Starting MCAD .NET ... VB or C#

baracus

I am familiar with VB so I thought I would start to study the VB topics. After talking to a couple people about my decision, I think I might take the C# direction. I heard that Microsoft is fazing out VB and recommends C# and also C# developers get paid about 25% more on average. Any thoughts?

TeKniques

Hi there,

I noticed your a SCJP, so I would definitely point you to the direction of C#. C# is much more along the same lines of Java. I have also heard that C# programmers are in demand and do get paid very well in the area I live in compared to other careers.

If you don't mind me asking. How long did you prepare for your SCJP? Just curious

Good luck with your MCAD.

Don_PA

I hope you guys could get the software for it. I bought the Visual Studio.net 2003 Academic Version for about $110 at some computer show. I did not need a student ID be a faculty member to get it from a dealer :P . It's the same like the professional version for a cheaper price and has Visual Basic, C++, C# Sharp and J# .

Actually Microsoft has a free online e-learning courses on the new Visual Studio 2005 edition that expires on Nov. 1. Here is the link https://www.microsoftelearning.com/visualstudio2005/ There is also another free 90 days online e-learning for the SQL Server 2005 that expires Nov. 8

Tekniques. I hope you have downloaded the latest Java 1.4 software download and I think the Sun Java site has a special 10% on the $150 tests or $75 courses the offer on the Sun site. I have 2 Sybex Java 2 certification books programmer and developer and it still is complex to learn unless you really absorb it. You really need some CBT learning tool to really learn and understand this programming. This site cost about $25 for 7 months of Java 2 learning if you are interested http://www.joegrip.com/ There are some sample videos.

Here is another one on C# with some free tutorials.
http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/

There is another one called learningvisualstudio.net site that have downloadable videos for a good price but I can't access it now.

I want to earn the other Microsoft certifications in MCAD, MCSD and the Sun Java programmer and developer certs.

But right now I am studying for the Oracle Certified Associate tests and CWNA test.

baracus

I decided on the C# route for sure. I just bought a couple of 1200 page books on the topics. Should keep me busy for a while.... As for the SCJP, it was quite a bit easier than I thought. I studied only a couple of weeks and got %82 on it. If you know java fairly well, you should do fine. Make sure you understand threading well...

TeKniques wrote:

Hi there,

I noticed your a SCJP, so I would definitely point you to the direction of C#. C# is much more along the same lines of Java. I have also heard that C# programmers are in demand and do get paid very well in the area I live in compared to other careers.

If you don't mind me asking. How long did you prepare for your SCJP? Just curious

Good luck with your MCAD.

baracus

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5811194386

very good book for beginner and moderate programmers

TeKniques wrote:

Hi there,

If you don't mind me asking. How long did you prepare for your SCJP? Just curious

TeKniques

Don_PA wrote:

Tekniques. I hope you have downloaded the latest Java 1.4 software download and I think the Sun Java site has a special 10% on the $150 tests or $75 courses the offer on the Sun site. I have 2 Sybex Java 2 certification books programmer and developer and it still is complex to learn unless you really absorb it. You really need some CBT learning tool to really learn and understand this programming. This site cost about $25 for 7 months of Java 2 learning if you are interested http://www.joegrip.com/ There are some sample videos.

Yes, I have been using the 1.4 SDK for a while now. I checked out that site, and it was definitely inexpensive. I was going to go with the CBT DIRECT route as another source of training, but it was so expensive. I think they wanted $1200 for the whole kit so I said no thanks.

baracus wrote:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5811194386

very good book for beginner and moderate programmers

That is one of the books I have been reading. It seems to cover all the objectives very well. I have gone through it twice, but have hesitated to schedule the test because the Prometric testing centers close to me are about a 6 hour drive north or south. I'm going to purchase the Transcender practice tests before I schedule and go through those to make sure I'm completely ready.

