What type of applications are you working on in the real world?

[voidflux]

Thanks CPUWizard!

I'll take that into account.

[Axter]

95% of all my coding is in C++ or C.

I do service and driver development, and all the driver code is in C, while the service applications are all in C++.

In my company, Java is only used with code that has a GUI interface, and that needs to be used in multiple platforms.
Most of the remaining applications are coded in C++.
I've worked in 5 major companies in the pass, and all five companies have done the majority of coding in C++.
I rarely see any coding done in C#

[Zaccheus]

so how do you guys learn these new languages?

I spend a lot of time playing around with them at home, hence my hobby projects. I can use that experience at work.

Like when do you know it enough that you can just put it on your resume?

I think you have to break it down into levels of experience.
1) Have used it.
2) Confident using it.
3) Experienced using it.

For (1) I would want to have at least one successful deployment (at work level, not hobby level).
For (2) I would go with TheCPUWizard's 1000-2000 hours, i.e. over half a year of day to day usage.
For (3) I'd want a few years .

[ltcmelo]

Hi voidflux.

Like when do you know it enough that you can just put it on your resume?

You don't need to put on your resume only things in which you're an expert. You could describe your level of expertise in some programming languages (or technology in general) as "intermediate" or "beginer". However, depending on the resume, if a you're a "beginer" it might not be worth to put it on. I like Zaccheus levels of experience description.

I'm a very self motivated person and I love to learn new things but if you don't official take a course on it, and you self teach yourself from a book and doing small applications here and there when do you actually say, Yes I can do this in c# or java or vb.net.

The first important thing is that taking a course doesn't really tell whether or not you're good at something. Yes, it usually helps, but it's not a guarantee. I really like the "teach yourself" methodology and later take a course (if you need or if couldn't make it on your own). When you start working with some technology (and it doesn't need to be in a company, it might be a personal project) you'll have a "feeling" about how good you are.

Because over the summer while working for them I am going to have a ton a free time on my hands, so I might as well pick up a new language while i'm at it.

I would go for Java. Although C# is also a good option, I believe that Java has a larger market piece today (at least in Brazil, where I live).

[TheCPUWizard]

I really like the "teach yourself" methodology

As to I, but there are risks, especially for beginners. A person may figure out "some way" to accomplish a goal, that appears to work, but really has serious negative consequences that are not readily visible.

This can easily lead to very bad habits, that can be nearly impossible to break.

If at all possible, get in contact with some type of Mentor.

[voidflux]

Thanks guys, all great advice.

When I get back from the co-op my schduel is going to be packed If I'm going to graduate semi close to time, (I should be graduating this semester actually :P ) but I still have about 1.5 years left.

I was thinking it would be more beneficial to take classes such as computer graphics/A.I. and not mix it with Java because Java may be easy for me to learn, but any type of programming project will consume a lot of time and take it away from my 400 level courses.

I found this out this semester, I retook C++ (data structures) to refresh my memory, I have a 102% in the class but I find myself spending more time on that class than any of my higher level courses which isn't good becuase my 400 level class such as Computer Architecture I'm not doing too great.

If at all possible, get in contact with some type of Mentor.

My mentor actually told me not to take the java class and to just graduate and get it over with I wasn't sure if that was good advice or not. Because they just recently changed the curriculum at penn state to offer 2 courses in C++, 1 in java, 1 in C, then upper level courses.

But because I should be graduating this semester I am only required 2 course in C++ and upper level courses. I almost feel ripped off though thats why I wanted to take the java course.

Its odd how it works, the upper level courses assume you know C for instance for the operating system class and yet they never offered a course in C. They also assume you know java and yet they never offered a course in Java until now. A student brought this up and the professor just said well learn the language as well as do the projects. So I guess they are re-enforcing self teaching but I do agree, you can devlop bad coding habbits from it. But after taking this C++ course, it seems the professor is who was enforcing bad coding habbits.

But as a career when I graduate I don't want to end up programming device drivers/asm/C/VHDL/Verilog. I hate low level programming it bores me, OO design and abstraction I really enjoy so it looks like I should move towards Java/C#/.net so I can make sure I end up doing application devlopment and not low level programming.

[TheCPUWizard]

But after taking this C++ course, it seems the professor is who was enforcing bad coding habbits.

Alas this is often too true.

That is why I recommended getting a Mentor, rather than talking to the faculty. [Although there re professors who have som real world experience, and know how things actually happen in the real world]