Java -vs- Microsoft.Net ?

[Eric]

I am a VB programmer with about 1 years experience. My real goal is to become
a 'Hard Core' internet programmer. I just bought 'Thinking IN Java' and am
excited about learning something new. However, how will Microsoft's new .NET
technology effect the Java world. Is C# a possible competitor? I would like
to commit to Java while keeping up to date with my VB skills. Is this a good
idea or should I have a 'wait and see' approach with what happens with .net
technologies?

I just need some advice from a pro because I am eager to learn (but want
to learn the right technologies for the future).

Thanks

[Paul Clapham]

How will .NET affect the Java world? It's too early to tell. Is C# a
possible competitor. Definitely, in that it will attract C++ programmers
who might otherwise have moved to Java. Should you wait and see? I don't
think that "wait and see" is a practical strategy in the computer industry.
There's always a "next big thing" coming along. Go with Java now, and if C#
does turn out to be the next big thing, your Java experience should make it
easy for you to pick it up.

PC2

Eric <erickalos@cs.com> wrote in message news:39ef528c$1@news.devx.com...
>
> I am a VB programmer with about 1 years experience. My real goal is to
become
> a 'Hard Core' internet programmer. I just bought 'Thinking IN Java' and am
> excited about learning something new. However, how will Microsoft's new
..NET
> technology effect the Java world. Is C# a possible competitor? I would
like
> to commit to Java while keeping up to date with my VB skills. Is this a
good
> idea or should I have a 'wait and see' approach with what happens with
..net
> technologies?
>
> I just need some advice from a pro because I am eager to learn (but want
> to learn the right technologies for the future).
>
> Thanks

[John Timney (MVP)]

I agree with Paul, I'm active in the .NET evaluation and in my opinion about
c# specifically, if you know VB - its harder. If you know C++ its
different, if you know Java its somewhat similar..stick to your guns, learn
it later if you need to.

--
Regards

John Timney
Microsoft MVP
(http://support.microsoft.com/support/mvp/program.asp)
Co-Author Professional JSP
ISBN: 1-861003-62-5



Paul Clapham <pclapham@core-mark.com> wrote in message
news:39f061b9$1@news.devx.com...
How will .NET affect the Java world? It's too early to tell. Is C# a
possible competitor. Definitely, in that it will attract C++ programmers
who might otherwise have moved to Java. Should you wait and see? I don't
think that "wait and see" is a practical strategy in the computer industry.
There's always a "next big thing" coming along. Go with Java now, and if C#
does turn out to be the next big thing, your Java experience should make it
easy for you to pick it up.

PC2

Eric <erickalos@cs.com> wrote in message news:39ef528c$1@news.devx.com...
>
> I am a VB programmer with about 1 years experience. My real goal is to
become
> a 'Hard Core' internet programmer. I just bought 'Thinking IN Java' and am
> excited about learning something new. However, how will Microsoft's new
..NET
> technology effect the Java world. Is C# a possible competitor? I would
like
> to commit to Java while keeping up to date with my VB skills. Is this a
good
> idea or should I have a 'wait and see' approach with what happens with
..net
> technologies?
>
> I just need some advice from a pro because I am eager to learn (but want
> to learn the right technologies for the future).
>
> Thanks

[Jay]

Languages like Java c++ and c# are very similar. You should try and build
up a solid understanding of data structures, algorithms and OOP. This type
of knowledge will carry across all of the object oriented programming languages.
Being a developer is not "knowing a programming language" but knowing how
to write robust applications using whatever tools available. To answer your
question, I would start with Java. I'm not anti-Microsoft, I use MSdev studio
as much as JBuilder. C# is very new language and as far as learning material
already available, Java has an lead on C#. By the way, Thinking in Java was
the first java book I started with, great choice.

"Eric" <erickalos@cs.com> wrote:
>
>I am a VB programmer with about 1 years experience. My real goal is to become
>a 'Hard Core' internet programmer. I just bought 'Thinking IN Java' and
am
>excited about learning something new. However, how will Microsoft's new
.NET
>technology effect the Java world. Is C# a possible competitor? I would like
>to commit to Java while keeping up to date with my VB skills. Is this a
good
>idea or should I have a 'wait and see' approach with what happens with .net
>technologies?
>
>I just need some advice from a pro because I am eager to learn (but want
>to learn the right technologies for the future).
>
>Thanks

[Rich]

Eric,

Before giving my "view" on these technologies, I must preface it with my
background. For the past six years, I have been using MS VC++ and VB professionally.


I think Java is the way to go. The technology is being widely used by many
companies. Hence, there are currently many jobs and likely even more in the
future.

As for C# and VB.NET, neither have been formally released. Hence, there are
few jobs using these technologies. Certainly, in nine months to one year,
there will be some jobs using this technology.

One question remains. How long will it take for the number of C#/VB.NET jobs
to catch up to Java? In my opinion, it never will.

Java still has at least another nine months before these products are released.
In that time, more and more companies will look at all of their options for
their projects. They will see they can use the "legacy" MS architecture which
will be obsolete in one year or less or go with the Java platform. To me,
for a project of any real magnitude, Java is the clear choice.

Rich
----------------------------------------------------------------
"Eric" <erickalos@cs.com> wrote:
>
>I am a VB programmer with about 1 years experience. My real goal is to become
>a 'Hard Core' internet programmer. I just bought 'Thinking IN Java' and
am
>excited about learning something new. However, how will Microsoft's new
.NET
>technology effect the Java world. Is C# a possible competitor? I would like
>to commit to Java while keeping up to date with my VB skills. Is this a
good
>idea or should I have a 'wait and see' approach with what happens with .net
>technologies?
>
>I just need some advice from a pro because I am eager to learn (but want
>to learn the right technologies for the future).
>
>Thanks