stupid computer programming question only for C/C++ gearheads

xp - how useful is python for 'the web' though?

Useful enough for Youtube & Reddit, for example.

i mean you could start with C or a toolkit, but one is too low level and the other too high.

C is great and fundamental but it's been relegated to computer science these days as higher level languages like python and perl and java have become more polished.

a toolkit or even a specific platform is not the place to start if you can't code. you do need to know a programming language and be at least with variables, flow, etc. if not OOP and functional stuff. the actual language you learn in is not terribly important, but it seems a shame to waste the opportunity to learn a language that is practically useful in 2013, which is where python comes in.

what's the thinking on CS degree vs. self-taught route?

As someone who did the latter I sometimes wish I'd done a CS degree because my colleagues who did have a much more rounded skillset than I do. Tbh, though, this hasn't really hampered me that much, because I primarily work with higher-level stuff like Python & SQL, so for my job I don't really need to know exactly how machine code works or anything like that, it's more for my own personal curiosity that I'd go back and change my degree subject if I had the chance.

In terms of career prospects, I think it def helps to have a CS degree at the start of your career, but once you have a few years experience behind it doesn't seem to matter a shit. Nobody's ever been bothered about my lack of CS degree.

^^^ cosign
My degree is also in a non-CS subject (Information Systems Design, so it's still related), and it was only a slight disadvantage in the first few years after I graduated. And then only really a problem with recruiters and HR wonks ("oh, you don't have a CS degree, oooohhhhhh" <insert teeth sucking sound>).

i get the impression it matters much less in development for the web (serious database work notwithstanding) than apps, games, os stuff etc.

the #trendy #data #science stuff at the moment, it's more useful to have a science/maths phd than a compsci undergrad.

I have a law degree, will that do

I have a psychology degree, so most probably, yes.

Shouldn't be an issue. One programming team I worked with had no-one with a CS degree. In fact they'd come from all kinds of backgrounds. One of the senior programmers had been head of Humanities at a secondary school.

I take it jobs are pretty portable? is it common for UK devs to go work in the US? daydreaming: I’d like to work in NYC mebbes

I take the job markets are largely p.bouyant in london, US, even scotland’s had a lot of chat recently about a lack of skilled programmers

I think second-guessing the market in search of a career is a mug’s game tbh; best to do something you enjoy and find worthwhile

it was going down the first route that finds me here in first place

the skills are portable. the problem is finding a company that will get you a H1-B, which is the usual visa you need to work in the US in tech.

the way the wind is blowing, it might be a little easier in 5 years or so. one thing to bear in mind: the spouse of a H1-B is not eligible to work in the US.

ken otm.

python is absolutely the best language to learn programming in, and it happens to be useful in many practical situations including web programming.

any tips for a good python book for a beginner?

http://www.greenteapress.com/thinkpython/thinkpython.html

free and good!

for someone looking to learn programming from scratch i should say.

xp

this looks perfect thanks

i've been doing this! i've used that website, the codecademy python stuff, and the learn python the hard way website.

have to stick with javascript for course purposes, but no harm in learning the discipline in a structured/all-round way i spose

if i need someone to help me find out where all my fucking stuff has saved to nowe that im using eclipse, this could be that thread right? no pressure until tuesday 6pm...

there's usually a Eclipse Workspace (or something) directory that it makes. if you File > New > Project then it shows you the default location (or at least mine does, version 3.7.2)

Project > Properties > Resource also shows you for an open project

Ta

You’re using Eclipse to write JavaScript? Why? It sounds like a PITA.

oh, i get it now, ruby on rails is why every website looks and works like shit and why (because website) everyone wants ruby on rails 'developers'

web whatever point 0 is the worst

fed up now

After installing Windows 10 I seem to have automatically been given Visual Studio Community 2015, because I like to mess about in c++. Previously I was usuing VS express 2013 I think

First things first, I'm a very casual coder - I only write small dumb little games for myself or whatever, I'm not a pro.

So for some reason now nothing compiles, literally trying to compile a simple c++ file which has an #include "iostream" and a basic main function (for now) but nothing else, so it should just compile really easily yeah?

But consistantly being hit with "186 errors", sometimes more. They read along the lines :

variable "errno_t" is not a type name
explicit type is missing ('int' assumed)
(in crtdb.h file which I've not even mentioned in my code)
...and so on, none of the errors make sense in relation to the small code I've written

Internet can only suggest that
This looks like you are compiling against a mix of header files, with some from one compiler version and some from the other.

But I've uninstalled all other Visual Studio versions so I can't see how that's happening.

Any ideas ilx?

don't know about the windows compiler but gcc has flags that'll show you the compilation steps and / or save the files after going through the pre-processor, maybe that'll help.

(i've just re-installed VS 2010 on my vista laptop but haven't compiled anything with it yet)

Finally, I deinstalled every little thing that had anything to do with VS, including registry entries. Seems to be working now

i've been making an effort to bring myself up to date with the new c++ specifications by reading a few books (meyers, alexandrescu). kind of blown away by how useful some of the new features are ('auto' has already saved me hours of my time) but also how complex the language has become.

I've been reading/learning c# lately, from what I have gleamed so far it is extremely similar to Java but tailored obviously for Windows.Net

It's also losing me quite often, the maze of interfaces mixed with generics and delegates and whatnot other ways of designing object orientated code makes me think that I'm never going to fully conquer this one.

oh god don't confuse me, just about starting to get my head around some of the common java patterns

is Java still something worth pursueing these days, from a career perspective? I kinda bailed just before getting to know the advanced stuff, but it was useful for some modding programming.

Feel like cowering back into BASIC retro computer programming right now, for a procedural one last hit.

Android uses Java, so yes.

C# syntax has improved quite a bit over the last few years and I think it's nicer to use than Java but tbh I don't have much Java experience

Java and C# are virtually interchangeable to me at this point. I say focus on whichever one you need for your current job and make up some silly side project to keep your toes in the water with the other one.