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Computer Science and Real World Programming


Question

For those of you who don't know, I'm a sophomore in college studying computer science. I also do a ton of self-teaching and researching on .NET and programming in general in my own free time. Apparently, throughout my entire college career, I'm not going to learn a single thing about Windows programming (let alone anything about .NET or even java). The entire CS department teaches old school C++ and nothing else. I'd like to ask those of you who are professionals in this field just a few things about my future.

For starters, why am I learning console programming and not Windows programming? :blink: As far as I'm concerned, DOS is dead, it's been dead for about 8-10 years, and I see no reason not to immediately delve into event-driven programming and Win32. Sure, a few solutions will always call for the traditional command line app, but generally, everyone who is anyone in the software industry programs for Windows. Just when in the next 5 years do my college advisors expect me to learn Windows programming if not on my own? :huh:

I've read how Windows programming was first done with C in 1985 (or so) and then later in C++ (early 1990s). I just can't help but assuming that with Microsoft's forthcoming efforts that C#/.NET will become the next language of choice for Windows programming. Now I understand the value in learning C++ and I don't have a problem with it. But I don't want to do everything in C++ and then maybe read over a few examples in C# or java - no, I want to learn the fundamentals of programming and use primarily .NET (and once in a while C/C++ for some hardcore low-level programming).

Last semester (my second semester in college) I showed my CS teacher some C# code and explained to her how everything is an object in .NET. She quickly put it off as overly complex and too difficult for beginners. I, however, see the value in object-oriented programming and I've made several projects of my own in my free time that are fully object-oriented. Now, I know C++ (to an extent), but to be honest, I would have never completed these projects (being the size they are) without .NET simply because C++ is too procedural. I'm not saying they couldn't be done, just that I don't have enough experience with C++ to have finished them.

I really feel like putting together some sort of presentation and going to the department chair and asking him just when my school plans on teaching me event-driven programming, object-oriented programming, .NET/java, network programming (TCP/IP), COM/COM+ programming, linux programming, assembly, or any number of other things that would actually be useful to me after I graduate... :hmmm:

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Object oriantation is way over-hyped aswell. If you find it easier, great, but it does not offer the huge time saving boosts that it was meant to. Memory management does that.

I personally think people who think "Object oriantation is way over-hyped", "Complex" and "does not offer the huge time saving boosts " dont actually understand OO concepts and practical application. Because of OO we have RAD environments and I can build an app with hardly any coding by myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OO saves time, money and coding - why re-invent the wheel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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As people have said, at uni you learn the concepts/base, it is in the real world where you learn a language and apply the concepts. with out a good base you wont be able to be able to use different langauges.

Learning bottom up is the way to go in terms of getting a CS degree. if everyone learned from the top, programs would be dodgy ass and be difficult/impossible to maintain.

well that what i think anyway

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