I see the topic types listed above (while I am typing) and begin to wonder, what exactly defines "Beginner" "Intermediate" and "Advanced" topics? My main interest in this is I am trying to guage my current level, and where I need to go from here. I have only ever taken 1 programming class, which the 13 chapter "Introduction To Computer Programming" only went up to chapter 6 for this class. There was a second class that went over the 2nd half of the book, but in all my boredom, I had every program for all 13 chapters finished by week 3 of my first class. The last chapter covers inheritance, custom controls, and using the clipboard. Apparently there is not a second book to this.

Since my lowly introduction class, I have picked up quite a lot from various places. I tried to move on to C#, but I keep getting stuck at various path's along the way, giving up to come back to VB, where I keep running low on fuel for ideas. Right now I am checking into all the WPF stuff I can find, and find it fairly easy to understand. But now it comes back to the limitations of VB, and a good idea of what to pick up to progress further, or simply starting over with something else that I feel will take a bit longer to get where I am at with VB.

So I typed "Advanced VB.NET" in google, and a lot of what I have found is for advanced vb6 stuff, or stuff I can already do that I have picked up along the way. Apparently this book I have covered a lot along with all the great articles I have read. Granted, there is much more stuff when you begin to add VB.NET with stuff like ASP and XML, but then the learning curve seems to branch off into many different directions, and I have yet to find a general list of "what comes next".

But then there is the little stuff...like I just learned how to save settings to an XML file...which is now easy, and begin to wonder why stuff like that is not included in my book, and what else that is simple stuff that I might be looking over. Sorry for my little book here, but I like learning stuff in a structured way and seem very lost on which direction I am trying to go from my current level. I am hoping some of you might offer some insight, or a link to something that you have found is useful, or just some sound advice for further progression.

Thanks!

Asking what comes next without context is almost the same as asking why we exist. What comes next depends on what you want to do with the language.

That being said, what did you want to focus on if anything in particular?

For general resources.

Web Design: ASP
Games: Direct X
Desktop Dev: WPF

Also, as a rule, I define beginner as questions that only concern the code.
Intermediate are questions that not only concern the code but a small level of understanding of a certain topic. Advanced I place in the category of something like calculating transparency based on the distance between the center of your program's window and the mouse pointer because odds are that by this point you don't need the code, but what you really need is the proper math to get it done. Basically, advanced means that you're asking about concepts or topics rather than code itself.

Short Form of the above:

Beginner - Code
Intermediate - Mix of Code and Concepts
Advanced - Pure Concepts and no code

I think what ccubed has put in terms of beginner intermediate and advanced is probably about right, because there will always be new little things you pick up.

My preferred way to progess is to set yourself a fairly ambitious target that you know, you don't know everything you need to in order to complete it, and then do the project learning what you need along the way.

Thanks for the replies and insight!

Honestly, I don't know which direction I want to go. During the time I was going to school and shortly after I was wanting to do game programming. But every example code I have found is for vb6, and often trying to upgrade anything when you don't know what you're doing is futile. The same goes for most of anything else, where I know what I'm wanting to do, and more often than not can do my own research on topics, but knowing what topics to look up is where I come to a stalemate at.

For instance, my last problem I wanted to save settings in a config file, and pull from those values to fill a property grid. It seemed like there was just no simple explanation of: "Put everything in a class file, save settings with My.Settings, load the propertygrid with the saved values." This is why I feel like an idiot most of the time because I bet I searched for over 3 days for something, but kept comming up with nothing. And more often than not simply asking what to do is met with the code policy statement.

I am almost certain if something was posted like:



...would lead to far less requests that are met with the code policy...at least for me anyways. Perhaps just like a general list of chapters in a book, but not a book itself. 99% of the time someone has posted an article or tutorial on most topics, but knowing to search for those topics in particular is where (for me atleast) keep comming up short.

I'm just rambling now, but think I've gotten to my point. Now I know for most of my issues I can just use an advanced topic since I am just looking for some direction most of the time, as opposed to expressly requesting code examples.

Thanks again

Well, if you're not determined to use a file, VB has the ability to save settings itself. This is where that My.Settings namespace comes in. You can find the settings in the properties of the project and be sure if you ever use them to make them public.

Hey Cakemaker,

I have to admit, for me it feels like I am never getting to an advanced level.

However, every single day that I'm at work, i learn new stuff. Either making my existing code better or something totally new. We wrote a Client Database/Admin Module with a Time and Billing module that integrates into an Accounting Project wich we also wrote. Next on our list is a Payroll system and and Workings Project for all the accountants to use. Finnaly the Accounting System will integrate into an Online Shop. The list never seems to end.

(There are also a stock system,POS and Fixed Asset Register in planning.)

Mind you I had no training in Accounting what so ever.

The nice thing is if you choose a project in the business world, you will not only learn about programming, but what the about the whole business and its management procedures is about as well and this counts as experience.

But comming back to which direction you want to go...

Try to think of something that you are interested in except progamming and try to find either a progamming job in
that direction or make your own project and sell it. The last option requires a lot of time and you will somehow
find a need to get money for yourself. Also it helps doing projects not on your own.

If you currently have time on your hands, try to go through the list that martyr posted on DIC

http://www.dreamincode.net/forums/showtopic78802.htm

This shoud definitely boost your programming experience quite a bit.

Hope this is of a little value....

hardcore as inheritance n' polymorphism n' shit yo.