6,191
126
At my current job I'm doing C++ and scripting as a software engineer. I've been looking around at new jobs with about 2 years experience. However it seems like there is a very short # of jobs open that are requiring C++ programming. Most of the jobs are for .NET or Java programming jobs.

Granted C++ is a great language and it's similar to Java, and it's an OO language in general, I am wondering if I should really start looking for a Java or .NET job instead of a C++ while I'm still early in my career.

Do you all think that .NET and Java are going to completely over take C++ in the near future? Is it going to be very difficult to probably find a C++ job in say 3-5 years or so?

I'm really thinking of trying to get a Java job or something, and I really like doing web pages so I am thinking of learning ASP on the side as well.

Thoughts?
 

Gunslinger08

Lifer
Nov 18, 2001
13,234
2
81
Yes. You should start learning Java (J2EE) and .NET. They are the 2 big platforms now. Legacy ASP is pretty worthless, and it's easy enough to figure out if you have to do a little work with it, so don't waste your time with it. Learn C#.NET 2.0 and you'll be able to find a job somewhere.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,365
6,191
126
Originally posted by: joshsquall
Yes. You should start learning Java (J2EE) and .NET. They are the 2 big platforms now. Legacy ASP is pretty worthless, and it's easy enough to figure out if you have to do a little work with it, so don't waste your time with it. Learn C#.NET 2.0 and you'll be able to find a job somewhere.

Well I took Java in college and did some pretty in depth programs, it's just that I haven't really practiced it since then. As far as getting back into it, I feel I could pick it up again pretty quickly since a lot of it is similar to C++. I just remember I hated having to type so much in Java :)

As far as .NET goes, I'm assuming C# is the major language there. How similar is C# to C++? I've heard from people that if you know C++, C# is easy to pick up and learn.

However, that still does not give me the professional experience in that language.
 

mugs

Lifer
Apr 29, 2003
48,920
46
91
Originally posted by: purbeast0
Originally posted by: joshsquall
Yes. You should start learning Java (J2EE) and .NET. They are the 2 big platforms now. Legacy ASP is pretty worthless, and it's easy enough to figure out if you have to do a little work with it, so don't waste your time with it. Learn C#.NET 2.0 and you'll be able to find a job somewhere.

Well I took Java in college and did some pretty in depth programs, it's just that I haven't really practiced it since then. As far as getting back into it, I feel I could pick it up again pretty quickly since a lot of it is similar to C++. I just remember I hated having to type so much in Java :)

As far as .NET goes, I'm assuming C# is the major language there. How similar is C# to C++? I've heard from people that if you know C++, C# is easy to pick up and learn.

However, that still does not give me the professional experience in that language.

C# is a lot like java.
 

puffff

Platinum Member
Jun 25, 2004
2,374
0
0
from what i hear, there's a shortage of C# programmers, and it's really hard to get qualified individuals. numberswise, there are still more C++ jobs, but the pool of applicants for those is much deeper
 

Gunslinger08

Lifer
Nov 18, 2001
13,234
2
81
Originally posted by: purbeast0
Originally posted by: joshsquall
Yes. You should start learning Java (J2EE) and .NET. They are the 2 big platforms now. Legacy ASP is pretty worthless, and it's easy enough to figure out if you have to do a little work with it, so don't waste your time with it. Learn C#.NET 2.0 and you'll be able to find a job somewhere.

Well I took Java in college and did some pretty in depth programs, it's just that I haven't really practiced it since then. As far as getting back into it, I feel I could pick it up again pretty quickly since a lot of it is similar to C++. I just remember I hated having to type so much in Java :)

As far as .NET goes, I'm assuming C# is the major language there. How similar is C# to C++? I've heard from people that if you know C++, C# is easy to pick up and learn.

However, that still does not give me the professional experience in that language.

