PHP Vs. .NET languages

mikawhat

While searching for a job i've noticed that the companies looking for .NET developers are much more than those looking for PHP developers.

Also, many people say that the future belongs to .NET languages.

So i was wondering; is .NET languages more powerful than PHP? And most important, should i keep learning PHP or start learning immediately a .NET language?

NogDog

The more languages you know, the more marketable you will be. Probably the most in-demand languages are Java and then C++/C#. But just learning languages is not enough to get the best jobs: you also need a solid foundation in programming principles, databases, system design, testing methodologies, etc.

As to whether .NET is "better" than PHP, to some extent that probably depends on what you want to use them for. But probably the biggest edge .NET has is that it has the marketing power of a multi-billion-dollar corporation behind it while PHP is mostly "word of mouth" advertising.

mikawhat

NogDog wrote:
But just learning languages is not enough to get the best jobs: you also need a solid foundation in programming principles, databases, system design, testing methodologies, etc.

Is there a book that will help you learn all these?

Weedpacket

That's like asking if there is a book to help you learn all about civil engineering, or cardiothoracic surgery.

piersk

Weedpacket wrote:
That's like asking if there is a book to help you learn all about civil engineering, or cardiothoracic surgery.

There isn't? :bemused:

Weedpacket

Well, there's The Art of Computer Programming, of course, but it's not finished yet (only three of the five volumes have been published in the past forty years). But being only five volumes it skimps on a lot of stuff - db design is only mentioned, not explored; architecture doesn't get a look-in; I don't recall seeing anything about networking; and almost no programming languages at all are detailed. Still, it's not a waste of time to read through.

NogDog

As my area of expertise is testing, I'd recommend Testing Computer Software by Kaner, Falk & Nguyen (ISBN: 0471358460) as a practical guide.

Weedpacket

I've got my old copy of ... here it is... Introduction to Algorithms by Cormen, Leiserson & Rivest; (my edition 0-262-03141-8). I just wish I could find that bookshop again. I've only ever seen it that once....