Well it has been a steep learning curve of languages and syntax of the last two years since I started at NewLook. I came in with only HTML and what I thought was a reasonable knowledge of VB script in the form of classic ASP. Since then it's been Web and Windows programming in VB.Net and last year a move to C#. So what next?

Well, our team are aware that there is a plan in the company to have a new team of Java developers employed in the not too distant future. So I guess at some point it will be prudent to get a bit of back ground knowledge of this Java stuff.

Now I get a bit scared when thinking about learning another new programming language, incase it dilutes what little knowledge I have of my other languages. But I guess in reality, apart from forgetting not to put a semi-colon here and a curly brace there for the first 10 minutes of reworking an old project in another language, there is probably no disadvantage other than the time to learn the new syntax or new IDE to write it in. Infact from reading other developers blogs it appears it can help to improve your programming prowess in your original languages by exposing you to different architectures and ways of going about tackling problems.

What better way to give it a go than a need arising from an actual project! Seeing as we use a few Oracle products it seemed logical to find the JDeveloper set up file on the network and install and use that. I always find it disconcerting the way that you just unzip the files and flop them in a folder and create a shortcut to your start menu, if you feel like it. There is something to be said for MSI installer packages; if they complete without failure, you at least you have some confidence that the app will run! But run it did, and apart from having to point a setting to the folder that contained what I assume was the compiler, it was all good.

To be continued...