I just wondered how long it takes to become really good in Visual Basic
Tell me what your story was like.
Printable View
I just wondered how long it takes to become really good in Visual Basic
Tell me what your story was like.
Well, since the legends around here are a bit shy I'll start...
I'm a Programming GOD
Hahahha, what did you expect with a question like that???
My story... I got home from work and I'm on my 9th stiff drink as you can probably tell from this post!
Seriously though, it depends on how much you actually program. If you're writing code and hanging around here every day then you'll be proficient in no time.
If you do it for a job, work with it, even sooner. It's as hard as you want it to be, the language will do a lot for you and you'll think you're doing real well, then you'll learn that some people really strive to understand the lower levels (I know that sounds weird) API, Integrating C Dlls, Com Objects etc and you quickly learn even in VB there is room for specialisation.
Some people go for Graphics, others math algorithms, others Components many more try to balance as much as they can (although find a couple of areas lacking)
Give yourself 3 months to be able to create software (tools for you're self, fun and usefull), 6-12 before you really should be giving it to others, after that it gets a bit vague, depends on age, how quick you pick things up, how often you used it, what areas you studied...etc
<sigh>, Time for another drink, It's hard work being an alcoholic.
I haven't got time for a huge thesis!
My advice. Is it really important how good others are and how long it takes?
If you like it, if you want to earn a living in it. Do it, there's lots of room for more programmers.
It could be worse, you could be in marketing!!!
I have been studying programming (visual basic 6.0) for a month and i read,and try hands on experience every night for about 3-4 hours.Ok now that i have explained how much of a newbie i am..haha my question is
1.I think i have a good idea of all the areas of vb..like activeX/api/functions/multimedia/moduels/(well i could go on but you get my point) What other fields are there in vb that no one realy uses?? If any? i would like to know all the fields of vb before i try to really learn it.
2.Is it easy to get a programming job knowing visual basic?
or is there a whole lot of people that know visual basic and it would be better to learn another language like C/C++?? i am still gonna learn vb no matter what..i am just curios.
Thanks you
Hmmm, an aussie that doesnt drink Fosster's?Quote:
My story... I got home from work and I'm on my 9th stiff drink as you can probably tell from this post!
--Paul282
Well, There are a lot of jobs, people who know vb AND people who know C++ in the world. Doesn't matter what you wnat to do but it helps to be good at it.
You've only been studying for a month and you're that good? There is more to a language than the syntax. There is more syntact in VB than there is in C but that doesn't make C easier!
In VB can you sort and search data efficiently? When is counting sort faster than quick sort? can you write up linked lists? can you use bitwise math well? I'm not putting you down, I just want to see if you realise that there is a lot more to programming that just knowing the language. Algorithms are important. in graphics can you convert 3d co-ord to the 2d screen? do you know how to shade a sphere or bounce a light off it? Can you process human language text to meaning? or decode a gif compressed file?
This may sound like an attack but you asked what else there is to know... everything!
Think of human language, English, knowing it is one thing, how can it be used??? very different, you can teach science, debate and politics, make friends etc
Knowing the language is one thing but using it effectively is a skill that once learned is usefull in any language.
Sorry, I was busy speiling and didn't see your post.
I don't drink beer!
Wine, Sake, Whiskey, Sangria, Strongbo White...
11th now :-)
As for the topic of how easy is it to get a job.
Programming languages help to know, but will not be a deciding factor in how you get a job, if you are looking specifically for a vb job then yes than knowledge of vb is a must.
Computer science majors are computer science majors for the fact that learning a new programming language is nothing too difficult. Why is that? If one has the concepts done in one learning to apply it to another is not to difficult. VB I would say is a good language to have knowledge of, but will it impress employers to be? Maybe, maybe not. VB is easy to learn and from all the young teen programmers, you can see that alot of people know vb. I would say if you are looking for a job, you start with learning c, from that you move on to C++, and then to java. Then you come back to VB and learn that. Wow then you have 4 languages to put on your resume, plus the scripting of JScript and VBscript is soon at your grasp. Then if you are feeling really full of energy and lust for the field you add assembly programming such as MIPS into your forte of knowledge.
Those languages is what will get someone hired, but knowing these will not be the only factor, one needs experince. I have an intern that worked on a vb project that was used by over 10,000 users, tied into a db of over 62 gigs and over 4 million documents. If you can say you help support and develop a project while interning, that is a huge plus and a screaming point to the future employers that says "Hey i know stuff and I KNOW HOW TO APPLY WHAT I KNOW!!!"
[Edited by billrogers on 06-02-2000 at 11:53 AM]
It will take EXACTLY 170 days to master Visual Basic!
hmmmmmmmmmmm, Bill, I never did it that way ( and I doubt you did either)
I started in computer hardware, then went to sysAdmin. If it's on thing I learned it's this.
Get a job in the industry first, (even tech support to a service provider if you're young) If you show the skils (to program) the company will usually use them, although not straight away. Then you can take you're next job a year or so later in a more specialised role.
That's not that much patience.
There's 14 year olds expecting to be programming's elite by 18... it take more than that. I'm not old but at 28 I can see what you're employer sees if you're only 18-24.
