Getting back in the game

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pantoffel

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Hi all,

This is my very first post on MyBB :cool:

Sorry if it’s a long story but I’ve been going in circles for a long time and need some guidance.

In my younger years, I use to be a developer (mostly TSQL and .Net 1.1/2.0). For some reason my development tasks at the time was limited to lots of TSQL, DLL’s, Console Apps, Windows Forms Apps and Windows Services. So, no web. No classic ASP, no ASP.Net, MVC or anything of the likes.

Today, I’m 37 years old and doing zero technical work. I’m a corporate business manager involved in finances, hiring, firing, budgets and forecasts etc. It literally feels like I’m getting dumber by the day! So, the thing is: I want to get back in the game. I want to build stuff again. I probably won’t be a career developer ever again, but I really, really, really want to get back into development, even if it’s as a hobbyist and to dev a few apps that will help around the house, office etc.

The problem though is that:
  • It has to be web and mobile. No more console, desktop bullsh1t. Ignore mobile for now.
  • I need to be able to do something basic that works full circle, i.e. a complete app.
  • The latest web technologies have me spinning though. o_Oo_O

And this is where I need some input / guidance. To learn, just for myself, some form of web application “stack” that will allow me to write a complete application. I still remember some SQL Server and TSQL but what about the web app side? There are different architectures, right. I thought maybe go Python with Django or Flask. But they’re more MVC type apps right? No real separation between back-end and UI, or do I have that wrong? Maybe it would be better to learn something to build API’s with like Node (or still one of the Python frameworks I dunno) and then the necessary front-end tech like HTML5/CSS/JS + Bootstrap and VueJS. That would allow me an API that could be leveraged by both a web front-end AND mobile app? But that looks like more of a learning curve… Then which of these damn back-ends play nicely with SQL Server? Or should I dump SQL Server and learn something more suitable to Python / Node whatever API I use?

You see? This thing has me all confoooookulated. :oops:

My objective now is: with some input / guidance from people smarter than me, select a suitable technology stack that I can learn easy enough (shortest route to being useful with the whole stack) and that will allow me the joys of building a complete application again.

Sorry for the long post but any input would be appreciated!

Cheers
 
Consider a role of Business Analyst or Product Owner, where you can use your knowledge of Dev and your experience dealing in and with business..
In your case, a role like the above in a financial institution could be perfect. And along the lines, should you delve deeper back into the development itself, just do it.
 
gkm said:
For the mobile option, maybe consider getting a book like this one and work through it: https://www.amazon.com/Head-First-Android-Development-Brain-Friendly/dp/1491974052 (Assuming you .Net background will help you get into the Java aspect.)
Click to expand...

Thank you very much.

Yeah the mobile part, for some reason I’m not too worried about. Will be a learning curve but the path is clearer in my mind. I had a look at the book on amazon - sure that will get me going quick! Thanks.

Still way confused though on the web stack
 
Nemus said:
Consider a role of Business Analyst or Product Owner, where you can use your knowledge of Dev and your experience dealing in and with business..
In your case, a role like the above in a financial institution could be perfect. And along the lines, should you delve deeper back into the development itself, just do it.
Click to expand...

Hi.

Thank you for the prompt reply. I maybe did not explain very well in my original post. I’m not looking to make a career change now. Should it come to that at some point in the future, your suggestion looks good.

Right now, I just want to learn a suitable technology stack for myself but I’m having trouble deciding what those technologies should be.

Thanks again
 
/Doesn't check thread category due to being distracted by title about pounding some poppe again.
/leaves dissapointed.

Welcome to Mybb :)
 
pantoffel said:
Thank you very much.

Yeah the mobile part, for some reason I’m not too worried about. Will be a learning curve but the path is clearer in my mind. I had a look at the book on amazon - sure that will get me going quick! Thanks.

Still way confused though on the web stack
Click to expand...

I would recommend that you do not spread yourself out too thin at the beginning. Pick one area and focus on that.
 
It's 2020. Web Dev is in a great space right now. So great time to get into it.

