About to start a Comp Sci MSc - should I choose C++ or Java?

[Cort Haus]

I've spent most of the last decade specialising in SQL data migrations & interfaces, and have recently been made redundant. I got a good payoff, including money towards the cost of a course, and decided to do a full-time MSc for a year to upgrade my rusty old qualifications.

I have done plenty of software development in various environments over the last 30-odd years, but nothing in widely-used contemporary languages, and I want to get back into development.

I have a number of offers for variously flavoured Comp Sci MSc courses but perhaps the key decision is whether to specialise in C++ or Java? It's an either-or decision.

I gather that C++ is the better language, but is there a wide demand for it outside of finance? There's great money in The City but I'm not sure that finance is my cup of tea. Doesn't Java have the whole smart-phone thing going for it, as well as a wider market in eBusiness?

[Kuciwalker]

I don't understand. You can get a degree in a language?

[Cort Haus]

No, different courses specialise in different languages.

[Hauldren Collider]

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[Hauldren Collider]

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[Kuciwalker]

Shut up.

[Main_Brain]

Java can destroy families :/

[Cort Haus]

HC, you are an utterly despicable individual. A repulsive, snotty, arrogant, charmless little slimeball of a child who, unlike some of us, has never done a days work, never achieved anything, never delivered anything of value to anyone.

Ok, so I'm not up-to-speed about a few things, so ****ing what you vile little *****?

The fact is, I've been delivering real-world business solutions in IT since before you were born. I'm asking a perfectly simple question, hoping for some serious feedback from people who aren't odious, spoilt little rich kids who deserve to be impaled upon a large rusty spike.

****ing hell this place has gone downhill.

[Snotty]

Shut up.

HC, Its not cool to get on someones case when they are asking for advice or information. There is a time and a place for slagging matchs, and this isnt it. A little manners goes a long way

[Cort Haus]

To clarify - I was actually referring to jobs in London which, of course, are heavily influenced by the main industry here - finance. I'm aware that it can be used for anything but I think some of the software houses developing stuff are out-of-town.

The sort of civil feedback I was looking for might include examples of software which has switched to browser-based versions recently, and what the future is likely to be for both languages. I suppose the stupidest thing I did was to ask a question here and expect anything but abuse from some the repulsive ********* that make this place a complete waste of time these days.

To clarify something else, I am looking at courses that cover development to a Software Engineering level - in either C++ or Java. Yes, I can learn the other in my own time, or even Swahili if I want to, but I won't have it as a formal part of the qualification.

[Kuciwalker]

Re: OP, my impression is that Java is more prominent in the general "enterprise server application" territory. I wouldn't be surprised to be wrong, though.

The stuff I do at my office is all Apache/Tomcat/MySQL.

[onodera]

If you're familiar with SQL, I think Java is a better choice. C++ is a more down-to-the-metal language, while Java and SQL are both more abstracted. Also, there're tons of Java programs being written for the enterprise, just not the ones that do ultra-heavy number crunching. If you mix Java with your SQL experience you could be the guy that fixes performance bottlenecks created by retarded use of ORM.

[Asher]

I'm mostly a C++ developer but I've been coding in it for about 12 years. For someone learning now, I'd recommend Java instead. C++ is falling out of use, Java will still be quite popular for many years in the enterprise space.

C++ positions tend to be more challenging but pay better, for now. But this is mostly because there are few entry level C++ dev jobs, it's mostly an older maintenance language at this point.

[Hauldren Collider]

I'm mostly a C++ developer but I've been coding in it for about 12 years. For someone learning now, I'd recommend Java instead. C++ is falling out of use, Java will still be quite popular for many years in the enterprise space.

C++ positions tend to be more challenging but pay better, for now. But this is mostly because there are few entry level C++ dev jobs, it's mostly an older maintenance language at this point.

Really? I was under the impression that most video games for instance were still done in C++.

What could replace it?

[Kuciwalker]

We're not talking about the desktop.