There's always jobs for those who know how to get them. Follow you're nose!
rather than sit around thinking what to do, get a vaguely connected job and think then, at least you're moving
It all depends on what you all ready know. I have been learning programming skills since A-Level(17 years old). I am now 21 so i have been doing it 4.5 years. 2 years A-level, 2 years Uni, and 6 month on placement.
Though you can teach yourself, and i have been doing a lot of that, the theory you get taught at Uni is invaluable. They teach you about data structures, sorting algortithms, program design, etc. Basically all the things it is hard to teach yourself.
Personally i have no idea on API. Never had to use it. Graphics, i can draw you a box.
I have had no need to use these while working. A lot of people want to go into games programming, i used to, but have since discovered the real money is in applications.
This is why i have no idea on graphics programing, or the API. Want an algorithim though, and i'm your man. This is becuase all i have learnt at Uni. Once you have written an algorithim for insertion, deletion and traversing a balanced tree of sort order 3, then you can write an algorithim for anything.
All in all, it did not take me long to get good at VB. Well i had no choice, i am having to work to deadlines, also i am coding VB 9hours a day at work.
P.s. I'm from Australia originally and i drink Fosters. ;)
from my experience, it's easy to get a job programming vb, but to get a decent one - that's a different story!!
i started with my employers less than 12 months ago as a technical support bod, and moved on from there. i first looked at VB in january 1999, while in college.
i'll freely admit that i'm far from being a great programmer, i started off with jsut a pretty detailed knowledge of DAO, and that's obsolete now, so i've had to learn ADO.
if you look at these forums regularly, you'll see lots more questions than answers from me, but i'm learning a hell of a lot every day. I think that's a good thing, that there are lots of experienced programmers out there willing to help people like me who are just getting started in the industry.
Paul I learned the languages in the following order
C
C++
MIPS/RISC (Assembly Programming)
Java
Jscript
VB
VBscript
OpenGL
In there I also learned sql, as for job experince I had internships every summer during college, and worked parttime as a programmer during the school years.
Know has far as my vb skills go, they are probably the weakest of my forte, as my question asking probably shows. :D Were as my C/C++/Java are my strong point.
It took me about 6 months to really get to know VB. I practiced for about 5-7 hours a week, then started inceasing as time went on.
But these last few months, i've really decreased to 1-1/2 a week. Sometimes not at all.
Ok let me clear something....i dont claim to be expert...i did say i was a beginner...if you got the usumption from me that i thought myself as a pro well i didnt say no such thing.
I was just being curious that's all.........
VB.. the syntax is very easy to pick up, If you have done programming in other languages, it is cake to learn. Getting it to do what you want it do to is a different issue. :) A lot of people say VB sucks, I use to be one, but when you sit down and learn how much power it has, it's pretty sweet. Anyways... As long as you understand the fundementals of programming languages in general and how a computer physically works, picking up a new language is cake.
so, I guess what I'm really trying to say is learn the basics and everything else will be much easier.
I am currently a CS major, this is the order I learned in c/c++, asm, VB(at work), Java.
I found it extremely helpful to write CPU emulators in C/C++ to really understand how the physical computer works.
Anyways... I don't think I even addressed your question. :)
If you had to ask...
the answer is TOO LONG
I'm 19 and i'm thinking of making money on a software by my own, the only problem is that i know nothing about how to do that. I have a seven year experience in pure basic (gw,qb,vb1,3,5) and i've just seen my knowledge double in these month i got here (ok, that was a exaggeration, but i could say i learned a 1 year experience in 3 month) This is really a great site, for everyone between newbie and vb god!
But anyway, I have a great project going on, i'm 100% sure people will pay for it and that it will be popular, but i know nothing on how to sell it. Ie, what about copyright stuff? How do i get my app patented? more... help needed!
Here's stuff i do: Gamedevelopment, graphics (bitblt & ddraw), API & shellreplacement, algoritms & math & 3d & physics, files, trojans,ActiveX ocx, registry, etc...
stuff i don't do: db and internet apps
stuff i'm doing now: ActiveX dll's, vbscript
And also, people who say VB sucks, don't know what it is.
I'll let you know when I get there...
Just take in account that 90% of VB jobs on the market are database related. So, knowing only VB is not enough. It has to be a combination of VB and any of the DBMS like SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase etc.
Even though I have about 6 years of VB experience (and I think I'm pretty good at it), I don't know everything in it.
Besides, every new VB version has tons of new features that we (programmers) have to pick up. So, take your time, fasten your sit belt and take a long ride into the wonderful world of VB (hehe, sounds ironic).
I'll let you on a little secret, a lot of stuff that I've never knew, came from this bulletin board, because people are asking qestions and I'm just really anxious to find the anwer (for my own knowledge), so I start digging little more and usually find the answer pretty fast.
And this is the best way to learn, because at work, like I'm (or at school like most of you are) there's no way to work with every possible aspect of VB, but here people are asking questions, that are really different from what you've ever worked with and that what makes VB programming intersting.........CHALENGE
Best regards,