Server side with C++, Java or .NET

[toolman]

Anybody know which way a poor lad might want to wander if he had an eye on the web service horizon?

So far I've looked at the possibilities with Java and JSP; I've downloaded KYLIX (C++, all I can do is look at it ) and it looks promising ( I guess); and I've noticed there's a .NET thing that I've not paid much attention to because, well, you know why.

I'm open to whatever will be here for the long haul and I don't want to expend great quantities of grey matter and end up in 3 years with a dud language. What would you do at this point in time ...Java, .NET or C++/#

[tilt]

Of course this is an impossible question to answer, but...
People have been using java and jsp for several years now. It has a head start. .Net is new. That means if you need to hire a contractor you're likely to find someone with jsp experience. This kind of depends on your locale, too. In silicon valley, java is very popular and there's a good base of experience here.

It also depends on the business. Java has been used for financial applications and Wall Street type businesses for a while.

I suspect you'll start to see .net making inroads in places where Visual Basic is currently popular. Anybody who currently does VB, ASP and COM will soon be doing .net and C#.

Bottom line: if you can solve somebody's problem by implementing a web service of some sort, they're not going to care how you do it or what language you use. Start top-down. Figure out what a web service is. Figure out what kinds of problems it solves. Then worry about how to implement it.

[wardbekker]

learing Java/JSP, C++ or ASP.net (C# or Visual basic) is never a waste of time. In three years from now they will still be in use, 5 years too, only not they way they are used now. Thing change, evolve.

Evolve too, and you will be always up-to-date ;-) Just start somewhere, that's the most important thing.

[toolman]

Like Nike.

Just Do it.

Thanks guys. I think I'll pick up Java and run with it.

If you were to start all over again with Java knowing what you know now...where would you start?

[MaliciousDan]

Same place I started the first time, the java tutorial on sun's site. If Java is the first programming langauge you have learned you might want to start with a Java for dummies style book instead since that will probably cover the basics a bit better.

The Java Tutorial [java.sun.com]