c#, java or python

[d000hg]

SQL is an area MS have historically been very fickle on. So I'll not bet against new tech there. However think about how long COM was around for. WCF has been around a few years now after being planned and I've not yet heard a replacement is in the works, even.
WPF seems a little up in the air but Silverlight is gathering pace.

[VectraMan]

but Silverlight is gathering pace.

Though with MS also jumping on the HTML5 bandwagon you have to question the long term commitment to Silverlight.

I wonder if they're secretly planning to build the .NET runtime and languages directly into the browser, so you can use C# on the client with the HTML5 DOM instead of Javascript. That'll upset the standards people.

I don't even know what WCF is, but I bet it's just another new way of doing exactly what people have been doing for years.

[fullyautomatix]

Though with MS also jumping on the HTML5 bandwagon you have to question the long term commitment to Silverlight.

I wonder if they're secretly planning to build the .NET runtime and languages directly into the browser, so you can use C# on the client with the HTML5 DOM instead of Javascript. That'll upset the standards people.

I don't even know what WCF is, but I bet it's just another new way of doing exactly what people have been doing for years.

WCF, WF etc are Microsoft jargons introducing some technology or architecture that developers were using for years, only MS now decided that only they know how to do it and released it with some fanfare. Of course it doesnt stop companies advertising job vacancies to add it to their advert. Remoting was one such thing. Current favourite is Lambda.

[d000hg]

Though with MS also jumping on the HTML5 bandwagon you have to question the long term commitment to Silverlight.

I wonder if they're secretly planning to build the .NET runtime and languages directly into the browser, so you can use C# on the client with the HTML5 DOM instead of Javascript. That'll upset the standards people.

Well firstly HTML5 doesn't replace Flash or Silverlight anyway. Secondly if they integrate .net into the browser, that's pretty much Silverlight anyway except Silverlight is cross-platform.

I don't even know what WCF is, but I bet it's just another new way of doing exactly what people have been doing for years.

On that basis, nothing is new. WCF is about talking to other applications on the same or other PCs... in which case yes the concept of RPC has been around for ages but that doesn't mean a new technology adds nothing new. Webservices are just HTTP, JSP is just machine-written HTML, etc.

No modern technology platform doesn't innovate... certainly Java doesn't anyway what with transitions between servlets/jsp/jstl/struts/EJB/spring

[lightng]

Java vs .NET

This explains all ...

.NET vs Java video

[SupremeSpod]

This explains all ...

.NET vs Java video

.NET is not a programming language.

[d000hg]

.NET is not a programming language.

Java can be a language or a programming platform (like .net) though. JSP/JSTL/EL are not Java language but are part of J2EE, Jython and JRuby are JVM languages with Java, very similar to C#, VB.net on .net.

Nothing is simple these days

[lightng]

.NET is not a programming language.

NSS

[rsingh]

Knowing a little bit about your current contract , I'd suggest c#. It's used quite heavily for creating Excel add-ins. I'd choose it over vb.net as it is used more in the city. It also gives you exposure to vsto.

Do you do much database work? It might be worth looking into Oracle or sql server. There are free versions available on their websites.

Good luck