Time to "Start Cracking the Books" ?
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An article on IT Salaries http://www.newsfactor.com/perl/story/22496.html[^] What I get from this article is it's time to broaden the skillset !! What do you all think ?? Tony
C++ does not seem to be the hot technology as proclaimed in the article unless you are looking only to Unix based systems. For the Windows platform, jobs are few for C++. While VB jobs may be hot they are lower paid than most C++ or .NET jobs. Many of the jobs I have seen listed for VB are usually "active server pages) programming or office automation. Of course the article only said "hot" and not best paying. My opinion is based only be watching the online job hunting sites for a year and not down in the trenches. I do no that many of the Headhunters I have talked with, there is a drought in C++ opportunities (the majority of my 20 years skill set :( ). Based on the online job sites it seems more like C++/Java for Unix based machines and .NET (VB+C#) on Windows platform. Your comment on "start cracking the books" has been ringing in my ears though. For almost two years now I have been busy working with .NET but even after all that time I find there are still gaps in the "deeper" issues of .NET I have yet to hit. With such a vast technology, I personally may look into classes to help round out that knowledge. The .NET framework is quite massive. Rocky
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C++ does not seem to be the hot technology as proclaimed in the article unless you are looking only to Unix based systems. For the Windows platform, jobs are few for C++. While VB jobs may be hot they are lower paid than most C++ or .NET jobs. Many of the jobs I have seen listed for VB are usually "active server pages) programming or office automation. Of course the article only said "hot" and not best paying. My opinion is based only be watching the online job hunting sites for a year and not down in the trenches. I do no that many of the Headhunters I have talked with, there is a drought in C++ opportunities (the majority of my 20 years skill set :( ). Based on the online job sites it seems more like C++/Java for Unix based machines and .NET (VB+C#) on Windows platform. Your comment on "start cracking the books" has been ringing in my ears though. For almost two years now I have been busy working with .NET but even after all that time I find there are still gaps in the "deeper" issues of .NET I have yet to hit. With such a vast technology, I personally may look into classes to help round out that knowledge. The .NET framework is quite massive. Rocky
I had no trouble at all in translating 15 years of C++ into marketable .Net skills. I don't see things as being much different now than in the late '80s and early '90's. You simply have to be quick on your feet. In 1988 I switched to Windows, and in 2002 I switched to .Net. Both moves opened a world of new opportnities for me. I'm currently building a respectable body of .Net work. A year ago I took a position to migrate an (overly) large MFC ActiveX component to the .Net framework. Now, I've been hired to help create the middle tier business logic of a major e-commerce site. Onwards and upwards - never look back. "I don't do nothin I'm no good at..."
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C++ does not seem to be the hot technology as proclaimed in the article unless you are looking only to Unix based systems. For the Windows platform, jobs are few for C++. While VB jobs may be hot they are lower paid than most C++ or .NET jobs. Many of the jobs I have seen listed for VB are usually "active server pages) programming or office automation. Of course the article only said "hot" and not best paying. My opinion is based only be watching the online job hunting sites for a year and not down in the trenches. I do no that many of the Headhunters I have talked with, there is a drought in C++ opportunities (the majority of my 20 years skill set :( ). Based on the online job sites it seems more like C++/Java for Unix based machines and .NET (VB+C#) on Windows platform. Your comment on "start cracking the books" has been ringing in my ears though. For almost two years now I have been busy working with .NET but even after all that time I find there are still gaps in the "deeper" issues of .NET I have yet to hit. With such a vast technology, I personally may look into classes to help round out that knowledge. The .NET framework is quite massive. Rocky
Rocky Moore wrote: after all that time I find there are still gaps in the "deeper" issues of .NET I have yet to hit. Same here. ;) I wonder how long it'll take for me to get to the point where the only thing left to learn in .NET is the little-known stuff (which is how I am now with the Windows API). It almost seems like the .NET BCL is bigger than the Windows API. :rolleyes: I haven't found any other language and platform that fits my style better than .NET and C#.
