c#, java or python

[Scrag Meister]

For the last 23 years I have been programming various flavours of Basic. QB, PDS, VB, VBA and there is still market out there for the latter of these skills.

I am fast coming to the point though where I can actually see a fiscal benefit to learning a new skill.

The options seems to be Java, C# or Python.

All three are used in house at current ClientCo, although i am not involved.

Fortuitously I have just been dumped with a small amendment to a C# project that the dept I am in doesn't own, not a large amount of work but should be a good start and teach me the Dev Gui in VS.

Any body have anything constructive to say about which would be better and why. Any book recommendations etc.. etc..

Thanks.

[Durbs]

The .NET IDE is superb and a joy to use so i've never regretted going down the .NET route (although I prefer VB.NET to C# as a language).

Started doing Objective-C too and despite a steep initial learning curve am now enjoying that and getting productive in it so mebbe dont discount the Mac/iPhone $ either?

Theres not a huge market for Python compared to the other two.

[doodab]

I wouldn't bother with python, it's heinous.

Java & C# are both quite similar, in that you will need to specialise beyond simply learning the core language to make a career from it. A good place to start with java is the java tutorial

[Sysman]

I can heartily recommend FORTRAN or FORTH.

But you won't make a ha'penny out of either, these days.

Ho hum.

I made some good dosh out of COBOL when I started out contracting. The problem was that it was all maintenance of existing code and when they finally asked me to create something new I found it hard to do and realised what a rut I'd got into. The lesson from that is by all means use existing skills to make money, especially when contracts are scarce, but always look to keeping up with newer stuff.

Another vote for Objective-C here. I got stuck into that as a means of whiling away dark winter nights and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[DimPrawn]

Basic. QB, PDS, VB, VBA ...

Err, wouldn't the obvious choice be VB.NET?

[d000hg]

I wouldn't bother with python, it's heinous.

Lots of people love it, though I never got into it. It is much less common but on the other hand that probably means you can stand more chance getting a specific role with less experience... but of course there will be less roles.

Both Java and .NET suffer from a glut of experienced people, both here and overseas, so breaking in might be tricky... you probably need to slip sideways into projects while contracting for something else to get a nibble.

Whether Java or C# (or VB.net) depends the kind of software you write - server apps talking to DBs, pretty desktop apps, web-apps, etc. What do you do?

[NickFitz]

Python is a thing of beauty and a joy forever. If you couple it with the Django framework you've got a good playground in which to learn it at the same time as actually making stuff. Don't interpret the term "playground" as trivialising Django: it's used by some major sites (e.g. The Onion - America's Finest News Source), but it's also utterly simple to get started with it.

I wish I could get more people to pay me to work with Python

Alternatively, you might want to look at PHP. I know... but it's one of the most widely-used languages on the back-end, and again there are good frameworks if you're into back-end web stuff. Yahoo! run most of their stuff on PHP, and Symfony is (or was recently) their framework of choice. Yahoo! Answers runs on Symfony - I know, because I ported a tiny little bit of it when I was there. So does a lot of other Yahoo! stuff. Facebook is also mainly PHP (I think - maybe that's "used to be mainly...").

Most of the problems people attribute to PHP are due to the one problem that any language/framework/object model that is easy to use faces: lots of crap developers create crap with it because it's easy to create crap with. Think of the reputation Visual Basic has; yet we all know that it's possible to write good software in VB if you know how to write good software. PHP has the same problem as VB, in that almost all of the criticisms directed at it come from people who read something bad about it in 1999 and haven't bothered to update their opinions since then. It's worth a look

[Scrag Meister]

Err, wouldn't the obvious choice be VB.NET?

I want to do something relatively new.

c#, .net framework and wpf seems to be growing at the moment.

I did Cobol back in the day for my A levels, never used it again! :-) Much like everything I learnt when I was doing my HND. Left Vax VMS, Pascal behind and started employment doing Basic on Pcs.

Programming is a way of thinking not a specific syntax.

Thanks for your comments folks.

[VectraMan]

Be a real man and learn assembler?

C# and Java are so similar it's really a question of whether you want to learn .NET, or whatever the Java runtime and libraires are called these days. VB .NET will allow you to learn the .NET side whilst using a language you're more familiar with.

I guess what I'm saying is don't get too hung up on the language; learning the platform is more important.

Somebody from MS said that WPF was dead recently. They've messed up Visual Studio by doing the 2010 version in WPF, just for political reasons it seems because there's certainly no benefit to the user.

[d000hg]

C# and Java are so similar it's really a question of whether you want to learn .NET, or whatever the Java runtime and libraires are called these days.

Not really. C# has a whole shedload of language features not in Java. And you can't really talk about "the language" without considering the standard libraries, they're the bulk of what to learn

VB .NET will allow you to learn the .NET side whilst using a language you're more familiar with.

This is definitely a good point.

I guess what I'm saying is don't get too hung up on the language; learning the platform is more important.

This too.

Somebody from MS said that WPF was dead recently. They've messed up Visual Studio by doing the 2010 version in WPF, just for political reasons it seems because there's certainly no benefit to the user.

Somebody else said it wasn't dead, and since Silverlight is related to WPF and Silverlight is the primary dev environment for Windows Mobile 7 it's a bit unclear... not to mention I haven't heard anyone say VS2010 is "messed up" based on reviews I read.