Most new apps (whether web or mobile) will be built on a separate API backend (eg NodeJS / Rails / Django / Laravel / Flask / even firebase / whatever) and a separate frontend of your choice eg VueJS, ReactJS, Angular, etc.

Let me know if you need more info.
 
Some of the tech I see trending currently:
  • React, Vue.js, Node.js, Angular (look into headless cms using API's as per above comments)
  • Laravel or Symfony (good MVC frameworks)
  • Ruby (Shopify's not going away soon and it's based on Ruby)
  • WordPress, swear word to certain devs, but more than a third of the internet runs on it, so there will always be work there (look at Codeable for higher-level work).
 
We can go down the rabbit hole and discuss the merits of each piece of tech. I'm sure somebody is going to throw Docker, Vagrant, Kafka and all sorts of tech into the mix.

That's cool, but you can always do this and jut get a basic project up and running to get back into the groove:
  1. Sqlite
  2. Python with Flask for backend + API
  3. VueJS + Bootstrap for frontend
...stay away from jQuery for as long as possible.
 
Since you knew and used C# you can just use that along with ASP.NET...you can throw in for example Bootstrap if you want your sites to be a bit more reactive.

Learning ASP.NET isn't that hard, adding Bootstrap in is more of a mission.
 
gkm said:
I would recommend that you do not spread yourself out too thin at the beginning. Pick one area and focus on that.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much gkm.

Fully agree with you. And that’s what this thread is about for me: I want to identify and select a suitable stack that I’ll delve into and learn as “my stack”. Something compact, but full-stack, easy enough for me (non-pro) to learn and then obviously - as you rightly pointed out - will allow me to focus only on this stack and not spread myself too thin.

I see there are a few more recommendations. Will look through them now.

Thanks again gkm!
 
ronald911 said:
It's 2020. Web Dev is in a great space right now. So great time to get into it.

Most new apps (whether web or mobile) will be built on a separate API backend (eg NodeJS / Rails / Django / Laravel / Flask / even firebase / whatever) and a separate frontend of your choice eg VueJS, ReactJS, Angular, etc.

Let me know if you need more info.
Click to expand...



Aaaaah.... You see? Now this is the kind of input I was looking for.


That already clarifies one thing for me. I’ll go for a separate REST API and then choose a suitable front-end set of tech.

Based on my previous experience and recent research I’m leaning towards .Net or Django or Flask or Node with Vue.

I might query you again for more info

Thank you Ronald!
 
MtraX said:
Some of the tech I see trending currently:
  • React, Vue.js, Node.js, Angular (look into headless cms using API's as per above comments)
  • Laravel or Symfony (good MVC frameworks)
  • Ruby (Shopify's not going away soon and it's based on Ruby)
  • WordPress, swear word to certain devs, but more than a third of the internet runs on it, so there will always be work there (look at Codeable for higher-level work).
Click to expand...


Thank you. This continues to reinforce some of the previous input.

I’ve read about headless CMS before. Cannot recall anything else other than seeing the phrase before. Will go look.

I know a little WP. In my view, more of a CMS than application framework but don’t know it very well. Will relook along with Codeable.

Thanks again
 
Hamster said:
We can go down the rabbit hole and discuss the merits of each piece of tech. I'm sure somebody is going to throw Docker, Vagrant, Kafka and all sorts of tech into the mix.

That's cool, but you can always do this and jut get a basic project up and running to get back into the groove:
  1. Sqlite
  2. Python with Flask for backend + API
  3. VueJS + Bootstrap for frontend
...stay away from jQuery for as long as possible.
Click to expand...


Excellent.

Thank you.

This is kind of what I’m trying to narrow down my search to. API + Front-end looks good.

I can start with SQLITE. Would like to move to proper RDBMS as soon as possible. I know SQL Server. Not sure how well Flask / SQLAlchemy plays with it or MySQL / Oracle might be better.

I’ll deal with mobile later, once I have the above sorted.

I could see from Ronald’s post about trends that jQuery popularity is in decline. Is that why recommended to stear clear?

Thanks a million!
 
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