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Liban Shire
Courses Plus Student 4,147 PointsLearning a language.
Okay so I just finished CS141 in college which was based on Java. I love it but I feel like is too verbose and big. I want to get into web development mainly focused on server side stuff and hopefully some frontend Javascript stuff to go with my server side stuff. But my question is should I stay with Java or learn PHP or Ruby? I think I want to try PHP since it's in so demand.
I want to learn a language that's in demand for the job market but also can do fun stuff with right away and see results Java is nice language but I feel it takes a long time to create web applications with and not see results for long time.
Any advice? thanks :)
3 Answers
J.T. Gralka
20,126 PointsThere's a great discussion on this very issue on the Treehouse forum from a few months ago. You might check it out!
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Ernest Grzybowski
Treehouse Project ReviewerLiban Shire I wouldn't really go for what's in demand, i would go for what you really like to do. I initially disliked Java, but then found out I could make Android applications and dove right into that. Now, if I was applying for a job, I would not apply for a Java position, I would simply apply for an Android position. It is ultimately up to you, but my current job is being an Android Developer, and I hated Java with a passion which makes it pretty humorous. Also as a note, my college also had Java as it's "Intro to CS" course, but later switched it to Python, because for people that may not have programmed before, you need a pretty good teacher to be able to communicate that to students. My advice, don't stray array from Java for too long, especially if you own an Android device by any chance. Make an app, that doesn't do anything but displays a picture of you. You'll be surprised that you keep coming back for more!
Liban Shire
Courses Plus Student 4,147 PointsThat is very interesting, how much of Java did you have to know to program or get a job making Android apps?
Ernest Grzybowski
Treehouse Project ReviewerWhen I first started, I didn't know too much about Java or about Object Oriented Programming either. How much did I "have" to know? Well, it's tough to say, but I was referred by a few professors for a couple of jobs and for the other jobs I made my own application to show off some of my skills. That's the nice thing about Android, you can have an application on the marketplace that doesn't really do a lot, but you can use it as a reference on your resume or during an interview. This showed people that I could build an application, design it on multiple screen sizes, and publish it to the Play store. Again, I'm not trying to sway you towards android, but trying to give you my advice. Which is essentially "Don't hate the language just because you hate the language". I hate "Objective-C" but I've also made money doing little apps for companies. I still dislike Java very much, and actually prefer C++ to anything, but that may be because I was first introduced to programming in C++, so I have a sort of affinity with it. I also have a job right now where I program a lot in PHP/JS. Which also encapsulates HTML and CSS. My first public Android app was an application that I wanted. I didn't expect anyone else to use it, but now I get a few emails a month with people telling me that they "can't live without it". It's awesome. Build stuff you want. Build stuff you love.
Liban Shire
Courses Plus Student 4,147 PointsSo you're familiar with both PHP and Java. Which is easier to learn ? I mean I've learned Java this entire quarter but want to make web applications soon and do fun stuff.
Ernest Grzybowski
Treehouse Project ReviewerIt sounds like you know what you want to do. It's not about what's easiest! If you are eager to learn... learn both! It's always fun to learn the similarities and differences between languages. I know a few languages, and I never sat down and said "Okay now for the next 2-3 months I'll learn _____". Just start doing! I'm not sure if this is good advice or bad advice, but it worked for me!