Java vs C#

Go with Java, in runs in the JVM.
With C#, you can only run your programs in a limited amount of places.
Dumb argument. He should look for what is best for his career right now. Even if it is Java, cross platform capability won't be the reason.
 
Partly true. He should also have a look at his career in the future.

Unless, that is, he wants to sell his first and last borns to Microsoft.

^sell^give
 
Partly true. He should also have a look at his career in the future.

Unless, that is, he wants to sell his first and last borns to Microsoft.

^sell^give

You obviously have not been in the field that long? Microsoft has changed massively over the years, for the good actually. I once had your mindset, then i grew up. Microsoft give away a lot of their tools now, and have opened tons of their technology to open source initiatives.
 
C# is probably the best language to start in. It has had better support for a wider range of RDMS. SQL Server, being the obvious choice, but Oracle now also provide native libraries. You can access the same with Java, but the performance with db connections in Java is the worse, unless you go with Oracle ADF. This means Java is often not the first choice for database applications which significantly limits its use.

If you want to focus on mobile apps, then you should probably start with Java/Android or iOS. However this a very difficult market to start in because it's very saturated. There are probably very few employers in SA who have jobs in this area.
 
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30 years ago I was into Turbo Pascal, C and C++. Today I still primarily use C and C++ :D ... with some Python thrown in. The more fundamental the technology is, the longer the shelf life. I've crossed paths with Java and C# a few times in my career - I found it pretty easy to use them on demand.



More than that, if you consider having knowledge of a particular language as a significant component of the value you bring to the table, your career is pretty much doomed.
Turbo Pascal existed 30 years ago?

I started coding at 15 (28 years ago) on an Ohio Scientific. At the time, you did assembler or GW Basic. I don't recall any other options.
Then again, I was learning off my Dad and not really exposed to anything else out there. So I'm curious.
 
Dumb argument. He should look for what is best for his career right now. Even if it is Java, cross platform capability won't be the reason.

Yes. In the corporate world, and that's where most of the jobs are, cross platform is the last thing they consider.
 
Same could be said of Java. In fact, Python devs might be at biggest "risk".

I don't dispute that, I just think Microsoft devs are a bit too comfortable due to history. However, this applies to all languages and platforms.

I mean, did anyone see the uptake of obj-c due to iOS apps?
 
C# is probably the best language to start in. It has had better support for a wider range of RDMS. SQL Server, being the obvious choice, but Oracle now also provide native libraries. You can access the same with Java, but the performance with db connections in Java is the worse, unless you go with Oracle ADF. This means Java is often not the first choice for database applications which significantly limits its use.

If you want to focus on mobile apps, then you should probably start with Java/Android or iOS. However this a very difficult market to start in because it's very saturated. There are probably very few employers in SA who have jobs in this area.

Not the first choice for desktop applications, as far as server and embedded software goes this couldn't be farther from the truth.
 
Partly true. He should also have a look at his career in the future.

Unless, that is, he wants to sell his first and last borns to Microsoft.

^sell^give

That there is the problem, isn't it? Microsoft is a bit like the Hotel California: you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave :p
 
Not the first choice for desktop applications, as far as server and embedded software goes this couldn't be farther from the truth.

While i agree java is used on server apps, I would rather do it in c/c++ before using java.
 
That there is the problem, isn't it? Microsoft is a bit like the Hotel California: you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave :p

No, that is more like your mind set. Any developer worth their salt will expand on their tool set and learn new languages and technologies.
 
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WOW is all I can say. Thanks for that!

Time flies :) Although, if I do the math more accurately, it would have been about 28-29 years for me. I started with Acorn Basic in 1983, and only got a PC in 1985-86 (where I used GW Basic and Pascal). I also messed about with Clipper and COBOL around the time, but most of their utility was lost on me at the time. I used some funky C and C++ compilers for a bit, but found Turbo Pascal a lot easier - it was also easier to integrate ASM into it (even before the asm blocks were supported) - I switched to Turbo C when it came out, and Turbo C++ a bit later. Coding was a lot of fun back then, although whenever I see old pics of me at my PC, I think to myself - How the hell did I manage to work on that monitor??? :p On the PC, I started with one of those green monitors, and on the Acorn, I used one of those tiny portable B/W TV's if you remember those.
 
Sweet lord cguy are you like 60 ?:P I also had a hercules monitor and the orange bastid, good ol assembler days. We still have clipper apps at work
 
Sweet lord cguy are you like 60 ?:P I also had a hercules monitor and the orange bastid, good ol assembler days. We still have clipper apps at work

The "amber" monitors? Also, pretty yech... :D I'm a year or two younger thank Mike, but I started bit earlier (actually, I date back to the Apple II Plus (using it around 1981), but only for Logo). Yeah, my first PC graphics card was a massive full slot Hercules AND printer port combo card. 720x348, and 1-bit per pixel, which meant that I had to become intimately familiar with all the shifting and masking operations to get things displayed.
 
The "amber" monitors? Also, pretty yech... :D I'm a year or two younger thank Mike, but I started bit earlier (actually, I date back to the Apple II Plus (using it around 1981), but only for Logo). Yeah, my first PC graphics card was a massive full slot Hercules AND printer port combo card. 720x348, and 1-bit per pixel, which meant that I had to become intimately familiar with all the shifting and masking operations to get things displayed.

I tried writing a pong game back in the day, it worked, sort of. I think i still have a copy of Ralf browns interrupt list printed. My earliest was commodore 64 (only thing my parents could afford).
 
Java and C# are pretty much similar, just keep in mind that Java supports cross-platform compatibility. You should be fine with either one.
 
The "amber" monitors? Also, pretty yech... :D I'm a year or two younger thank Mike, but I started bit earlier (actually, I date back to the Apple II Plus (using it around 1981), but only for Logo). Yeah, my first PC graphics card was a massive full slot Hercules AND printer port combo card. 720x348, and 1-bit per pixel, which meant that I had to become intimately familiar with all the shifting and masking operations to get things displayed.
The Apple 2+ was my next computer after the Ohio Scientific. I got my machines as my Dad moved on and handed his down.
Apple 2+e if I recall correctly. Was a BIG upgrade to the Ohio.
 
Java and C# are pretty much similar, just keep in mind that Java supports cross-platform compatibility. You should be fine with either one.


Yes but Visual Studio :twisted:
 
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