[thomas130]

Hi guys for around 4 years I been working in IT as technician kind of trade of all monkey jobs etc. However over the last year, I have noticed we are now moving in IT to become totally cloud base. A lot of our applications are moving to be web based and this has cause me to start thinking about my career. I think the days for general technicians will end within the next 10 years. I have noticed a lot of jobs know that want both a technician and a developer for the same role.

Anyway I come up a two year plan to get me going, I just need your guys opinion and thoughts. I'm going to develop a service management system that audit machines etc and log calls etc. I know there are hundreds are these type of applications but I want to develop one for myself. I will be able to use this at work as well as our currently system is **** and they won’t pay for a decent one.

1st stage

Develop a website; develop my skills in html, css, Javascript and php. I will do by coding the website myself etc with a forum etc and database system.

2nd stage

Start developing my helpdesk management system in java both a web version and application version and then maybe write an android version.

3rd stage

I need to write a client for each system to allow me audit that computer for software, license keys and hardware spec. I would assume I need to do this in c++ (please correct me if I am wrong)

4th stage

Start rewriting the application in asp.net and c# for a windows version ( I know java works in windows just want to cover the major languages)

5th

Maybe write a ipad application version.


Thanks
Tom

[Eric115]

Well, this sounds like a good plan to me. You have set yourself a goal and now you just need to work hard to achieve it. Have you had much previous computer programming or website development experience? If you haven't, it might be good to start off with maybe small parts of this application and work your way to the full thing. e.g. You might develop just a simple logging system that works with a database. It may not meet all your needs, but just remember you can't start at the top. If you haven't had previous programming experience, it might be wise to start with something lower than C++,C or C#. Maybe something like Python. Jumping straight into C++ is pretty hard (I tried it myself).
If you need some help with your website, this is the place to go. This website has tutorials, cheat sheets and all you could want for web based and server based languages and web development. It might also be worth checking out the tutorial sections here on Dream.In.Code if you haven't already!
I wish you luck with your program!

[hookiethe1]

That's funny, (not trying to derail the thread) I've heard a lot of people say C++ is too hard for a starting place, but it was my first language and I found it pretty straightforward. Although having said that, I did learn it at school, not sitting in my room with a book or online tute.

Back on topic, looks like a lofty and optimistic, yet realistically achievable, goal, and should give you a really broad knowledge base if you get through it. It is a commitment though, if you're thinking a couple of hours a week then you're setting yourself up for a fall, but if you're consistent and prepared to see a couple of sunrises because you started something after dinner last night and just couldn't stop till it worked you should be ok.

Good luck!

[SpeedisaVirus]

C++ is anything but straight forward in many cases. There are lots of gotchas that other languages simply don't get which is great in learning due to keeping a new programmer from chasing their tail on some problem they may or may not even understand. I have been in intro classes in both C++ and Java, the level of competence at the end of the Java taught class was generally higher and there was significantly less frustration.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

OP, your plan sounds reasonable but you have a fair chunk of work to do in those applications so definitely start in small pieces. Especially if you have little programming experience. It's easy to get discouraged when you start to realize the whole scope of what it takes to make that happen.

[thomas130]

Eric115, on 04 March 2011 - 06:00 AM, said:

Well, this sounds like a good plan to me. You have set yourself a goal and now you just need to work hard to achieve it. Have you had much previous computer programming or website development experience? If you haven't, it might be good to start off with maybe small parts of this application and work your way to the full thing. e.g. You might develop just a simple logging system that works with a database. It may not meet all your needs, but just remember you can't start at the top. If you haven't had previous programming experience, it might be wise to start with something lower than C++,C or C#. Maybe something like Python. Jumping straight into C++ is pretty hard (I tried it myself).
If you need some help with your website, this is the place to go. This website has tutorials, cheat sheets and all you could want for web based and server based languages and web development. It might also be worth checking out the tutorial sections here on Dream.In.Code if you haven't already!
I wish you luck with your program!

SpeedisaVirus, on 04 March 2011 - 07:00 AM, said:

C++ is anything but straight forward in many cases. There are lots of gotchas that other languages simply don't get which is great in learning due to keeping a new programmer from chasing their tail on some problem they may or may not even understand. I have been in intro classes in both C++ and Java, the level of competence at the end of the Java taught class was generally higher and there was significantly less frustration.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

OP, your plan sounds reasonable but you have a fair chunk of work to do in those applications so definitely start in small pieces. Especially if you have little programming experience. It's easy to get discouraged when you start to realize the whole scope of what it takes to make that happen.