**"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible." -- George Washington
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Rocky Moore wrote: after all that time I find there are still gaps in the "deeper" issues of .NET I have yet to hit. Same here. ;) I wonder how long it'll take for me to get to the point where the only thing left to learn in .NET is the little-known stuff (which is how I am now with the Windows API). It almost seems like the .NET BCL is bigger than the Windows API. :rolleyes: I haven't found any other language and platform that fits my style better than .NET and C#.
**"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible." -- George Washington
jdunlap wrote: It almost seems like the .NET BCL is bigger than the Windows API. Yeah, I know what you mean. I used to feel quite comfortable and not have many surprises. I mean, after starting Windows develop back in Windows 3.0, a new OS version would come out and you had a little learning ahead, with NT being one of the largest, or a new version of MFC, but 99% of its capabilities you could get a handle on quick enough. With .NET there seems to always be something new. They ones I really hate is when I spend time coding something and then later find out it is already in the framework ;) Then of course, you have the topics in .NET that are still being developed or redeveloped which is hard to keep up with. Take Web Services for example, they have went through several different changes over the last two years I have been working with .NET and they are still being changed. After I had a good hanlde on n-tier work with WinForm front ends I jumped into the deep end of the ASP.NET pool and found so many wonderful things. If only I could make a 48 hour day, I might stand a chance ;) All this technology though forces me to rethink how to structure applications. There are so many possible ways, I find it hard at times to make up my mind of which way to go and at what level of scalability to say "Enough". For example, I did not spend a lot of time in the past thinking about distrubuted computing, but now with Remoting right there ready to be used, it makes you start thinking about how it might help your application as it scales. I used to think I was indecisive, but now I am just not sure :) jdunlap wrote: I haven't found any other language and platform that fits my style better than .NET and C#. That is a big "Amen"! After coding in C/C++ for the last couple of decades it took a little effort to break off my rough edges and conform, but it is like second nature now, the parts I have worked with I am confortable with again. Just wish I could find the time do more exploration. Rocky
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jdunlap wrote: It almost seems like the .NET BCL is bigger than the Windows API. Yeah, I know what you mean. I used to feel quite comfortable and not have many surprises. I mean, after starting Windows develop back in Windows 3.0, a new OS version would come out and you had a little learning ahead, with NT being one of the largest, or a new version of MFC, but 99% of its capabilities you could get a handle on quick enough. With .NET there seems to always be something new. They ones I really hate is when I spend time coding something and then later find out it is already in the framework ;) Then of course, you have the topics in .NET that are still being developed or redeveloped which is hard to keep up with. Take Web Services for example, they have went through several different changes over the last two years I have been working with .NET and they are still being changed. After I had a good hanlde on n-tier work with WinForm front ends I jumped into the deep end of the ASP.NET pool and found so many wonderful things. If only I could make a 48 hour day, I might stand a chance ;) All this technology though forces me to rethink how to structure applications. There are so many possible ways, I find it hard at times to make up my mind of which way to go and at what level of scalability to say "Enough". For example, I did not spend a lot of time in the past thinking about distrubuted computing, but now with Remoting right there ready to be used, it makes you start thinking about how it might help your application as it scales. I used to think I was indecisive, but now I am just not sure :) jdunlap wrote: I haven't found any other language and platform that fits my style better than .NET and C#. That is a big "Amen"! After coding in C/C++ for the last couple of decades it took a little effort to break off my rough edges and conform, but it is like second nature now, the parts I have worked with I am confortable with again. Just wish I could find the time do more exploration. Rocky
Rocky Moore wrote: They ones I really hate is when I spend time coding something and then later find out it is already in the framework That's happened to me a number of times. It almost happened to me again recently - I was going to create something that converted a string key combination (EX: "Ctrl+S") to an int keycode, but I decided to look around more first, and found the KeyConverter class. Rocky Moore wrote: If only I could make a 48 hour day, I might stand a chance Hehe! Rocky Moore wrote: There are so many possible ways, I find it hard at times to make up my mind of which way to go and at what level of scalability to say "Enough". Exactly.
