.NET and stuff for resume....

RWBRWB Icrontian
edited January 2006 in Internet & Media
I need some more things to know for webdesign and such, I don't know .Net too well nor do I understand how it intergrates with the web. I'm pretty much a PHP/DHTML/CSS/XML kind of guy, that's all I think you need for a great site, but I see all the time things that are required for a job like .NET and ASP and I figured maybe someone here can enlighten me as to where I can get started on this.

I currently have the Visual Studio "EXPRESS EDITION" suite which includes the J#, C#, VB, Web Developer programs. The free stuff MS released recently.

I just built a cheapo webbrowser in Visual Basic using a tutorial, pretty kick ass and simple to do. I can see the power behind this, and possibly faults. It's kind of like a WYSIWYG Web Site developer package, you place what you want - where you want, with little to no coding required(unless you want it).

So to go with my original question, what is this ASP and .NET stuff and why in the hell do I need to know it ;D

Comments

  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited December 2005
    Anyone? :scratch:
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited December 2005
    OK guys I just need one simple thing right now. I have looked these programs up, read the "about" crapola, and still don't fully understand WHAT these programs really do.

    MS Visual J# 2005 Express
    MS Visual C# 2005 Express
    MS Visual Web Developer 2005 Express
    MS Visual Basic 2005 Express

    I DO HAVE A CLUE on what they do, and have some basic understanding... I know VC# is for coding C# but what is it compaired to.... Borland?

    I know the Web Developer is for the web, but is it just MS's version of Dreamweaver? Seems a bit more streamlined for something else from what I've seen.

    What is the VJ#?! Something like Java but different? WTF?!

    My last question is.... why does MS have to make all this so hard for me? I am positive once I get this basic crap outta the way I'll be able to just dig right in and be ready real soon to add it to my resume of things I "know" how to use. But the sooner I get it, the better :)
  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited December 2005
    I have a monster reply planned, Il post it later on when Im more awake (still drinking my first morning cup of coffee here mate) :)
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited December 2005
    I really appreciate this shorty! :D
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited December 2005
    You didn't forget me did you Shorty :range:



    :ukflag:
  • ShortyShorty Manchester, UK Icrontian
    edited December 2005
    Ok with brew in hand. Lets get started :)

    The .NET framework is a Microsoft product designed to provide a framework for developing Windows & web applications. It is purely OO (object orientated) and thus is a collection of pre-made classes that do ALOT of different functions (eg.. file system, network, mail, string manipulation, math etc). It is also a runtime environment to run the applications that you build using it :)

    Part of the concept of .NET is to provide a language independant set of code that can be used by more than one Microsoft language. This means that you can pick your language you feel most comfortable with. It could be J# (Microsofts implementation of a java based language), C++ (Microsoft latest version of C++), C# (the latest, greatest programming language from Microsoft designed from the ground up by the same guy who created Delphi for Borland) or even good old Visual Basic (although you need to use the Visual Basic.NET) :)

    Ok, so what does that mean you ask? Well it means you can quickly develop an application and alot the "plumbing" code is prebuilt for you. All you need to do is effectively design the user interface for it and call the frameworks classes and methods in your own classes/methods. Think of it as a very flexible super toolbox of functions (like the prebuilt functions in PHP: mysql_connect for example). :)

    Anything you write in .NET is compiled to a single intermediate language (IL) which when run is intepreted and turned into machine code by the CLR (common language runtime). This simple means your C#, C++ or VB application isn't compiled to machine code but to a single language that the .NET framework can understand and recompile on the fly into machine code. It's very slick :)

    So where does this fit into the web world...? ASP.NET.

    ASP.NET supports two of the .NET languages (C# & VB.NET). Write your code to power your application and then just add calls to that code & precompiled objects in your ASP.net pages (.aspx). You can effectively write one set of code for a Windows application (eg.. a series of complex forms) and then use the same compiled code in an ASP.NET page. You utilising the OOP (object orientated programming) model and not having to continously rewrite, rework code :)

    To properly utilise and use .NET, you must understand OOP & objects. It will seriously mess with your head once you get deep into .NET (whichever language you use) unless you have an acute understanding of namespaces, interfaces, classes, abstracts, methods, properties, public, private, protected and more. Start with a simple C# application tutorial, infact this tutorial got me started. Should help you get your head round the basics :)

    This tutorial I always found infinitely useful when first getting into .NET & OOP.

