Re: Java and Visual Basic, how to learn?

If the "save/make money/find opportunities" mantra is your bosses', and he is 
suggesting that you
need to learn VB or Java, it sounds like this is the "find opportunities" part 
of the mantra.  I
say, jump on it.  (It may well be the others if he's looking into the 
long-term, but most managers
and executives don't look at long-term these days.  Whoops, that was a 
"soapbox", wasn't it?)

Is there a loss of productivity?  Clearly, any "new" tool requires a learning 
curve, some more so
than others.  I would imagine that, once you get sufficient experience (others 
will have to define
this) in VB or Java, your productivity would be on par with your other skills.  
I say this not
knowing whether good RPG/VB/Java programmers label one as "more productive" 
than the others.

One thing I would add that I did not touch upon in my original reply.  Part of 
the benefit of
being able to start programming in VB or Java, or to utilize any other valuable 
skill, may require
you to learn these on your own time.  Yes, I would probably wait until your 
boss says go,
otherwise you may "waste" time learning something that you'll never be able to 
use.  While it
would be ideal if you could spend working hours doing this, you have already 
expressed that you're
down to one programmer now (you) from two.  I doubt the work is slowing down 
because of that. 
Clearly, this will require a committment of personal time on your part.  

I guess that I cannot stress enough that the current AS/400 job market, what 
little there is of
it, is looking for people with Java work experience.

- Dan


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