**"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." -- Jesus
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jdunlap wrote: It almost seems like the .NET BCL is bigger than the Windows API. Yeah, I know what you mean. I used to feel quite comfortable and not have many surprises. I mean, after starting Windows develop back in Windows 3.0, a new OS version would come out and you had a little learning ahead, with NT being one of the largest, or a new version of MFC, but 99% of its capabilities you could get a handle on quick enough. With .NET there seems to always be something new. They ones I really hate is when I spend time coding something and then later find out it is already in the framework ;) Then of course, you have the topics in .NET that are still being developed or redeveloped which is hard to keep up with. Take Web Services for example, they have went through several different changes over the last two years I have been working with .NET and they are still being changed. After I had a good hanlde on n-tier work with WinForm front ends I jumped into the deep end of the ASP.NET pool and found so many wonderful things. If only I could make a 48 hour day, I might stand a chance ;) All this technology though forces me to rethink how to structure applications. There are so many possible ways, I find it hard at times to make up my mind of which way to go and at what level of scalability to say "Enough". For example, I did not spend a lot of time in the past thinking about distrubuted computing, but now with Remoting right there ready to be used, it makes you start thinking about how it might help your application as it scales. I used to think I was indecisive, but now I am just not sure :) jdunlap wrote: I haven't found any other language and platform that fits my style better than .NET and C#. That is a big "Amen"! After coding in C/C++ for the last couple of decades it took a little effort to break off my rough edges and conform, but it is like second nature now, the parts I have worked with I am confortable with again. Just wish I could find the time do more exploration. Rocky
Rocky Moore wrote: I really hate is when I spend time coding something and then later find out it is already in the framework Don't worry. I am sure there are a bunch of people who have gone thru this. And new version of the framework will keep coming out :) Smitha Every person, all the events of your life, are there because you have drawn them there. What you choose to do with them is up to you. -- Richard Bach
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jdunlap wrote: It almost seems like the .NET BCL is bigger than the Windows API. Yeah, I know what you mean. I used to feel quite comfortable and not have many surprises. I mean, after starting Windows develop back in Windows 3.0, a new OS version would come out and you had a little learning ahead, with NT being one of the largest, or a new version of MFC, but 99% of its capabilities you could get a handle on quick enough. With .NET there seems to always be something new. They ones I really hate is when I spend time coding something and then later find out it is already in the framework ;) Then of course, you have the topics in .NET that are still being developed or redeveloped which is hard to keep up with. Take Web Services for example, they have went through several different changes over the last two years I have been working with .NET and they are still being changed. After I had a good hanlde on n-tier work with WinForm front ends I jumped into the deep end of the ASP.NET pool and found so many wonderful things. If only I could make a 48 hour day, I might stand a chance ;) All this technology though forces me to rethink how to structure applications. There are so many possible ways, I find it hard at times to make up my mind of which way to go and at what level of scalability to say "Enough". For example, I did not spend a lot of time in the past thinking about distrubuted computing, but now with Remoting right there ready to be used, it makes you start thinking about how it might help your application as it scales. I used to think I was indecisive, but now I am just not sure :) jdunlap wrote: I haven't found any other language and platform that fits my style better than .NET and C#. That is a big "Amen"! After coding in C/C++ for the last couple of decades it took a little effort to break off my rough edges and conform, but it is like second nature now, the parts I have worked with I am confortable with again. Just wish I could find the time do more exploration. Rocky
Rocky Moore wrote: They ones I really hate is when I spend time coding something and then later find out it is already in the framework I still do that with MFC! :) I replied to a thread on the VC++ forum asking about getting the day of the month for yesterday. Since there are issues about whether the previous month had 30 or 31 days, plus leap-year issues, I wrote a pretty tight little routine that would handle all of that and posted it. THe next reply to my post was a simple MFC call you could make to the MFC objects. DO'H!!!!
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