C# is pretty easy to learn. It's somewhat of a mash-up of C++ and Java. Visual Studio 2k3/2k5 make it very easy with Intellisense.
 

tfinch2

Lifer
Feb 3, 2004
22,114
1
0
It depends on what area of development you want to go into. If you are doing COTS applications or mission critical stuff, C/C++ isn't going anywhere soon. If you are doing in-house applications it's going to be mostly Java or .Net.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,365
6,191
126
Thanks for the replies. I am going to get .NET and find some demo type programs to write in C# so that I can pick up on it. If it's similar to Java, and Java feels similar to C++ to me, then I think I could pick up on it pretty quickly.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to get this started? I really have no clue where to start. I have an older version of Visual Studio on this machine at home, so I really need to start from scratch.
 

tfinch2

Lifer
Feb 3, 2004
22,114
1
0
Originally posted by: purbeast0
Thanks for the replies. I am going to get .NET and find some demo type programs to write in C# so that I can pick up on it. If it's similar to Java, and Java feels similar to C++ to me, then I think I could pick up on it pretty quickly.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to get this started? I really have no clue where to start. I have an older version of Visual Studio on this machine at home, so I really need to start from scratch.

Download Visual C# Express Edition for free, pull up some C# source on sf.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,365
6,191
126
Originally posted by: tfinch2
Originally posted by: purbeast0
Thanks for the replies. I am going to get .NET and find some demo type programs to write in C# so that I can pick up on it. If it's similar to Java, and Java feels similar to C++ to me, then I think I could pick up on it pretty quickly.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to get this started? I really have no clue where to start. I have an older version of Visual Studio on this machine at home, so I really need to start from scratch.

Download Visual C# Express Edition for free, pull up some C# source on sf.

:thumbsup:

thanks i'll check it out. heh i have an interview tomorrow, but its not even for development stuff :p it's more security type stuff (no programming) but a friend set me up with it. i really dont know what iw ould be doing there heh but i'm just going to the interview.
 

xtknight

Elite Member
Oct 15, 2004
12,974
0
71
C is still great for programming small apps (console though).

C++ I don't care for that much (though I don't care for any managed languages, it is just complicated bloat IMO (puts on flame suit)). I guess if you're going to code in C# you may as well code in VB.NET as it won't be much if any slower since both run on MSIL, is that not right?
 

her209

No Lifer
Oct 11, 2000
56,336
11
0
Assembly language is the only true way to go as code optimization is concerned.
 

xtknight

Elite Member
Oct 15, 2004
12,974
0
71
Originally posted by: her209
Assembly language is the only true way to go as code optimization is concerned.

:thumbsup:

If I were writing something performance critical I would write a library in C/ASM then make a front-end (caller to that library) in Visual Basic 6 which is still great for making GUIs from my experience. It is just what I'm used to. Simple, powerful, and everybody who has XP has the MSVC 6 run time and VB 6 runtime, so virtually everyone will be able to use your application without a single prerequisite. :)
 

bluewall21

Golden Member
Feb 13, 2004
1,360
0
0
C# is pretty easy to figure out. I once had to use it at a programming competition, with no previous experience, and it was actually quite enjoyable to use.

It's like Java, but with less suck.
 

chiwawa626

Lifer
Aug 15, 2000
12,013
0
0
C/C++ is not going away any time soon. The latest trend is Java/.Net that does not mean that other languages will stop being used - Just go search on the net about how big COBOL and Fortran still are and how much of the financial worlds mainframes are still in those languages.
 

chiwawa626

Lifer
Aug 15, 2000
12,013
0
0
Originally posted by: her209
Assembly language is the only true way to go as code optimization is concerned.

I doubt your going to go write a whole system or large OOP project in asm. If you really want to be nitpicky you can write in machine code :)
 

DAGTA

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
8,172
1
0
Originally posted by: joshsquall
Yes. You should start learning Java (J2EE) and .NET. They are the 2 big platforms now. Legacy ASP is pretty worthless, and it's easy enough to figure out if you have to do a little work with it, so don't waste your time with it. Learn C#.NET 2.0 and you'll be able to find a job somewhere.


I agree.

I've been programming in C# for a bit over three years now and really like it more than any language I've programmed in the past.
 

sao123

Lifer
May 27, 2002
12,653
205
106
Originally posted by: purbeast0
At my current job I'm doing C++ and scripting as a software engineer. I've been looking around at new jobs with about 2 years experience. However it seems like there is a very short # of jobs open that are requiring C++ programming. Most of the jobs are for .NET or Java programming jobs.

Granted C++ is a great language and it's similar to Java, and it's an OO language in general, I am wondering if I should really start looking for a Java or .NET job instead of a C++ while I'm still early in my career.

