Slacker wants to move from VS 6.0 to .NET
November 2, 2005 2:07 PM Subscribe
So I've kind of been cruising along through my career as a Software Developer doing mainly VB 6.0 and Access/SQL Server for the last 5 years or so. It's finally dawned on me I need to get serious about my skills.
Given my skill level, what's the best way to become actually good at my job instead of adequate? I want to expand into .NET and Web development for sure. Given my current knowledge base, what are the best books and/or sites to help me become the professional I want to be? Also, what other tools would be the best to get up to speed on? Help a reforming slacker on his way to maturity.
Given my skill level, what's the best way to become actually good at my job instead of adequate? I want to expand into .NET and Web development for sure. Given my current knowledge base, what are the best books and/or sites to help me become the professional I want to be? Also, what other tools would be the best to get up to speed on? Help a reforming slacker on his way to maturity.
If you're serious about the web stuff, consider the SourceForge Help Wanted page and look for PHP spots.
Having a few thousand people using your software is always a great motivator for me, along with all the great people that I've met in the FOSS world.
Get crackin'! There's lots of work to be done. :)
posted by unixrat at 2:19 PM on November 2, 2005
Having a few thousand people using your software is always a great motivator for me, along with all the great people that I've met in the FOSS world.
Get crackin'! There's lots of work to be done. :)
posted by unixrat at 2:19 PM on November 2, 2005
As a professional .NET developer, I suggest you jump right in!
You can go with VB .NET, but I would reccoment C#. It's more commonly used, and its syntax is very similar to other popular languages (C/C++, Java, JavaScript, PHP), which will help you if you plan to branch out further.
I would say get a good book (I would reccomend any of the O'Reilley titles), and a copy of VS .NET and SQL Server 2K, and go to town! Start doing little projects in your spare time, and pretty soon, you'll become familiar with the environment and its features.
If you've been working with VB 6 and Access, I have a feeling that you will love the .NET / SQL Server environment. It is a thoroughly modern environment, and a pleasure to develop in.
As far as forums and such go - do a Google on ".NET forums." There are several good ones out there. I've found that even with the stickiest problems, if you post your question to 4+ sites, you'll get a good response within the day. (Sometimes within the hour!) Just make sure that you don't post a question more than once to the same site.
posted by afroblanca at 3:53 PM on November 2, 2005
You can go with VB .NET, but I would reccoment C#. It's more commonly used, and its syntax is very similar to other popular languages (C/C++, Java, JavaScript, PHP), which will help you if you plan to branch out further.
I would say get a good book (I would reccomend any of the O'Reilley titles), and a copy of VS .NET and SQL Server 2K, and go to town! Start doing little projects in your spare time, and pretty soon, you'll become familiar with the environment and its features.
If you've been working with VB 6 and Access, I have a feeling that you will love the .NET / SQL Server environment. It is a thoroughly modern environment, and a pleasure to develop in.
As far as forums and such go - do a Google on ".NET forums." There are several good ones out there. I've found that even with the stickiest problems, if you post your question to 4+ sites, you'll get a good response within the day. (Sometimes within the hour!) Just make sure that you don't post a question more than once to the same site.
posted by afroblanca at 3:53 PM on November 2, 2005
Pick a new skill set which sounds interesting. PHP, MySQL, C#, Python, Oracle, whatever. Then, start a project with your current employer which uses that skill set. Work through it.
You: "Boss, I think our department could use it's own intranet web site. I can guild that for free."
There is a comfy feeling related to trying to formalize this sort of learning process. But you'll learn faster and gain marketable experience by working it into your current workload. The pressure of having a real job task makes it more than just a hobby you'll soon lose interest in.
Java, Oracle, .NET, and even ASP are solid choices.
posted by y6y6y6 at 3:56 PM on November 2, 2005
You: "Boss, I think our department could use it's own intranet web site. I can guild that for free."
There is a comfy feeling related to trying to formalize this sort of learning process. But you'll learn faster and gain marketable experience by working it into your current workload. The pressure of having a real job task makes it more than just a hobby you'll soon lose interest in.
Java, Oracle, .NET, and even ASP are solid choices.
posted by y6y6y6 at 3:56 PM on November 2, 2005
Since you already know VB, transitioning to ASP.NET shouldn't be too hard for you. I found W3Schools and the ASP.NET Developer's Cookbook indespensible while I was teaching myself .NET. And of course, the best way to become good at it is to actually do it. Make projects - the more you do, the better you'll become.
As for other technologies in web, AJAX is a hot buzz word these days, and is Ruby on Rails.
posted by geeky at 3:58 PM on November 2, 2005
As for other technologies in web, AJAX is a hot buzz word these days, and is Ruby on Rails.
posted by geeky at 3:58 PM on November 2, 2005
For general principles, read Code Complete 2 and The Pragmatic Programmer.
posted by Zed_Lopez at 4:45 PM on November 2, 2005
posted by Zed_Lopez at 4:45 PM on November 2, 2005
Work towards a microsoft certification (eg: MCSD.NET). The certification might not be valuable to you, but the effort to learn and the knowledge you gain will be.
posted by blue_beetle at 4:53 PM on November 2, 2005
posted by blue_beetle at 4:53 PM on November 2, 2005
If you want to stick with the whole MS thing, then C# is where it's at. I've heard nothing but bad news for the future of VB.net and it's not the same as VB anyways.
posted by furtive at 6:42 PM on November 2, 2005
posted by furtive at 6:42 PM on November 2, 2005
Let me take this in a different direction and ask, do you need to get serious about your skills or do you need to start thinking about your long-term career?
Are you degreed? If so, do you have a master's in anything? Does your employer provide financial assistance?
There's two big parts of working for a living. Being able to DO the job and being able to GET the job. The first is no guarantee of the second. Make sure that the skills you invest time in gaining have the best chance of accomplishing both.
posted by phearlez at 9:33 AM on November 3, 2005
Are you degreed? If so, do you have a master's in anything? Does your employer provide financial assistance?
There's two big parts of working for a living. Being able to DO the job and being able to GET the job. The first is no guarantee of the second. Make sure that the skills you invest time in gaining have the best chance of accomplishing both.
posted by phearlez at 9:33 AM on November 3, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
best site is google.
seriously - i think you're better picking a project and doing it. on the way you'll get stuck. google the problem. rinse and repeat. i've just been learning about the latest jsp stuff (not used presentation layer stuff for a few years now) and that's what i did.
posted by andrew cooke at 2:11 PM on November 2, 2005