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I have always been interested & expermented in Programming & I have now
finally decided that I would love a career in it.
I am currently learning C++ & Visual Studio at home & looking at taking the
following track:
1) Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) on Microsoft .NET
2) MCP
Please advise if this would be a good route to getting a job in programming.
Thanks

March 28, 2006

You'll need to switch from C++ to C# or VB for the MCAD. -- C++ is
unmanaged code, and the MCAD is about .Net Managed code.

Some of the new generation of exams allow C++.Net Managed code, but not all
of them.... I advice against C/C++ due to the oldness of the languages, and
also supposedly *if* you believe marketing -- future MSFT Operating Systems
are going to be completely managed ... which you could infer the extinction
of C & C++.

Just my thoughts... good luck!!!


--

Joseph Bittman
Microsoft Certified Solution Developer
Microsoft Most Valuable Professional -- DPM

Blog/Web Site: http://CactiDevelopers.Resdev.Net/



"GarryHz" <> wrote in message
news:5BD25040-C451-4917-BF95-...
>I have always been interested & expermented in Programming & I have now
> finally decided that I would love a career in it.
> I am currently learning C++ & Visual Studio at home & looking at taking
> the
> following track:
> 1) Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) on Microsoft .NET
> 2) MCP
> Please advise if this would be a good route to getting a job in
> programming.
> Thanks

I agree. We are seeing less and less of C++, when it will die who knows!

My experience (in particular to the UK) C# is definatly the stronger more
desired language. I think this is because most Microsoft Gold Partners /
consultancy's want people with C++ pure OO backgrounds and VB is not an OO
language. Because of this C++ developers will have a better understanding of
OOA and OOD methodologies.

I'm not trying to start a VB.NET vs C# war, but merely stating my experience
and thoughts to you so you can make the right choice to maximize your
career.

Kind of like most old languages such as COBOL for example. It is still being
used today but very far and few between.

Simon.

"Joseph Bittman MVP MCSD" <> wrote in message
news:...
> March 28, 2006
>
> You'll need to switch from C++ to C# or VB for the MCAD. -- C++ is
> unmanaged code, and the MCAD is about .Net Managed code.
>
> Some of the new generation of exams allow C++.Net Managed code, but not
> all of them.... I advice against C/C++ due to the oldness of the
> languages, and also supposedly *if* you believe marketing -- future MSFT
> Operating Systems are going to be completely managed ... which you could
> infer the extinction of C & C++.
>
> Just my thoughts... good luck!!!
>
>
> --
>
> Joseph Bittman
> Microsoft Certified Solution Developer
> Microsoft Most Valuable Professional -- DPM
>
> Blog/Web Site: http://CactiDevelopers.Resdev.Net/
>
>
>
> "GarryHz" <> wrote in message
> news:5BD25040-C451-4917-BF95-...
>>I have always been interested & expermented in Programming & I have now
>> finally decided that I would love a career in it.
>> I am currently learning C++ & Visual Studio at home & looking at taking
>> the
>> following track:
>> 1) Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) on Microsoft .NET
>> 2) MCP
>> Please advise if this would be a good route to getting a job in
>> programming.
>> Thanks
>
>

C++ does have its place, but highly doubt it will die off as a language.
You can write Managed C++ code, but is not a pleasent experience as C# or
VB.NET (a project of mine required Managed C++). C and C++ will always have
a place in lower level programming such as microcontrollers and embedded
programming. It can be more accurately said that for most high level
business applications, Unmanaged C++, although very possible, would be less
appropriate.

GarryHz, as Joseph stated, the MCAD tests are for the .NET Framework. There
are tests catered for both C# and VB.NET. I would advise taking some type of
formal training in programming concepts, especially object-oriented
programming. The easy part is learning the syntax of a language or platform.
The hard part is designing good code and learning (and following) best
practices. An anology I like to use is that it is easy to use a hammer and
nails, but building a house gets a little more complicated.

In addition to MCAD, formal programming training and experience would be
beneficial for your career change. Good luck and welcome to the dark side

"Joseph Bittman MVP MCSD" wrote:

