Software Development and Programming Careers (Official Discussion Thread)

[AwkwardHand]

I know I should be focusing on web dev, but lately I can't stop reading about C++. I find that C++ books are better written than most Javascript books. I'm learning a ton that apply even to Javascript, such as stuff about testing. I'm guessing this is true because you simply have to know more to do anything in C++.

I feel you breh, I have a class right now that uses C++ heavily for our projects and I feel like now that I've been coding and building things in C++, I understand more about logic and problem solving than I did when I started out with Python last year. My first gripe with it is that it is such a verbose language but it is definitely starting to grow on me.

If or when you start playing around with C++, if you haven't yet, download Code::Blocks with the MinGW compiler, I highly recommend. You already know Javascript so you'll probably struggle less with C++ than I did in the beginning.

 

[kevm3]

I feel you breh, I have a class right now that uses C++ heavily for our projects and I feel like now that I've been coding and building things in C++, I understand more about logic and problem solving than I did when I started out with Python last year. My first gripe with it is that it is such a verbose language but it is definitely starting to grow on me.

If or when you start playing around with C++, if you haven't yet, download Code::Blocks with the MinGW compiler, I highly recommend. You already know Javascript so you'll probably struggle less with C++ than I did in the beginning.

With C++, you learn a lot since it is much lower level compared to python or javascript. I think in production, Python is fantastic for non performance critical stuff, but then you use a heavier duty language like C++, Java or C# for the core. You're right that it's verbose, but then again I guess that's necessary to get the performance out of it. How long did it take you to be comfortable with C++?

Thanks for the IDE recommendation. Did you know MS released Visual Studio 2013 Community Edition, which is essentially the full product, as opposed to express?

 

[AwkwardHand]

With C++, you learn a lot since it is much lower level compared to python or javascript. I think in production, Python is fantastic for non performance critical stuff, but then you use a heavier duty language like C++, Java or C# for the core. You're right that it's verbose, but then again I guess that's necessary to get the performance out of it. How long did it take you to be comfortable with C++?

Thanks for the IDE recommendation. Did you know MS released Visual Studio 2013 Community Edition, which is essentially the full product, as opposed to express?

You're right about Python being great for non performance stuff. Great points all around and the more I learn about C++ I can see how it does a lot of the heavy lifting compared to Python.

Yeah you're most welcome breh. Yeah I downloaded the Visual studio Community Edition and I love it, but I'll be honest, I've been using Visual Studio for building my web app in Python with Flask, I haven't done any C++ projects in it yet since I've been using Code::Blocks.

Man it's funny how i learned C++, I got a really shytty professor who wants us to do all of our projects in C++ but admitted that she doesn't even know it like that. So I've basically spent all week learning it on my own, so I basically learned all the basics and got comfortable with it in two weeks. It wasn't necessarily the just the logic and algorithms that got me off guard but the syntax, she basically shows us the pseudocode of what we have to do then goes "Okay class, for this project I want you to solve this problem in C++", got me kinda heated LOL. But yeah it didn't take too long to get the basics down and start doing my own stuff, but now I'm I'm going to try to push myself and dive deeper into the language.

 

[kevm3]

You're right about Python being great for non performance stuff. Great points all around and the more I learn about C++ I can see how it does a lot of the heavy lifting compared to Python.

Yeah you're most welcome breh. Yeah I downloaded the Visual studio Community Edition and I love it, but I'll be honest, I've been using Visual Studio for building my web app in Python with Flask, I haven't done any C++ projects in it yet since I've been using Code::Blocks.

Man it's funny how i learned C++, I got a really shytty professor who wants us to do all of our projects in C++ but admitted that she doesn't even know it like that. So I've basically spent all week learning it on my own, so I basically learned all the basics and got comfortable with it in two weeks. It wasn't necessarily the just the logic and algorithms that got me off guard but the syntax, she basically shows us the pseudocode of what we have to do then goes "Okay class, for this project I want you to solve this problem in C++", got me kinda heated LOL. But yeah it didn't take too long to get the basics down and start doing my own stuff, but now I'm I'm going to try to push myself and dive deeper into the language.

