Re: Java and Visual Basic, how to learn? -- MIDRANGE-L

 To get the "bang for the buck" you are looking for consider going for a
totally new application.  Perhaps a spiffy but simple name & address look-up
program or an order status program.
 
Look for an application that would be used by casual users only.  Warehouse
Look-up.  Shipping labels. Accounts Receivable status.  Qty-on-hand, A
customer subfile, sortable on any clicked column heading from name to zip
code to street to phone number.   This can be delivered quickly, teaches a
lot in a hurry, and gets those users information they need in a way they've
never seen it before.
 
 
 
---------------------------------------------------------
Booth Martin   http://www.MartinVT.com
Booth@xxxxxxxxxxxx
---------------------------------------------------------
 
-------Original Message-------
 
From: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Date: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 00:49:53
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: Java and Visual Basic, how to learn?
 
Dan,
 
I appreciate your candor on this.
 
My reservations regarding VB and Java are the jump in thinking and
application
design, and the temporary loss in productivity. 
 
It is a jump from procedural programming to event driven and OO. I
understand
the basics regarding event driven and object-oriented programming. Because
of
the complexity involved in utilizing them, my intuition tells me it takes
more
time to write a VB/Java program than the equivalent RPG program. But I'm not
sure.
 
You make an excellent point between "hobby" learning and actual work
experience. I'm looking for my boss to make the committment that for a while

I will not be productive (in VB/Java) while I learn the new language and get
up to speed. I can read about it all I want at home, but if I can't apply it
at work, it's just as you said.
 
If I ask about making or saving money, it is only because it was my boss's
mantra for the past eighteen months. All new development was led by those
questions. Rarely has there been time for "research" or "experimentation".
Such is obviously needed when pursuing a new language. I would like to get
up
to speed quickly, to move beyond "Hello world" to a real, functional
application that benefits the company.
 
If it sounded like I resented learning either VB or Java, that was not my
intent. But if I had a choice to pick one over the other, which may be the
better choice? I believe it to be Java; my boss believes it to be VB. Either
way, it is a big step forward, and I am looking toward those people (who are
much smarter than I) who already took those steps.
 
Thanks,
Loyd
 
 
 
On Mon, 31 Mar 2003 17:13:50 -0800 (PST), Dan <dbcemid@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
 
>Loyd,
>
>It's hard for me to tell. I sense some reservation on your part to learn
Java or VB. You're
>entrenched in green screen? Excuse me for being blunt, but, get over it.
Although you seem to
>understand that there *probably* is a place for it, you're asking some
questions that I wouldn't
>spend two seconds trying to answer, i.e., the "How does this make us money,
save us money, or open
>opportunities?" questions. 
>
>Frankly, nowadays, if the boss asked me if I wanted to learn Java or VB,
the first words out of my
>mouth would be "when can I begin?" After being out of work twice for
extended periods in recent
>history, and seeing AS/400 opportunities that required Java *work
experience* (read, not "I
>learned Java several months ago, and can write a "Hello, World"), I would
jump on that opportunity
>like flies on a, ehh, I can't finish that statement here. Note my emphasis
on *work experience*;
>I have found this to be an unavoidable requirement; taking classes and
learning it on your own
>won't measure up according to these standards.
>
>If I did try to answer those questions, I would probably ask back, "How can
we possibly know if
>Java/VB will make $, save $, or open opps if we don't know how to use those
tools?" Learn the
>tools, spark the imagination, and move forward.
>
>Mostly, though, get out of the green-screen entrenchment. You'll increase
your value not only to
>your employer, but to yourself as well.
>
>My .02 and then some.
>
>- Dan
 
-- 
"Why, you can even hear yourself think." --Hobbes
"This is making me nervous. Let's go in." --Calvin
loyd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx ICQ#504581 http://www.blackrobes.net/