Help me choose: A new development language/platform.

6 pointsmichaelawill17y ago13 comments

Both the language and platform should fit these criteria:

* Developing under windows. Where I work developing on Linux isn't really an option. * Web Development preferred. Most of the applications I make are web applications. * I like to create very clean interfaces but a platform that can make a good looking interface wouldn't hurt. * Pulling data from SQL and updating SQL is going to be the core of every app. I'd rather not go with a language that makes this painful. * I'm looking for something more than my current Visual Studios (VB.net) while at the same time I admit I'm no genius and there are probably some languages/platforms I won't be able to teach myself.

6 pointsmichaelawill17y ago13 comments

Both the language and platform should fit these criteria:

13 comments

11 comments · 6 top-level

mahmud17y ago· 2 in thread

Don't you feel curious to study and learn everything out there? you're already a programmer; ever thought of venturing out, if even for a weekend? don't you talk with people and have programmer banter?

I taught myself Pascal and Basic in week, and the first kid I spoke to who knew how to program told me: "Pascal and Basic suck, learn Delphi". I didn't, I learned Turbo C and Assembly, and I told everyone I met how they suck ever since.

For the sake of programmer banter and my own immaturity, allow me to say that VB.net sucks! now go and learn everything else :-) including languages that make non-corporate programming painful (i.e. because they're far too beautiful to be abused with SQL.)

michaelawillOP17y ago

When I was younger I was like that and I still get that way when I hear about new platforms and see what people have created using them. I waste a lot of my free time on video games and I want to branch out and expand my knowledge/experience. I feel I should go with 1 language/platform at a time because that's the quickest route to returns in my current job.

mahmud17y ago

Mozart/Oz and the book Haridi and van Roy.

Mozart/Oz is the kitchen sink of programming language semantics. It has everything, and just one uniform core syntax where the rest is built on.

Brush up on your emacs as Mozart's IDE is built with it, just a few handful commands though.

P.S. Drop the video games; they channel your natural, healthy aggression and curiosity into useless entertainment.

P.P.S. before the gamers jump at my back; to each his own, it's my opinion.

1 more reply

bdfh4217y ago· 2 in thread

Stick with asp.net - it works and scales. You could always break out in C# if you need a change.

Database integration is a snip (and I avoid data bound controls like the plague) and Ajax works just fine. You can even use JQuery at the browser end.

michaelawillOP17y ago

Maybe I just need to learn ways to make my applications look less generic. Whenever I hear about some new development platform I feel like maybe I'm pigeon-holing myself by sticking with Visual Studios. I want to be a valued contributor and no better way to do that than to create applications that WOW those above you.

synnik17y ago

Sadly, you are already pigeon-holed because you are stuck with Windows and SQL. Stick with VS.NET for your platform. But also look into what JQuery can do for your front ends. There are many JavaScript frameworks that could also add a lot of value, but I recommend JQuery because Microsoft is using it in their new versions of SharePoint.

Bottom line: If you have to be stuck in Microsoft-land, work with them, not against them.

1 more reply

cdeutmey17y ago· 1 in thread

SQL Server -> ASP.Net web service -> Adobe Flex front end. This setup has been working quite nicely for me.

michaelawillOP17y ago

One of my friends uses this at his work to pretty good affect. The price of the software kind of scares me off though.

CyberFonic17y ago

I vote for Python. It comes with SQLite and can handle all other databases out there. If you pay just a little attention, then your code will run equally well on Windows, Mac OS/X and Linux. The site-packages contains almost everything that you could possibly need and there are many other excellent packages available. Increasingly Python is being used as the first language taught as part of computer science courses at most well regarded universities and there are many excellent books available.

If you are totally Windows focused, then IronPython will allow you to enjoy most of the Python advantages as well as giving you full access to .Net Framework. There also is Jython if you are more JVM inclined.

There are several web frameworks to choose from as well, Zope, Django, Plone, etc. And of course, you might want to check out Google AppEngine.

I prefer to use wxPython (wxWidgets) for GUI programming to maintain portability. But you could choose to use WinForms or WPF with IronPython.

With companies like Disney, NASA, Google, ILM using Python, you have to put it at the top of your list.

For more info: http://python.org/

ScottWhigham17y ago

I like VB but I love C# - it's so clean, so easy, and so nice. I think that the Visual Studio/ASP.NET setup is just great for Windows development particularly if you'll be using an MSSQL backend. I'd encourage you to learn C# and really master ASP.NET.

Aside from that, I'd suggest augmenting your ASP.NET skills with:

* ASP.NET MVC

* jQuery

noodle17y ago

web development on almost any non-.net platform can be done on both windows and/or linux.

you should pick what you want to use and see if you can use it on windows. because you probably can.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

13 comments

11 comments · 6 top-level

mahmud17y ago· 2 in thread

michaelawillOP17y ago

mahmud17y ago

Mozart/Oz and the book Haridi and van Roy.

Mozart/Oz is the kitchen sink of programming language semantics. It has everything, and just one uniform core syntax where the rest is built on.

Brush up on your emacs as Mozart's IDE is built with it, just a few handful commands though.

P.S. Drop the video games; they channel your natural, healthy aggression and curiosity into useless entertainment.

P.P.S. before the gamers jump at my back; to each his own, it's my opinion.

1 more reply

bdfh4217y ago· 2 in thread

Stick with asp.net - it works and scales. You could always break out in C# if you need a change.

Database integration is a snip (and I avoid data bound controls like the plague) and Ajax works just fine. You can even use JQuery at the browser end.

michaelawillOP17y ago

synnik17y ago

Bottom line: If you have to be stuck in Microsoft-land, work with them, not against them.

1 more reply

cdeutmey17y ago· 1 in thread

SQL Server -> ASP.Net web service -> Adobe Flex front end. This setup has been working quite nicely for me.

michaelawillOP17y ago

One of my friends uses this at his work to pretty good affect. The price of the software kind of scares me off though.

CyberFonic17y ago

There are several web frameworks to choose from as well, Zope, Django, Plone, etc. And of course, you might want to check out Google AppEngine.

I prefer to use wxPython (wxWidgets) for GUI programming to maintain portability. But you could choose to use WinForms or WPF with IronPython.

With companies like Disney, NASA, Google, ILM using Python, you have to put it at the top of your list.

For more info: http://python.org/

ScottWhigham17y ago

Aside from that, I'd suggest augmenting your ASP.NET skills with:

* ASP.NET MVC

* jQuery

noodle17y ago

web development on almost any non-.net platform can be done on both windows and/or linux.

you should pick what you want to use and see if you can use it on windows. because you probably can.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse