I thought I would chuck this out there for some advice. I am a programmer from a few years back writing code primarily in Powerbuilder and before that in Visual Basic. I am now approaching 50 (next year) and thought about getting back into the Powerbuilder world but I don't think there are any recruiters that would touch me due to my age. So I am looking for a new language to learn that could possibly land me some work in the future. What would you guys recommend, .NET, PHP or some other language? I tried C, C++ and Java many moons ago but was spoiled by the ease and "simplicity" of the Powerbuilder 4GL environment. I understand the principles of OOP and programming practices, application design and flow, application specs etc etc and own many books on the design principles of software. I also understand the design principles of databases, SQL constructs etc having used and defined database and DB servers from Sybase, Oracle, DB2 and MS SQL Server. I would much rather work from "home" via the internet due to me being a stay at home Dad looking after our young kids. Currently I just manage my websites and take in a little money from subscriptions and advertising. I need something to stimulate my mind like it was in the days of nutting out how to code that requirement to meet and exceed the specs Cheers
I can only comment from my own experience. At the end of the day it's your choice, but I hope my little contribution will inspire you to make a better decision... I've been programming for 25 years and have seen many changes in that time. I've been programming online for around 8 or 9 years starting with classic ASP. Personally I don't like Micro$oft and had the opportunity to move into PHP. This was a MAJOR turning point for me. It didn't take long to learn and there is so much help out there. I've since gone self employed and am loving every minute of it. As you've already looked at C++ and Java, I don't think you will have any problems with PHP. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
You can get easy SOHO jobs for PHP, Javascript/AJAX. PHP and Javascript are typeless, pretty simple and easy to learn, both have an option for OOP. If you want some stimulation, i would rather suggest to do something with java.
if its OOP your looking for then .NET is a good one to go for if I am honest - its widely used. also look at silverlight, jquery etc, this is all focusing on web development
Thanks guys, I'll look into those options. I did a search for Powerbuilder jobs on Seek (our local version) and there is a grand total of 3 jobs in Sydney and 9 in Australia. Bit if a sad state of affairs and sort of set in stone that it is not a good idea to return to my old haunts!