Do you all think that .NET and Java are going to completely over take C++ in the near future? Is it going to be very difficult to probably find a C++ job in say 3-5 years or so?

I'm really thinking of trying to get a Java job or something, and I really like doing web pages so I am thinking of learning ASP on the side as well.

Thoughts?


C++ will not totally die... afterall you can program .net in several languages.
Tho it is managed watered down code... you can program .net in
C++, C#, VB, J++, and more languages to come. The CLR (common language run time) is an allows the compiler to take code of any language, and compile it into an intermediate step , and then from CLR to binary.

However the days of Win32 API are dead, with MFC 7.0 to follow soon at the release of vista.
 

Rayden

Senior member
Jun 25, 2001
790
1
0
Originally posted by: xtknight
C is still great for programming small apps (console though).

C++ I don't care for that much (though I don't care for any managed languages, it is just complicated bloat IMO (puts on flame suit)). I guess if you're going to code in C# you may as well code in VB.NET as it won't be much if any slower since both run on MSIL, is that not right?

I think you have little idea what managed code is. C++ is not managed. Managed means there is a garbage collector that takes care of memory stuff for you. Last I checked one still had to use malloc in C++. C++ is just C with objects.


And in response to the OP. I hope C++ is going the way of the dodo. I hate coding in it. So many nitpicky things one has to worry about that just gets in the way of me writing beautiful algorithms.
 

NGC_604

Senior member
Apr 9, 2003
707
1
76
I code mainly in C#, mostly because it's much easier and quicker for what I need done. And everything we do is in .Net as of now.

If you're just trying to learn C#, check out MS Visual C# Step by step 2005. You can pick it up for pretty cheap, and it's great at teaching the basics. With your knowledge, you should be able to fly right though it and pick up the language real quick.
 

engineereeyore

Platinum Member
Jul 23, 2005
2,070
0
0
Personally, I prefer plain ole C. Does everything I need it to without any of the extra headache involved in the other languages. But then, I do more hardware programming, and that type of programming is still largely based upon C.
 

DaShen

Lifer
Dec 1, 2000
10,710
1
0
Originally posted by: joshsquall
Yes. You should start learning Java (J2EE) and .NET. They are the 2 big platforms now. Legacy ASP is pretty worthless, and it's easy enough to figure out if you have to do a little work with it, so don't waste your time with it. Learn C#.NET 2.0 and you'll be able to find a job somewhere.

QFT

I love C++, but I forced myself to get out of it because it started dying 3 years ago. :(

.NET is easy to pick up. Java is good too. C# 2.0 is quite in demand right now.
 

torpid

Lifer
Sep 14, 2003
11,631
11
76
The problem is, C++ ingrains sloppy, bloated, crap programming practices in people. It's just the nature of things. Frequently C++ is not even really OOP programming. Especially in the microsoft world with all their absurd and pointless APIs that all overlap that are unnecessarily complicated.

Yeah, you can learn the syntax of java and C# pretty easily, but the programming methodology and application architectures are much different. Before you even look into c# and java, pick up some books on modern application architecture and design patterns. For example, patterns of enterprise application architecture by fowler, or core J2EE patterns. Those will both get you to think about programming from a higher level than is possible if you have to work with crap C++ apis and COM/ATL.
 

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,365
6,191
126
Originally posted by: torpid
The problem is, C++ ingrains sloppy, bloated, crap programming practices in people. It's just the nature of things. Frequently C++ is not even really OOP programming. Especially in the microsoft world with all their absurd and pointless APIs that all overlap that are unnecessarily complicated.

Yeah, you can learn the syntax of java and C# pretty easily, but the programming methodology and application architectures are much different. Before you even look into c# and java, pick up some books on modern application architecture and design patterns. For example, patterns of enterprise application architecture by fowler, or core J2EE patterns. Those will both get you to think about programming from a higher level than is possible if you have to work with crap C++ apis and COM/ATL.

I've done Java before, with some pretty extensive projects in college, that ranged from a news rss feeder application with a ton of options, to some multi-threaded stuff as well. It's just I don't have any professional Java experience. As for C# I have never done anything with it before.

I'm about to download Visual C# Express Edition and check it out for a little bit.