Course
Advice
Programming Courses
I've been programming for years. Do I need to take Introduction to Programming Concepts as a prerequisite for other programming courses? Introduction to Programming Concepts is the prerequisite for our introductory programming courses in C#, Java, Visual Basic, and Perl. However, if you already have programming experience and understand such programming constructs and terminology as input statements, if statements (conditionals), and loops, you may not need to take the Introduction to Programming Concepts class. We recommend you read the course description for the class. If you feel comfortable with the topics listed, you can proceed directly to the introductory language classes.
If you're an experienced programmer interested in beginning a new language, you may also want to look through our course topics and prerequisites to determine which level is right for you. For example, if you want to learn Java but have previous experience with a C-style language (like C or C++) as well as an understanding of object-oriented concepts, you may consider skipping Introduction to Java Programming and beginning the series with the intermediate course.
We are also offering a course in object-oriented development for students who have previous experience with or exposure to a procedural programming language, such as C or COBOL. Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming Concepts introduces the terminology, notation, and development skills that procedural programmers will need to transition to object-oriented programming. This course is also suitable for managers who want to learn more about object-oriented concepts and terminology. (Note that this course requires programming experience or an understanding of procedural programming. It is not an alternative to Introduction to Programming Concepts.)
What language should I learn? We currently offer courses in Java, Perl, Visual C++, Visual C#, and Visual Basic. The language you choose will depend on your programming needs. For example, Visual Basic is primarily used for developing user interfaces for databases in a client-server environment and for smaller application programming.
Many programmers find that languages like Java are more difficult to learn than VB and C#, where you can program using a fully-developed graphical user interface. Java and Perl, on the other hand, require quite a bit more manual coding.
How similar are Visual Basic 6, Visual Basic .NET, and Visual Basic 2005? If I know VB
6, should I take the .NET/2005 courses? Although Visual Basic 2005 does not include the term ".NET" in its name, it still uses the .NET Framework (version 2.0). Visual Basic .NET 2002, Visual Basic .NET 2003, and Visual Basic 2005 are substantially the same for the features covered in our introductory and intermediate classes. Students using Visual Basic .NET 2002 or 2003 will still benefit from these courses.
Microsoft has made some noteworthy changes to the data access features in Visual Basic 2005. Many of the tools and objects covered in our Data Access class apply only to this version.
Visual Basic 6 is significantly different from Visual Basic .NET and Visual Basic 2005. Although the .NET/2005 courses will introduce new features that are available only with the .NET Framework, they also may be repetitive for someone who is an experienced Visual Basic user. If you have experience with Visual Basic 6, we recommend that you read through the course descriptions to see where in the sequence your experience might fit.
How are Java and JavaServer Pages (JSP) related? How do I know which course I should take? Our Introduction, Intermediate, and Advanced Java Programming courses introduce the Java programming language and teach you how to use Java for application development. The introductory course teaches basic programming concepts using Java syntax and introduces the Java class library. The intermediate course focuses primarily on object-oriented concepts in Java. Finally, in Advanced Java Programming, you will learn to create Windows (graphical user interface) applications that incorporate components of Swing and the Abstract Windowing Toolkit. Note that these courses do not cover Java Applets, used in Web development.
You can use JavaServer Pages (JSP) to develop platform-independent Web-based applications and dynamic Web pages. Note that our Introduction to JavaServer Pages course requires Intermediate Java Programming or Intermediate C++ Programming, as well as Introduction to HTML.
For more information, call Paul Westermann at (314) 984-9000.