How do you like Python & Flask? I was thinking about Ruby on Rails, but when I started looking at Ruby, the syntax is too strange and would start throwing me off when I start switching back and forth between languages. Not a fan of not declaring variables or having braces. Right now I actually like PHP because of it's simplicity for the back-end. PHP hosting is also cheap, and there are a ton of huge platforms (Drupal, Wordpress, etc.) that run on it, so I might have to make some wordpress themes some day for extra income. I tried Node.js for a while, but the asynchronous way it does things is strange to me.

 

[AwkwardHand]

How do you like Python & Flask? I was thinking about Ruby on Rails, but when I started looking at Ruby, the syntax is too strange and would start throwing me off when I start switching back and forth between languages. Not a fan of not declaring variables or having braces. Right now I actually like PHP because of it's simplicity for the back-end. PHP hosting is also cheap, and there are a ton of huge platforms (Drupal, Wordpress, etc.) that run on it, so I might have to make some wordpress themes some day for extra income. I tried Node.js for a while, but the asynchronous way it does things is strange to me.

Man I really like Python and flask, for some reason I understand it better, I can't explain it LOL. I feel ya on the Ruby on Rails thing and I think that's what kept me from trying to mess around with it, something about it just seems...weird. But man I remember talking with this Asian cat a couple years ago who created like his own version of Worldstarhiphop with RoR and it blew me away. He ate good for a while too, it funded his clothing line which is doing great now, dude is in retail stores and everything.

but breh You can eat good off of making themes for Wordpress with PHP. When I had my online vape business, I had to come out of pocket something serious for a good theme for wordpress, because back then, I had no skills in anything web related. Make you a few themes and put it on code canyon, those internet marketers and ecommerce dudes will pay for a solid theme bro. I only because I had to.


Man I really wish I had came across this thread sooner, I'm learning a lot, sadly I'm almost learning more online than I am at school.

 

[kevm3]

Man I really like Python and flask, for some reason I understand it better, I can't explain it LOL. I feel ya on the Ruby on Rails thing and I think that's what kept me from trying to mess around with it, something about it just seems...weird. But man I remember talking with this Asian cat a couple years ago who created like his own version of Worldstarhiphop with RoR and it blew me away. He ate good for a while too, it funded his clothing line which is doing great now, dude is in retail stores and everything.

but breh You can eat good off of making themes for Wordpress with PHP. When I had my online vape business, I had to come out of pocket something serious for a good theme for wordpress, because back then, I had no skills in anything web related. Make you a few themes and put it on code canyon, those internet marketers and ecommerce dudes will pay for a solid theme bro. I only because I had to.


Man I really wish I had came across this thread sooner, I'm learning a lot, sadly I'm almost learning more online than I am at school.

That's the reality of the matter. Programmers pretty much self-educate themselves. Everything I've learned, I've picked up off of books or off of something like codecademy. You can learn some solid fundamentals in school, but the best programmers are self-learners and are always picking up new things, even after school.

Have you picked up Javascript yet? It'll come in handy when you start building your own sites since you'll pretty much need it for the client-side stuff.

 

[AwkwardHand]

but the best programmers are self-learners and are always picking up new things, even after school.

Truueeee, so true man. Like don't get me wrong, I'm still a beginner in this game, but I was messing around with programming before I went back to school for it. I'm in class, mind you I'm the only Black person in class and my classmates be coming to me with questions because they're just relying on school to teach them everything, which like you said the best programmers are always picking up new things even after school.

I did a some of the Javascript lessons on Codecademy, but I'm definitely going to set some time aside and dig deeper into it. Career wise, I'm focusing more on a back-end position with Java, for some reason I'm obsessed with Java. But for side-income/ business projects, I know I can utilize JS for some of the ideas I have.

It's funny, I remember a while back I downloaded bootstrap to see if I could make a clean ass theme for a website I had, man I saw the Javascript and was like a deer in the headlights.

After this semester, I'm going to go back to Codecademy and finish the JS lessons, because I have some web app ideas I really want to pursue.

sidenote: I lurk a lot here, but I peep your blog sometimes though, good stuff.

 

[How Sway?]

am i the only one who hates Java's syntax?

Whats the best way to actually have a grasp of the syntax?

Ive been watching thenewboston and I understand the concepts better but that syntax is just

 

[AwkwardHand]

am i the only one who hates Java's syntax?

Whats the best way to actually have a grasp of the syntax?

Ive been watching thenewboston and I understand the concepts better but that syntax is just

Why do you hate the syntax?

