I have a question to ask all the programming proffesionals out there. I'm going to college this fall for AAS in Computer Information Systems, and I would like to know what programming languages should I go for? I like Visual Basic, but that is required, I was thinking Java, C++, and one programmer for the state said I should take Cobol but my mother says it is boring and for the lesser businesses or whatever. What do you guys think?



This post has been edited by cmatcmextra: Aug 5 2005, 09:31 AM

A friend if mine works for the State and soon to be in the private sector. According to what he's been doing, you learn Java only if you want to be a web programmer, because you cannot update or upload security patches using JAVA effectively. C++ and Visual Basic are very good to know when you need to take care of clusters of systems (make your own script to deploy bug fixing, automated updates and such). COBOL is getting to be out dated but there are some systems that heavily depend on this language because some State agencies don't have enough funds to upgrade to different language systems and supports.

But once you get there, according to my friend, it's not about what you know because the workers are so used to doing it on traditional, old ways that what you know isn't going to help you. It's who you know. They'll have their usual ways of doing things that you have to learn, what you already know, all over again.

Thenk you that is good information to know, so maybe I should not take COBOL then... I'll take C++, Java/HTML, maybe something like Javascript or something and Visual Basic. I guess if I just choose languages to do like these ones I should be able to do good after college then.

C++ JAva ASP is almost important i think..
to do a programme enginner you need know more and more languages i think
eg php jsp some thing like that.

Man so many languages!! lol, ok I can't take that many...so lets here I don't know, the most important 3 or 4 for now, then I'll learn the others in the future.

Write the top four each of you think I should use and tell me why, that way I can choose out of the many decisions I will have. Those will be the once I should do in the college and the rest for later on. Some classes I'm taking might have some programming languages in one, like HTML and Java.

HTML isn't a programming language, and JavaScript barely is. I wouldn't go for HTML/JS/PHP/ASP unless you're interested in web design, and few companies use that much Java. C++ is the most widely used I think, but it depends on what field you're in.

Some things about each:

JS/PHP/ASP are very linear languages. Like, they go from the top of the code to the bottom and that's pretty much it. However, if you're into webdesign, these are pretty important

Languages like Java, C, and C++ have more possibilities because you can have things like keylisteners and timers.

Java isn't used much because it's generally pretty slow, but it can be good for games. I think I also remember reading that Google was interested in hiring people who were really experienced with Java.

C and C++ are probably used most. They're relatively fast and can do a lot of things. Probably most of the programs on your computer are in one of the two.

In the end, it just depends what you want to do.

i think C+++ is good

but thats just my opion wounder wat u guys think well i think if u learn programing u can egt rich but u ever know cuz programing is key too hacking and *BLEEP* like u can program trojan or virus or something

My advice would be to take C++ and Java. Java is supposed to be the future language but both have their pros and cons. C++ is much quicker when dealing with complex calculations while java is better with a few other things. In the end, knowing both would be the most helpful since you can always embed one inside the other to utilize their most effficient parts.

I was thinking C++ and Java too, but besides them, what else? Java used in a few companies? I heard it was used everywhere I play D&D :cough: :cough: with a lot of programmers on sundays, and a couple of them work for the state, all say Java is really good and widely used, best for the web and most companies change to java.