Thanks for the suggestions, and good luck with C#

Don_PA

There is no reason you could eventually learn both languages that is if you bought the Pro(academic )software. I just need to take two exams in the 70-305 306 VB series, 70-315 316 series and onthe XML 310 or 320 track because I already passed 70-229 test. Here are the MCAD requirements which you can have with 3 passing only tests or more if you want the 2 tracks on VBasic and VC# http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcad/requirements.asp

Oh yeah here is the site about the Visual Studio suite where he visually teaches you the VB, VC# or ASP.net concepts in video http://www.learnvisualstudio.net/ It's always good to learn from some visual instruction short of taking some expensive classes. It's a good price too! Its wise to concentrate on the C # track and after you passed that then go back to the VBasic.net then go for the full MCSD certification. Probably next month I will construct a website/domain next month

baracus

You dont have to learn both languages to get the MCSD. I think it would be a better idea to focus on one language throughout the process. My plan is 70-315, 70-229, 70-320 (get MSAD) then take 70-300 & 70-316 for my MCSD.

Don_PA wrote:

Its wise to concentrate on the C # track and after you passed that then go back to the VBasic.net then go for the full MCSD certification. Probably next month I will construct a website/domain next month

2lazybutsmart

C# is definetly outstanding but it seems that it's not getting the right momentum originally speculated out there in the market. VC++ still seems to be the all-timer.

Make sure you choose your track with the future in mind. Now something like 80%-give or take a few- of major companies who use Microsoft products to develop their programs use VC++.

Best luck
2lbs.

baracus

2lazybutsmart wrote:

VC++ still seems to be the all-timer.

Make sure you choose your track with the future in mind. Now something like 80%-give or take a few- of major companies who use Microsoft products to develop their programs use VC++.

I find that 80% stat hard to believe, especially since most MS applications currently being build are web-based. What language did you use to get your MCSD? C++ is great, but I don't see any current certifications that use Vc++?

2lazybutsmart

I've used VB for my cert mainly because I was using VB in production back then when I got the cert.

I do agree that I might have overstated the estimation but --even though it's soley based on my opinion-- you'll probably hear something in that line from other people too.

But since you're going for the certification, you'll have to choose between C# or VB since there is no VC++ track available.


2lbs.

Slowhand

I think you'd be best of weighing a couple of factors. One, which language are you more comfortable with at the moment? The MCAD/MCSD tracks are more about the development process, about more advanced concepts than syntax and language dynamics. If you're used to VB.NET, you may want to go through the process with it, but that's only one factor.

As you said, C# developers are getting paid more, and since C# is a C-based language, like Java and C++, it's not as difficult to jump ship, in case you're offered a job developing Java apps, for example. So, (just like I'm doing at the moment,) you may have the right idea in switching to C#. You could always go through the process, learn the concepts and topics, and then go back and learn VB.NET. In fact, you may even have a better understanding of both the second language, and the concepts, if you're "reviewing" the same ideas, just with different syntax. After all, under the .NET umbrella, it's all the same functions and under-the-hood processes, it's just a different front-end language that gets compiled into CLR Script.

Either way, good luck with the cert, and I hope you find what you need to pick your language.

devla

Hi Guys
Registered today... I got my SCJP 5 years ago. Been working on Microsoft since(my luck), but on stuff that can hardly be called cutting-edge. I want to get MCAD to start out.
Is this a very active forum for someone like me ? JCHQ.NET was very helpful when I did the SCJP.

Thanks....

JDMurray

If you already know VB6, you might as well plan on learning both C# and VB.NET because there won't be a lot of difficulty for you to learn the syntax of both. I used VB for ten years before moving to .NET (actually, I still use VB6). The vast majority of time that I've spent with .NET has not been in learning the languages themselves, but in learning the .NET framework itself.

bcairns

What I did personally was to move from VB6 to VB.Net

Once I was comfortable with the .Net Framework, I went out and got a few books on C#....

To be honest now that I know both VB and C#, I rarely touch VB....no idea why, it just seems to think like I do.