Learn to code and change career?

[rhowaldt]

don't believe Joe btw, when he says i am good at Python. i'm not, really. i just learned it to be able to do python+curses (which is rad :). but sure, if you have questions i'll be happy to look into it :)

[wuxmedia]

@bones, yeah, free latte's on tap.
I guess you'd easily get that job.

[machinebacon]

Okay I also applied for it, let's see who gets it :D

(kidding)

[bones]

The best part would be cracking the whip on graphic designers. Always a good time.

[hinto]

^Good to see you around hinto, long time no see. :)

Just saw this article today:

http://blog.databaseanimals.com/friends ... se-eclipse

Still around ;)
Thanks for the article. I've been coding Java since '96 (pre-Swing), but I "cut my teeth" on Win 3.0. I'm now down in the bowels of Java/C/C++ on OSX and Windows. (tho I'm running Win7 as a vm guest on Linux)
I've seen bad programming (even my own) in any language.
-H

[machinebacon]

I won't go into merits/pros/cons of each IDE since the intent is not to start an IDE/Editor war. I'm just reporting the responsiveness.
-Hinto

I would love to see the IDE comparison ("war") in detail, not just limited to Eclipse and Netbeans, but all through the board. So, if you have opinions and experience with different IDEs, please share. I'm highly interested.

[GekkoP]

@hinto: totally agree with you about performances ;)

[hinto]

..and don't forget IntelliJ. It's 100% Java, too.
As for the wars, it's the same ones that waged between Assembly and C, then C and C++. Now it's just that Java is in the mix. The war is really boiled down between static optimizers and just in time optimizers (JIT).
You'll get good info on pros/cons on both sides.

As for IDE comparisons, all do about the same. For me, class/jar dependency scanning for NetBeans and IntelliJ far out strip Eclipse. In other words, in Eclipse, I have to turn that feature off. Additionally since I write 100% java apps and I find my app sluggish, I look to NetBeans, IntelliJ, and jEdit and see how snappy they are and realize the problem is with me, not the language. Eclipse/RCP seemed to have spawned from the idea that that language was the problem.
-Hinto

[machinebacon]

Thanks for the insight, hinto :)

[Potatohead]

Position yourself as one of the very few people that know prepress AND can code. There may nog be many jobs that need that combination, but IF someone needs exactly that, you are GOLDEN !

[powerpointsucker]

See this is actually also a secret dream of mine. I have been working as business developer on it startups for a long time now. And at some point I decided to learn some code, in order better to understand and talk to techs. So I took a php course, not an online one, a class based one. And it was amazing. I felt so peacefull everyday. Problem solving the simplicity, being able to have an overview. What a nice time. Ever since I have had this thought of how nice it would be doing this for a living. But then being management on it projects, my view is that the competition for coders are relly harsh, and works best if you live some where with not so high living expences. So my idea is really that the best thing must be to have some offtime project to dabble a bit with, like the instagram dude, and then see if somehting happens. Maybe there is some nice program to be made that is rellevant to prepress?

[hinto]

Find a problem to solve and choose a language to do it.
Back in 1982, I had a Commodore 64 (with BASIC).
I was was freshman in highschool so I set out to create a program to solve systems of equations with determinants (ie, matrix algebra)
They rest is [almost] history ;)
When I approach a new language, I pick a [simple] problem and solve it with it.

-Hinto

[rhowaldt]

Hinto just made a valid point.

[powerpointsucker]

One might even elaborate it to some kind of life code,

find a problem, find a tool that can fix it and fix.

[hinto]

It's the same way I learned Linux. I had no experience before 2006.
(I starting coding with Win 3.0 after BASIC on the Commodore)
-H

[bones]

I've actually decided to return to school for network management/system security, rather than programming. Now, to decide on school options!

[wuxmedia]

cool, you can teach me after!
Better to do something you really like.

[dkeg]

Kudos bones, and good luck. FWIW, and my experience, so take it only as that. If you have an option to attend live classes as opposed to Web Based, I'd say go for it. I can learn in either environment, however, when I went back for my BS, I did not do so as Web Based. And I can tell you that was the right choice. I really liked hangin' with other guys/gals that were into the same thing, you know, the collaboration part. Projects and all. Truly a benefit. Plus, you're in the zone when you go, and it was exciting to go to school. (I did a Saturday program).

So, just my 2 cents. Either way, Awesome!! Glad to hear!

[bones]

^Yes, I agree, I would rather attend live classes rather than web-based, whenever possible. And thanks!