State of the Market

[oliverson]

I've been what you would call a full stack .Net developer for a number of years but for the last year (when I've been in contract) I've been working exclusively with different Javascript frameworks (Angular 2, VueJs). I haven't written a single line of c# code in all that time. All Typescript.

I don't know if this is a good thing but since I've fallen into this kind of technology, I'm hoping it will make me slightly more niche than a bog standard .net dev. On the other hand, I guess after being out of the Microsoft stack for a while will put me out of the running for the many .net gigs that may or may not be out there. Who knows.....

Similar thing for me but whereas I was writing WPF front-ends with .NET back-ends (or working with teams doing the back-end in Java), I swapped out the WPF for Angular 2 (onwards) and switched my server-side to .NET Core. These are hot skills right now and I've gotten just over a years worth of commercial experience in it and let me tell you, it's a world of pain, especially the front-end. Whilst TypeScript seeks to impose some kind of order on the appalling mess that is JavaScript, it's massively inferior to C#. In fact, the whole web stack is brittle and frustrating to work with. How I wish we could go back in time to a world where your dependencies are a hand full of DLL's vs 100Mb+ node_modules folder. All the stuff we've taken for granted for 20+ years, such as 1st class intellisense/code-completion, reliable debugging, unit testing and mocking frameworks are laughable. This is why I stuck with .NET, albeit the new .NET core, for my server-side work instead of amplifying the frustration and misery by using Node.js and a Micky Mouse database like MongoDb. This reminds me of VHS vs Betamax, I've said it before. The best format lost!

[pauldee]

I've been what you would call a full stack .Net developer for a number of years but for the last year (when I've been in contract) I've been working exclusively with different Javascript frameworks (Angular 2, VueJs). I haven't written a single line of c# code in all that time. All Typescript.

I don't know if this is a good thing but since I've fallen into this kind of technology, I'm hoping it will make me slightly more niche than a bog standard .net dev. On the other hand, I guess after being out of the Microsoft stack for a while will put me out of the running for the many .net gigs that may or may not be out there. Who knows.....

JavaScript isn't going away any time soon. Choosing the right framework to commit to is another choice though. I don't think it would hurt to keep your toe in the .Net/Java pond though.

[nomadd]

[snip]...and let me tell you, it's a world of pain, especially the front-end. Whilst TypeScript seeks to impose some kind of order on the appalling mess that is JavaScript, it's massively inferior to [not just C#, but Java too] All the stuff we've taken for granted for 20+ years, such as 1st class intellisense/code-completion, reliable debugging, unit testing and mocking frameworks are laughable. [snip]..and misery by using Node.js and a Micky Mouse database like MongoDb.

This^

[JohnM]

I've been what you would call a full stack .Net developer for a number of years but for the last year (when I've been in contract) I've been working exclusively with different Javascript frameworks (Angular 2, VueJs). I haven't written a single line of c# code in all that time. All Typescript.

I don't know if this is a good thing but since I've fallen into this kind of technology, I'm hoping it will make me slightly more niche than a bog standard .net dev. On the other hand, I guess after being out of the Microsoft stack for a while will put me out of the running for the many .net gigs that may or may not be out there. Who knows.....

That is the perfect mix to have at the minute. The vast majority of greenfield projects are getting written in React/Angular sat on a .net web api so I would say your skills are extremely relevant in the current market. .Net, with MVC and full stack i.e. angular or strong JQuery and you should have loads of opportunities in the current market

Get yourself Sitecore certified is my advice - great day rates and more and more of the bigger companies are starting to use it and these are the ones who can pay the higher day rates. 80% of it is just being a really good MVC developer, the rest is the niche Sitecore stuff but you can play around with Umbraco to get a feel for MVC based CRMs it has a lot of similarities to Sitecore

[JohnM]

Agree with the posters ref Javascript pain. I am a very keen advocate of keeping front ends as thin as possible, always have been even with MVC but I am seeing more and more clients trying to implement enterprise level websites more or less entirely in Angular or with Node now and although there are obvious benefits to using Angular and Node there is a huge amount of pain getting it enterprise standard, dare I say it is almost impossible.

[coolhandluke]

The only benefit I see from the current JavaScript trend is extra ££ on the day rate. Lots of people are struggling with the complexity of Angular and React enterprise applications.

[Big Blue Plymouth]

The only benefit I see from the current JavaScript trend is extra ££ on the day rate. Lots of people are struggling with the complexity of Angular and React enterprise applications.

Yes, and I'd be selling doughnuts on a street corner if it added £££ to the day rate but, on a technical level, I have to question WTF does all this pain actually buy you?

[AV101]

Is it just me or is it dead out there?

I'm looking for a .net based dev contract - cannot believe there is no work being done outside of the M25.

(Before anyone says anything I've been contracting for years but this is the quietest I've seen it since 2001).

[Brummie]

Is it just me or is it dead out there?

I'm looking for a .net based dev contract - cannot believe there is no work being done outside of the M25.

(Before anyone says anything I've been contracting for years but this is the quietest I've seen it since 2001).

Its indeed very quiet at the moment. As if there is a stand-off!

[AV101]

Its indeed very quiet at the moment. As if there is a stand-off!

Stand-off between what? If you want something doing it is either a) out of necessity (regulatory) or b) to add value - cannot see who would benefit from standing off from either of those two options particularly in current environment.