> March 28, 2006
>
> You'll need to switch from C++ to C# or VB for the MCAD. -- C++ is
> unmanaged code, and the MCAD is about .Net Managed code.
>
> Some of the new generation of exams allow C++.Net Managed code, but not all
> of them.... I advice against C/C++ due to the oldness of the languages, and
> also supposedly *if* you believe marketing -- future MSFT Operating Systems
> are going to be completely managed ... which you could infer the extinction
> of C & C++.
>
> Just my thoughts... good luck!!!
>
>
> --
>
> Joseph Bittman
> Microsoft Certified Solution Developer
> Microsoft Most Valuable Professional -- DPM
>
> Blog/Web Site: http://CactiDevelopers.Resdev.Net/
>
>
>
> "GarryHz" <> wrote in message
> news:5BD25040-C451-4917-BF95-...
> >I have always been interested & expermented in Programming & I have now
> > finally decided that I would love a career in it.
> > I am currently learning C++ & Visual Studio at home & looking at taking
> > the
> > following track:
> > 1) Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) on Microsoft .NET
> > 2) MCP
> > Please advise if this would be a good route to getting a job in
> > programming.
> > Thanks
>
>
>

>I have always been interested & expermented in Programming & I have now
> finally decided that I would love a career in it.
> I am currently learning C++ & Visual Studio at home & looking at taking
> the
> following track:
> 1) Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) on Microsoft .NET
> 2) MCP
> Please advise if this would be a good route to getting a job in
> programming.
> Thanks

I think C programming with the C++ compiler is a great way to learn how to
code. I would stay away from the advanced consept of C++ (especially
templates, multiple inheritance and operator overloading) and write simple
programs to try a few basic algorithms and data structures. This way you
will get a feeling on algorithms before using them.

Get a copy of "Programming Windows" by Petzold, any edition. Key in enough
samples from this book so that you understand what a message loop is.

I think writing the message loop before doing too much Form-programming is
particulary useful. At the same time you will need to learn C# and TSQL.
This will be easy.

Thank you all for your help!
I have took your advice & I am now ploughing through the Microsoft Book
'Visual C# 2005: The Language".
I'm hoping it wont be long before I am on the darkside.
Thanks again!..

"Gorm Braarvig" wrote:

> >I have always been interested & expermented in Programming & I have now
> > finally decided that I would love a career in it.
> > I am currently learning C++ & Visual Studio at home & looking at taking
> > the
> > following track:
> > 1) Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) on Microsoft .NET
> > 2) MCP
> > Please advise if this would be a good route to getting a job in
> > programming.
> > Thanks
>
> I think C programming with the C++ compiler is a great way to learn how to
> code. I would stay away from the advanced consept of C++ (especially
> templates, multiple inheritance and operator overloading) and write simple
> programs to try a few basic algorithms and data structures. This way you
> will get a feeling on algorithms before using them.
>
> Get a copy of "Programming Windows" by Petzold, any edition. Key in enough
> samples from this book so that you understand what a message loop is.
>
> I think writing the message loop before doing too much Form-programming is
> particulary useful. At the same time you will need to learn C# and TSQL.
> This will be easy.
>
>
>

Good for you!
Looks like you have the spirit: this will be sufficient no matter what way
you choose to teach yourself programming.
However... I was a bit unclear, what I really meant with my book advice was
this book: http://www.charlespetzold.com/pw5.
It is windows programming using C. I don't mean one should learn all the
stuff in there, but I think that the first section of this book (first
twelve chapters) can really give a deep understanding of what lies under the
event-driven programming (not the event-driven programming itself, which
should be self-explenatory...).
If the book you refer to describes how to write...

- "The Message Loop"
and
- "The Window Procedure"

....yourself (and is written by Petzold), it might do the trick, of course.

Remember to be playful!
A happy programmer is not neccessarily a good programmer, but a depressed
programmer can be a real pain in the behind for everybody.


> Thank you all for your help!
> I have took your advice & I am now ploughing through the Microsoft Book
> 'Visual C# 2005: The Language".
> I'm hoping it wont be long before I am on the darkside.
> Thanks again!..
>
> "Gorm Braarvig" wrote:
>
>> >I have always been interested & expermented in Programming & I have now
>> > finally decided that I would love a career in it.
>> > I am currently learning C++ & Visual Studio at home & looking at taking
>> > the
>> > following track:
>> > 1) Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) on Microsoft .NET
>> > 2) MCP
>> > Please advise if this would be a good route to getting a job in
>> > programming.
>> > Thanks
>>
>> I think C programming with the C++ compiler is a great way to learn how
>> to
>> code. I would stay away from the advanced consept of C++ (especially
>> templates, multiple inheritance and operator overloading) and write
>> simple
>> programs to try a few basic algorithms and data structures. This way you
>> will get a feeling on algorithms before using them.
>>
>> Get a copy of "Programming Windows" by Petzold, any edition. Key in
>> enough
>> samples from this book so that you understand what a message loop is.
>>
>> I think writing the message loop before doing too much Form-programming
>> is
>> particulary useful. At the same time you will need to learn C# and TSQL.
>> This will be easy.
>>
>>
>>