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Strengths/Capabilities Various Languages

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We are converting from an IBM Midrange AS/400 (using DB2, OS/400, RPG/ILE) platform to a MS SQL 2000 server based ERP software. What language training do my programmers need? What training does my network admin need? Do Visual Basic, C++, and Java all do the same thing? Do they need to know all of them? or?

The primary need will be for developing programs accessing the vendor supplied files and developing supplemental applications - limited web interface.

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by alterego2

Its a bit of an open question!!

Basically :

C++ and Java are true Object Orientated (OO) languages.
Visual Basic 6 started to go down the OO route and Microsoft fully went down this route with the VB.NET and .NET framework.

You can programin VB.NET in a number if languages (C#) for example and there is plenty of off the shelf support.

It really depends on how much experience they have as C++ and Java will have a steep learning curve..

VB.NET will lend itself to RAD and gives more flexibility in the type of language you choose to program with (ie.Visual Basic, C#, C++) It has an excellent integrated development environment.

by jfreeman56

Do I hear you recommending that we learn Visual Basic first, before moving on to VB.NET then?

by haris

MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) track provides the required training for administering windows server. Depending on your configuarations and installations you can choose IIS & Windows Active Directory Training. If you use windows authentication in ms sql server, using an active directory might be more easy. Your administrator should be able to manage the PDC (Primary Domain Controller)& Active Directory. Most of these are covered in the MCSE track.

Your programmers must know SQL,creating Views and Triggers. You should then choose a language to use for your ERP. Since you only have a limited interface with the web it might be desirable to select visual basic as the programming language because of its easy to pick up comparedto C++. The learning curve involved in C++ is more than in visual basic. Besides ERP solution might not require writing any device dependent code or hardware interaction. ERP will mostly be concerened with the data-warehouse and visual basic and SQL(structured query language) will suffice for your solution.

For the part of your solution that interacts with the internet/web you can use Java or ASP (Active Server Pages). ASP and ASP.Net are the solutions from Microsoft and are fairly simple to use. Since you have shifted to microsoft servers and solutions, these should be your preference for writing code for the web.

Java is for the web and is used where you need to write machne independent code.

Not all of your team members need to know each of these languages. You need to define roles and responsibilites amoung your team members and depending upon the role assigned that resource should be trained that paticular skill. For example you might need only one systemadministrator who should work on the MCSE track and will manage your servers.

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