Re: Help getting started.. Please read!!

On Wed, 27 Mar 2002 12:27:56, "Niall Litchfield" <n-litchfield_at_audit-commission.gov.uk> wrote:

> <ckh - Too Much SPAM> wrote in message
> news:hdwX38NCLQJC-pn2-9RMTddRgipb9_at_localhost...
> > > Given the fact that I want to be a programmer, probably in the area of
> > > database design, what would be the best route to get the training, (
> Real
> > > knowledge ), and the experience for me to pursue this, with possibly
> > > freelancing as an end goal? College, tech school, online learning, etc.
> > > Does my age matter in the real world as far as starting now? Do I have
> to be
> > > Spock to do this? Any particular area of programming financially or
> > > creatively better? Were you as overwhelmed when you first started
> looking at
> > > code as I am? How long did it take you to GET IT?
> > > I would love to hear from everyone who has an opinion. I thank you.
> > > Shawn
> >
> > Learn C.
> >
> > The reason is that to learn C, you have to learn the fundamentals.
>
> Pretty good advice. Pascal or Java would be my choices - they tend to
> encourage better habits. But hey I started off with VB so there.

The reason to learn C is to grapple with the fundamentals, data representation, sequencing, low level issues. JAVA and OO-languages are too caught up in their paradigm. Time for that later.

If Shawn wants to learn "programming", he has to learn data and simple constructs, loops, n-way branches, trees, that sort of thing.

Once he has a grasp of those issues, he can look at higher level concepts.

By my figuring, a programmer needs 3-4 languages, these are:

1. A low level language, C or an assembly language
2. An application production language, C, C++, JAVA, Fortran, COBOL
3. A scripting or shell language, Rexx, TCL, JAVA, Perl
4. A database language, there is only one, SQL.

Of those, Oracle's SQL is the most useful commercially but DB2 is good also.

>
> > The hard part is getting to the point that you can crank code that
> > works. Most people don't, we call them managers or systems
> > administrators.
>
> Ouch! Of course most of our admin time is spent dealing with problems caused
> by coders not having a clue about resource management, good design,
> referential integrity,bind variables, load testing etc etc. <VBG>. Too busy
> cranking out the code to think.
 

Well, I meant the admins who run the back ups, grant privileges, increase tablespace and not the Oracle DBA's who are really database architects.

>
> --
> Niall Litchfield
> Oracle DBA
> Audit Commission UK
> *****************************************
> Please include version and platform
> and SQL where applicable
> It makes life easier and increases the
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Received on Wed Mar 27 2002 - 23:08:52 CET