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Hey folks.

I am trained with a masters and bachelors in Electrical Engineering, but moved on to an alternative career. I am looking for a language that I can use to manage a database, like 40k list building on a desktop, program simple mobile phone apps, and maybe tinker with robotics if I get the time.

In the past I've used:
- Fortran 77 - Engineering and mathematics
- C++ - Mathematics and Neural Networks
- Assembly - Robotics (old motorola micro controllers)

Keep in mind that this will be a HOBBY prospect for me only. Not a money maker.... I was thinking maybe going back to C but it seems JAVA is the cool kid now... do you folks have any recommendations?

I was never really good at C mind you. I got to where I could access other files. Read them and modify them... close them and save them. That was pretty advanced for me. NEVER did any graphics or anything like that... other than maybe buttons and check boxes.

I'm basically starting from scratch. Any suggestions will be considered and researched.

Thanks,
DrG

C# or Java are in the most demand. SQL is another good language to learn.

What Breotan posted, as well as Python. Pyhton is a natural fit with your C++ as well as it would fit the hobby aspect your noted. Works great with RaspberryPi.

Hello, similar career background. Graduated EE, started off coding firmware (C/C++) for electrical test equipment . Now in a multi-hat position with various language, mostly C#/.NET, embedded C++ and the occasional SQL and misc scripting languages.

I am looking for a language that I can use to manage a database, like 40k list building on a desktop, program simple mobile phone apps, and maybe tinker with robotics if I get the time

So you're not really gonna get a single language that will do everything you want. Suggest thinking about which project you really want to pursue first and select your language for that. Then pick up the rest as you go.

For database (DB) work, it's pretty much SQL. It's a popular secondary language even for non-DB devs. I would look into MySQL since it's an open source platform aka free. For a hobby project, like a desktop army builder with a user interface you're going to need to learn at least two. Probably C#, assuming windows environment, for the GUI and handling requests to the DB and SQL itself for the queries. I would not use C/C++ to write anything with a GUI unless I had to. C# is just flat out better for it since it handles so much of the mind numbing minutiae.

Phone app, depends which OS. Java for android, Swift for iOS. You can write android in C/C++/C#, I would not recommend that. This is not really my area, since I don't do mobile development.

Robotics, probably C/C++. That's the preferred choice for embedded systems, specifically micro controllers. Quick way into that is buying a cheap hobby board like an Arduino and doing some home automation/tinkering. Alternatively a lot of smart home appliances are controllable through web service APIs, so if you're interested in automating that kind of stuff there's .NET, Java and HTTP.

Here's a free training site that I'd recommend: https://www.codeschool.com/

It doesn't matter which language you study. The important thing is to study the logic that underpins different types of languages. If you understand the logic of object orientation in C++, it will enable you easily to swap to Java or another OO language.

If you did any programming when doing engineering you may already know this, but the first thing to do it understand how to properly structure code. I'm sick to death of "developers" messing with code and hacking poorly written stuff together with no idea what they are actually doing.

Thanks everyone. Solid advice. I think I will look into JAVA first. It seems I need an editor that people use? Also it seems that JAVA9 is coming soon but no significant changes to structure. I am just feeling a little left behind, even though I will never ever ever HAVE to program again. I enjoyed the algorithms of programs and neural nets. Forgotten all that I once new... so I am off to explore "Hello World."

С++ for making any program by yourself
JAVA if you want to get a job and good salary
C# for game programming

 Steve steveson wrote:
If you did any programming when doing engineering you may already know this, but the first thing to do it understand how to properly structure code. I'm sick to death of "developers" messing with code and hacking poorly written stuff together with no idea what they are actually doing.

Exactly. Pseudocode first, then you can put those skills into whatever language you need to use.

If you want to be able to program mobile phone apps, I think Java will be the most practical choice.

 avantgarde wrote:
Robotics, probably C/C++. That's the preferred choice for embedded systems, specifically micro controllers. Quick way into that is buying a cheap hobby board like an Arduino and doing some home automation/tinkering.

This. Embedded systems means C. And, specifically, the sort of C programming specific to hardware control (as opposed to pretty GUIs for applications or whatever).

Also, I'll confirm what has been said about designing the structure of the program before you write a single word of code. This is especially critical when you're trying to control hardware, you need to carefully document where your inputs and outputs are, how the physical system is going to react, when you need to process certain things, etc. Start with the small building blocks like "this function turns the motor on", and build up your structure from there.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 doktor_g wrote:
It seems I need an editor that people use?

Depends on the situation. If you're doing robotics kind of stuff the choice is going to be made for you by the hardware you're using. Each processor is going to have its own editor that contains the assorted drivers required to communicate between the microcontroller and your PC. You may have a choice between editors, but when you buy the hardware it will tell you what to use (and probably come with the software included).

This one definitely

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ygN8H3kI1qE

As an ex-ScrumMaster I would advise you to study some development methodologies as well as languages. Lean/Agile programming is becoming more and more popular and the concepts are spreading into more business areas.

Where I work now (the previously fuddy-duddy Oxford University Press) we've got a conscious effort from the top of the organisation down to bring agile thinking into all areas of the organisation, not just software development.

Is agile development (or equivalent methodologies) really something that is relevant for programming done as a hobby and likely with doktor_g being the only person working on the code, or maybe with just a few others? Isn't that more something that is relevant for bigger teams and stricter goals/deadlines?

 Kilkrazy wrote:

Where I work now (the previously fuddy-duddy Oxford University Press) we've got a conscious effort from the top of the organisation down to bring agile thinking into all areas of the organisation, not just software development.

Slight tangent, but do you know if this is part of the lean drive that was started up in Kettering a few years back (5ish years ago. I forget exactly, but I know it was just before I left), and is this linked to sending everyone in OUP IT to do ITIL foundation?