Re: Java and Visual Basic, how to learn? -- MIDRANGE-L

Dan,

I appreciate your candor on this.

My reservations regarding VB and Java are the jump in thinking and application
design, and the temporary loss in productivity. 

It is a jump from procedural programming to event driven and OO. I understand
the basics regarding event driven and object-oriented programming. Because of
the complexity involved in utilizing them, my intuition tells me it takes more
time to write a VB/Java program than the equivalent RPG program.  But I'm not
sure.

You make an excellent point between "hobby" learning and actual work
experience. I'm looking for my boss to make the committment that for a while,
I will not be productive (in VB/Java) while I learn the new language and get
up to speed. I can read about it all I want at home, but if I can't apply it
at work, it's just as you said.

If I ask about making or saving money, it is only because it was my boss's
mantra for the past eighteen months. All new development was led by those
questions. Rarely has there been time for "research" or "experimentation".
Such is obviously needed when pursuing a new language. I would like to get up
to speed quickly, to move beyond "Hello world" to a real, functional
application that benefits the company.

If it sounded like I resented learning either VB or Java, that was not my
intent. But if I had a choice to pick one over the other, which may be the
better choice? I believe it to be Java; my boss believes it to be VB. Either
way, it is a big step forward, and I am looking toward those people (who are
much smarter than I) who already took those steps.

Thanks,
Loyd



On Mon, 31 Mar 2003 17:13:50 -0800 (PST), Dan <dbcemid@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>Loyd,
>
>It's hard for me to tell.  I sense some reservation on your part to learn Java 
>or VB.  You're
>entrenched in green screen?  Excuse me for being blunt, but, get over it.  
>Although you seem to
>understand that there *probably* is a place for it, you're asking some 
>questions that I wouldn't
>spend two seconds trying to answer, i.e., the "How does this make us money, 
>save us money, or open
>opportunities?" questions.  
>
>Frankly, nowadays, if the boss asked me if I wanted to learn Java or VB, the 
>first words out of my
>mouth would be "when can I begin?"  After being out of work twice for extended 
>periods in recent
>history, and seeing AS/400 opportunities that required Java *work experience* 
>(read, not "I
>learned Java several months ago, and can write a "Hello, World"), I would jump 
>on that opportunity
>like flies on a, ehh, I can't finish that statement here.  Note my emphasis on 
>*work experience*;
>I have found this to be an unavoidable requirement; taking classes and 
>learning it on your own
>won't measure up according to these standards.
>
>If I did try to answer those questions, I would probably ask back, "How can we 
>possibly know if
>Java/VB will make $, save $, or open opps if we don't know how to use those 
>tools?"  Learn the
>tools, spark the imagination, and move forward.
>
>Mostly, though, get out of the green-screen entrenchment.  You'll increase 
>your value not only to
>your employer, but to yourself as well.
>
>My .02 and then some.
>
>- Dan

-- 
"Why, you can even hear yourself think." --Hobbes
"This is making me nervous. Let's go in." --Calvin
loyd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx  ICQ#504581  http://www.blackrobes.net/