Don't know if this will help but check out Coding Made Easy, it's a young Canadian dude that I followed when I first started learning Java, I think his tutorials are pretty good.



As far as books, have you peeped Head First Java? pretty good book.

 

[How Sway?]

Why do you hate the syntax?

Don't know if this will help but check out Coding Made Easy, it's a young Canadian dude that I followed when I first started learning Java, I think his tutorials are pretty good.



As far as books, have you peeped Head First Java? pretty good book.

preciate it. I really dont even know TBH. C++ is way easier to me for some reason.

 

[AwkwardHand]

preciate it. I really dont even know TBH. C++ is way easier to me for some reason.

I understand man. I felt the same way about PHP. Syntax just turned me off about it for some reason. But if C++ is easier for you than Java than that's good because I struggled like hell with C++ at first, still am a little bit to be completely honest as I'm still learning the basics at this point in time. But man if you ever want to explore the option of building Android apps, then you want Java under your belt, which I appreciate @Type Username Here for pointing me in the right direction for. I feel a lot more confident with playing around with Android studio now that I spent the time understanding Java.

Give Coding Made Easy a chance and read Head First Java, maybe it'll help you get a better grasp of the syntax.

 

[kevm3]

Truueeee, so true man. Like don't get me wrong, I'm still a beginner in this game, but I was messing around with programming before I went back to school for it. I'm in class, mind you I'm the only Black person in class and my classmates be coming to me with questions because they're just relying on school to teach them everything, which like you said the best programmers are always picking up new things even after school.

I did a some of the Javascript lessons on Codecademy, but I'm definitely going to set some time aside and dig deeper into it. Career wise, I'm focusing more on a back-end position with Java, for some reason I'm obsessed with Java. But for side-income/ business projects, I know I can utilize JS for some of the ideas I have.

It's funny, I remember a while back I downloaded bootstrap to see if I could make a clean ass theme for a website I had, man I saw the Javascript and was like a deer in the headlights.

After this semester, I'm going to go back to Codecademy and finish the JS lessons, because I have some web app ideas I really want to pursue.

sidenote: I lurk a lot here, but I peep your blog sometimes though, good stuff.

If you ever have any questions on JS, let me know. JS is a lot different than C++, Java, etc. It has a C style syntax, but it has more of a functional-programming base.

Javascript is a relatively simple language, but the amount of freedom it gives you can allow it to make very complex things, which can also allow for code that is very hard to read.

 

[kevm3]

am i the only one who hates Java's syntax?

Whats the best way to actually have a grasp of the syntax?

Ive been watching thenewboston and I understand the concepts better but that syntax is just

Java has a very verbose syntax. Essentially, you just have to think of the base stuff and then realize that there are a ton of keywords that are added on top of it to give something more specificity
like
int test(){}
in another language would become something like

public int test(){}
in Java

like in another language, the main loop might be
int main(){}

in Java it's
public static void main(string[] args){}

it's pretty much like the other one, except you're forced to declare whether something is private or public, and you have the static keyword there so you don't have to create an instance of the object to use the method

I like C++'s OO syntax better since you don't have to write public or private on every single thing you use. instead it's more like:
public:
int variableA;
int variableB;

private:
int variableC;

 

[AwkwardHand]

If you ever have any questions on JS, let me know. JS is a lot different than C++, Java, etc. It has a C style syntax, but it has more of a functional-programming base.

Javascript is a relatively simple language, but the amount of freedom it gives you can allow it to make very complex things, which can also allow for code that is very hard to read.

Bet breh, I appreciate that. I'm a definitely hit you up when I start trying to get it in on that JS wave. +rep

 

[How Sway?]

I understand man. I felt the same way about PHP. Syntax just turned me off about it for some reason. But if C++ is easier for you than Java than that's good because I struggled like hell with C++ at first, still am a little bit to be completely honest as I'm still learning the basics at this point in time. But man if you ever want to explore the option of building Android apps, then you want Java under your belt, which I appreciate @Type Username Here for pointing me in the right direction for. I feel a lot more confident with playing around with Android studio now that I spent the time understanding Java.

Give Coding Made Easy a chance and read Head First Java, maybe it'll help you get a better grasp of the syntax.

yeah, this is why im still trying to fully grasp. Im looking into web-developing and android apps and a bunch of other things too.



Im downloading the book right now as im typing lol..