Ten Weeks Gone

[legion]

So I've pretty much spent the whole summer in Java class at work.

On the plus side, I got to start at 8:00, an hour later than my normal start time, so I got an extra hour of sleep every night. My team, who I think didn't think I actually did anything, had to back me up for the summer and they learned that just because I work quickly doesn't mean I don't work hard. They really struggled trying to do what I do... Oh, and I allegedly know Java now.

On the minus side, it's a royal b**** getting back to my old schedule, I put on 10 lbs. being confined to a classroom 8 hours a day full of soda and candy with 30 minutes for lunch and two, 10 minute breaks.

Week 8 of class was on common design patterns in object-oriented languages. The last pattern we learned was called the "decorator pattern". I had to giggle as it instantly made me think of Peter North.

[GH85Carrera]

I heard a programmer friend say the Java is likely the number one language to learn now. Would you agree?

[legion]

It's probably the most widely used right now, so yes.

It's not the best for some things, and it's not the best language out there, but you have to go where the work is.

[john70t]

Please help the unaware. What is the purpose for having java at all?

Doesn't it just make fancy website .html additions work universally on different browsers?

[legion]

It can do that John. What you are talking about is Javascript, which is a lightweight version of the language that runs inside of web browsers.

I'm talking about full-blown Java here, which is a programming language, like Cobol, Visual Basic, or C. Like C, Java is platform independent so it can run on a Mac, PC, Unix box, or a Mainframe.

Javascript is used to write a little game or animation that runs in your browser. Java is used to write the order-processing software at your favorite online store, or used to create an online checkbook that interfaces with your bank's mainframe software.

[krystar]

nice legion. java is a good intro to real world programming. i did it back in college to.

john, java is not just for websites. it can used for almost any application. my last job, i wrote a java server to coordinate jobs between 40 CD replication machines. has nothing to do with websites. it's a object oriented programming platform that's compatible across hardware architectures. means that a program can run on windows, just as well as mac, just as well as solaris, just as well as linux.

[krystar]

well javascript ... i wouldn't even associate that with java hehe. javascript is more like lightweight version of C++.

[legion]

Krystar, I've been a developer for ten years, Java is just the latest language that I've learned. My class was done at work. I've previously done COBOL, Visual Basic, and Aion.

I do have to say that the training was excellent. I was in the 65th group of 16 developers to go through the training, so it has been highly refined at this point. We had everything in the class, from people who haven't coded in 10 years, to people who have done mainframe COBOL for 20 years. Fortunately, the language I currently work in (Aion) is very similar to Java, so I breezed through the training.

[ODDJOB UNO]

just fer yer info legion my son(younger) is working on yer local WIND TURBINE FARM 300' FREEKING FEET UP IN SOME CORNFIELDS!


small world.

[masraum]

Another small note, games and apps on cell phones, including Nokias are mostly java.

[legion]

Which one? High Trail or Twin Grove?

[id10t]

I hated Java when I was learning it - swing, applet, command line. Not all features are available in each, get half done with a program and realise you should have used one of the other styles.