    Once you pick a language that you are comfortable with the most (whether it be C# or VB.NET or C++), program a few simple Windows applications. Once you have done that, you can turn to making into a live web application. Download SQL Server Express and program a web application with a database backend. If you write the right kind of code into classes, a web application can use the same code as your windows application. You just call the code in your .aspx page :)

    If all this is starting to mash your head, that's fine, it will! Just give it time and patience to learn. It will start to make sense! I was lucky to dive into PHP 5 OOP first and thus had a solid understanding of OOP before going into .NET. They are different but the concepts are the same :)

    Now the commercial question for your resume.

    IT departments and managers like nice, safe, stamped, sealed code. It's a proven fact. Harping on about the virtues of PHP & open source all you like, alot of IT managers/directors don't understand or trust it. Simple as that. Microsoft languages are force fed via huge amounts of marketing and thus this is what is seen as the most effective solution. Sadly, some companies will develop in-house applications that are far more complex & expensive than they need because they don't understand how the open source model works and the benefits of using it's components. PHP is a wondeful tool for quick, lightweight web projects and certainly is not as complex as a basic ASP.NET application.

    However this does not mean that PHP is not scalable or good for large commercial applications. PHP IS EXREMELY scalable. Coded correctly, it will scale just as well as any .NET application. That's fact. I've built an in-house application at work that is hammered all day long (1000 connections a minute @ peak times) and it stands up just fine. Just as with .NET, throw enough tin (hardware) at it and it will have the performance you want :)

    However you are going to find that mass adoption of Microsoft languages IS a reality. I see more .NET developer jobs that ever. Web & windows, so understanding how to use the language, runtime & components is essential unless you find a company that is particularly interested in running what the developer is suggesting.

    If a career as a developer is really where you want to go, then knowing a wide range of languages (C#, VB.NET, PHP, Java), OOP programming & methodology and SQL (you have to get into that too) is what you are going to need. You already have a good grounding with HTML/xHTML/Javascript/DHTML/CSS & XML but it's not enough in this day & age. Being a specialist in a language is fine but it can cost you when you will be turned down for a role because you only know "one" bit. The more you can bring to the table, the easier it will be for you to find a role BUT also for you to get your job done efficently. Working on a huge ASP.NET project, you might scrap up a little PHP web app on your desktop that generates a load of SQL statements & XML that could save YOU days of work. Next minute, every developer in the company is using it ;)

    Any questions...? :)
  • RWBRWB Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    That was a great response! Right now I am working on many things, moving apartments, CCNA Certification, brushing up on the stuff I know, and also learning all these new things like .Net and stuff. This really opened up my eyes, .net is definitly something I must get to know a lot better along with the other goodies with Visual Studio.

    Luckily I have OOP experience with Lingo(Macromedia Director's propeitary Language), and even some very basic background with C. So, if I have anymore questions, I'll be back here ;)

    Looking through these tuts while I am at work here hehe, my computer is down at home until we get internet(just moved) so I'm actually trying to get overtime so I can have more time to study hehe.
  • airbornflghtairbornflght Houston, TX Icrontian
    edited January 2006
    glad that i have the oportunity to learn C++, VB, and java in highschool. Ill have two full years of programming experience before i ever step foot into college. not to mention im gonna take some A++/Network certification prep classes at a Technolohy center next (senior) year. so i wont have to cram it in. Cause this is what i want to do in college (either be a developer, or do network type stuff)..thats another thread though.
  • GooDGooD Quebec (CAN) Member
    edited January 2006
    Shorty, man what do you put in your cofee cup ??? THIS was an awesome reply :thumbsup:

    I have nothing else to say...

    Well, maybe just that : C# FOR THE WIN ! :type:
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