Software development is a very passionate field. Every day new challenges, new objectives appear and there are always new areas where you can try out, learn or improve something. It´s a constantly developing environment that offers endless possibilities. I dedicate myself to this world every day and I can see that inside a great debate is opening up. You can find people in universities, in jobs, in social networks and forums ardent for technology and for a single programming language. They love their language, they like to work with it and they stick to it. They don´t understand that others use languages different from their own which they regard as the best programming language.
Like me, they are filled with enthusiasm for their development jobs, they feel happy and excited every day they work.
“Doing what you like and at the same time being paid for it.”
The same thing that is happening to the programming languages, takes place when it comes to topics like religion or politics. Often discussions evolve which language is better and which one is worse.
Often people ask me:
- “Which is the best programming language in your opinion?”
- “Which language would you recommend?”
- “Honestly I can´t decide between Java, PHP and C#. Which one is best?”
Having analyzed and internalized the question, I finally came to the conclusion that none is better or worse. They are all tools giving us possibilities for offering different technological solutions. Each language has its advantages and disadvantages depending on how we use them, on the project and on the solution we have to give our clients.
These languages offer a variety of different solutions.
- Some are perfect for the web, others for mobile phones.
- Some facilitate the integration with other platforms.
- Some are cheaper and others bear higher costs.
In the end everything will be dependent on how we can offer the best solution to our client. This is always our most important goal.
Principally software development is construction work. When the client wants a house made of wood, the professional needs tools to build it, which assure the best construction. For example, he will need a spade to dig and a hammer. What I want to say is that this instruments will help him to be more efficient in different areas and each one fulfills its own function. None is better or worse.
Think of technologies. They change very quickly and constantly while they are always trying to facilitate the human existence.
A few years ago technologies like COBOL, DELPHI, FORTRAN or VB6 were requested a lot, but today they aren´t. But why?
“Circumstances and environments change and those who don´t adapt, disappear.”
Another interesting case which occurred not long ago, was a technology called Flash. It was an absolute boom. Flash made the websites more dynamic and fostered interaction with the users. Every time we thought of dynamism and user interface, Flash came to our minds. However today we see that its usage is declining and it will be old-fashioned even before new frameworks for Javascript arrive and HTML5 or CSS3 are implemented.
What I would recommend:
- Learn different technologies: Find out which advantages every single of them offers and how they can help you to develop a project for your clients. The possibilities are endless.
- Have different suggestions to solve the same problem: There is not only one perfect solution. Always be positive about presenting the solution to the client.
- Never stop learning and always try to be informed: Read news about technology and never block your path. You have to be ready to learn and renew your knowledge every single day.
- Adapt yourself to changes: Don´t stand by what you already have. Keep in mind that you have to adapt yourself and to take it positively. Learning something new will help you to move forward and it can be a door opener as well.
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