Hi guys thanks for your feedback, as mention in my post I will start with PHP for my website that will consist of me me building a login system/PHP forum

Then start on Java
then on to C++

As you guys was refering to regarding the work you have to put in.

I will be spending alot of time I this project as I will be moving into my own place etc. I expect this project to take around 18/24 months, by that time I'm hoping to a decent level developer. I also thinking making me project Open source the idea that other developers get on board which might in turn help me improve my skills.

[Eric115]

Open source is always a good way to go! There are more eyes checking over the code which means less bugs, more suggestions for improvement and many other good things.

[CodeWomanSRQ1234]

thomas130, on 04 March 2011 - 01:42 AM, said:

Hi guys for around 4 years I been working in IT as technician kind of trade of all monkey jobs etc. However over the last year, I have noticed we are now moving in IT to become totally cloud base. A lot of our applications are moving to be web based and this has cause me to start thinking about my career. I think the days for general technicians will end within the next 10 years. I have noticed a lot of jobs know that want both a technician and a developer for the same role.

Anyway I come up a two year plan to get me going, I just need your guys opinion and thoughts. I'm going to develop a service management system that audit machines etc and log calls etc. I know there are hundreds are these type of applications but I want to develop one for myself. I will be able to use this at work as well as our currently system is **** and they won’t pay for a decent one.

1st stage

Develop a website; develop my skills in html, css, Javascript and php. I will do by coding the website myself etc with a forum etc and database system.

2nd stage

Start developing my helpdesk management system in java both a web version and application version and then maybe write an android version.

3rd stage

I need to write a client for each system to allow me audit that computer for software, license keys and hardware spec. I would assume I need to do this in c++ (please correct me if I am wrong)

4th stage

Start rewriting the application in asp.net and c# for a windows version ( I know java works in windows just want to cover the major languages)

5th

Maybe write a ipad application version.


Thanks
Tom

Tom, that's awesome. I find the more code I write, the more I understand it. I am a student and have taken (in order first to most current language) Python, Visual Basic, Java, and now C++. I found Python the worst for me because of compiling issues based on code alignment. The book I had was horrible.

I love the C++ book I have. It is easy to understand, gives lots of code examples. I find that tutorial books, while you can learn from them, are tough when you try to look for different ways to manipulate data. The examples are more limited. The book is: Starting Out With C++ Early Objects by Gaddis, Walters, and Muganda. It is the best book to read. I really didn't read my Java book. It made too many assumptions on its readers' current knowledge.

As you know, PHP and Java are free. But you can also get Visual Basic.Net, ASP.Net (also with C-Sharp), C#, C++, and SQL Server Express for free: Visual Studio Express I found that I had to really learn how to understand Loops. That helps with ALL of the programs. Good Luck!

This post has been edited by CodeWomanSRQ1234: 18 March 2011 - 12:55 AM

[Outskut]

This sounds like a fantastic plan. I've heard a lot of predictions that the cloud is becoming a dominant force in software development for the near future, and it sounds like your array of programming languages will address that well.

I was a student, and for the last 4 months or so I've been pursuing a project similar to this. It really feels empowering as I'm getting a much better grasp on a lot of environments. I started out with C++ 6 years ago and it wasn't easy, but (at least until I got into Linux documentation - ) it allowed me to see what was really going on in my CPU. A program like Python might be nice because you can almost speak to it like you're speaking to a person, but with C++ you realize that types are very specific constructs and that doing things like dictionaries (associative lists) with strings and floating point numbers isn't as basic of an idea as you'd think. On the other hand, since python makes certain things so easy it allows so much more to be developed. Keep in mind that a huge swath of the upper layers of Linux are written in Python. The greatest advantage of C++ that I've discovered so far is that it gives you such fundamental control over your computer that whatever you do develop will end up being nearly the most efficient way to get it done.

A couple excellent references for a C++ introduction are my college textbook:
Problem Solving with C++, The Object of Programming - by Walter Savitch
One of the wikibooks on C++, I can't find it just now, but I had a look through a lot of it, and I had found a beautiful introduction.

This post has been edited by Outskut: 18 March 2011 - 12:47 PM