Is mainframe programming a good career? Will it wither away in the ever changing computing world?or will stay?
957410
Actually mainframes are coming back after being downsized (no pun). The older room size mainframe is gone, however the more and more big firms are returning to the mainframe theory, better sucrity, central location, custom software.  Check out the last item from IBM web page,, CNN recently did a write up on the mainframe. It is now a smaller supercomputer. \nTrick is in the older days there where a half dozen languages on mainframes, some very privately written code. Most airlines wrote their own code. So what mainframe language do you want to learn?  Go to IBM.com, or Unisys.com and read up. Or just type in mainframes in google. \n    There will be an expanding market in progrmming for mainframes, however how large will the market be??\n    Two things to learn before worring about a course in mainframes, learn C++ and learn Unix / linux as they both will help you to jump onto another programming language. \n\n p.s the room behind me used to have bus and tag cables with a halon system in the roof, now it runs hundreds of servers. I bet in the near future mini's (AS400) types will be in there.\n\nCarl
948226
With the current hardware technology about to reach its outer limits of physics will the next revolution be in streamlining software? \n\nI have worked in technology since the ‘60’s. In the 60’s it was not uncommon for a major company to run its payroll programs on machines with as little as 16 kilobytes of main memory. I know that the missions to the moon were calculated on computers with one megabyte of main memory or less. Today we are looking at machines with 4-8 gigabytes of memory and it takes 5-minutes just to boot up a PC. It looks like there is plenty of room to improve operating systems and applications.\n\nGranted today’s computers have slicker user interfaces and are easier to use by the general public, but they have become very inefficient users of software. The object code era has allowed really poor coding to become imbedded in most of today’s applications. \n\nOnce the hardware reaches the point where adding processors adds zero throughput won’t it be time to take a look at the sloppy code written over the past twenty-five to thirty years? Isn’t there room for a revolution in software redevelopment?
972753
Planning on relocating to India are we?\n\nSeriously, the boom-boom IT days are pretty much over.  A huge number of IT jobs have flowed to India, China and elsewhere.  More IT jobs will be lost to overseas cheap or psuedo-slave labor markets. Is there still a market for coders in the US?  Yes.  Is it more difficult to find that kind of work?  Yes.\n\nIf you go for a full Computer Science degree, you will not have a choice in which programming languages you learn.  Also, a CS degree requires some heavy duty math courses as well.\n\nHaving said all that.  Languages I would learn today if need presented:  Visual Basic, C++, and XML, maybe JAVA.  You are better off focusing on languages like XML and JAVA that are for the web if you are thinking about taking on some of these on your own.  However, at the end of the day, employers are most impressed by the CS degree and will take those candidates over trade schools like Chubb Institute or self taught people.
1144375
I agree w/ Java_geek...I fear being a starving artist now that I'm about to graduate!!\n\nGood luck!
1020201
As regards future usefulness it is hard to beat Computing.\n\nBest of luck !
1028007
Pick up DEITEL book. Perhaps "How to Program Java" or "How to Program C++". Yes it will take longer to learn, but in the long run you will have a lot more power creating your own software.
876138
Its just good. IBM and Wipro has still requirement for Mainframe guys. Try it out !!! Which institute... I think your friends can can help you more on that. All the very best !!!!
1014632
chigidem, armen jan. :-p\n\nThis is why I've created my own language and compiling system. Sure, it took a TON of work at first... but in the end, I ended up doing menial tasks in seconds instead of minutes or hours. :-p
212073
I'm sorry, but doesn't a program for computer programming without a computer defeat the purpose of the program.  Kind of like trying to bake a cake without an oven.
14798
As for a programming language, C++ has been for many decades a good bet. Maybe there are more productive constructs in Ruby, Java, C#, Pearl, but you still can do things that are disallowed for those langs.\n\nBesides, in spite what they may say, every new operating system/component model/framework/initiative since the 1990s has been written mostly in C and C++, or at least to be programmed with C and C++.\n\nSo, nothing you can't do, nowhere you can't go with C++. As for the productivity part, if under Microsoft operating systems, then you have proprietary idioms that make .NET work with C++. If under other OSes, then you will always find ways to make scripts interact with C++ programmes.\n\nI took my BASIC programming course when I was 8. At the age of 20 I realized I would have been able to have so much more fun with computers if only I had chosen C++. I won't let that happen to my daughter!!!
163962
Well programers get paid a lot but that is b/c its really hard and really boring, to me it is. Web design is a good one b/c its something different eeverytime. Plus they get paid well too. I am and IT person in the hospital. I am IT support. I get paid well for troubleshooting problems. I like it because I learn about the computer everyday that I am at my job. Also its something new almost everytime. Really its all about what you want to go in. I would try them all and see what you think is better. I tried them all and this is what I found.
57816
I've been using computers for over 28 years and have been working in the Silicon Valley for almost 20.\n\nChange is inevitable.  I would be absolutely bored out of my head if the industry had not changed significantly over this period of time.\n\nFrom my point of view, the progression and mastery is the ability to keep up with the changing pace.  It is the change itself that keeps my energy going.\n\nHowever, there do seem to be some areas of computing where there is very little change over time.  One of those is database programming.  I do not mean to denigrate the people in this profession, however, I have, from time to time, met people who become database programmers or database administrators and they do these jobs for 10+ years with little venturing outside this domain.  These people develop "expertise" in this area.   Some of these people are true experts.  Others are only so-called "experts".  Despite spending their 10 years or more working on databases, I could out design them when it came to DB architecture, table schemas, and high performance SQL queries.  Why?  Probably because my experience was broad and I could borrow models from many different disciplines in computer science, computer architecture, etc.\n\nOthers become C++ experts, or operating systems experts, or Java experts.  It is possible to specialize.  You can do it.\n\nHowever, if you really want to do one thing for a long time, consider that change is inevitable.  It may be best to learn to embrace change, rather than avoiding it.\n\nThe other is to consider a career outside the industry.  Banking perhaps.  It doesn't change much.
527578
SQL is for big boys.\n\nAccess is like for little boys.\n\nIts like comparing linux and windows. It really depends on how comfortable you are with programming. At work, Im into JAVA and coding on window applications. Then we have the mainframe people who hate windows and codes everything in unix. \n\nSQL is sorta like mainframe programming, they are more experienced and they have to know the code.\n\nAccess is like window programming, they are not as experienced with programming and they want a windows based system to code for them.
102107
Yes 25 years software engineering experience.\n\nBut helping someone else to program a computer is a potentially large undertaking, not something that can really be resolved in Yahoo Answers.  If you could summarize to 1 or 2 specific questions, i may be able to help, but it sounds like you are after tutoring.
921456
I would suggest you di your hardware & networking first. So when you learn programming side you can have more imagination about what would you do to your logic.\n\nOnce you have basic about hardware and networking.The programing side will support a lot.\nThat is  for who interest both.\n\nBut some people who only interest on Programming its OK to do Programming first. But Yoy will find a lot art of programming if you already know the hardware side.\n\nThis my experience and my opinion. May be another people has another opinion.
481223
I have been working with Java and related technologies for 10 years, exclusively for about 8 years. I highly recommend it.\n\nMy job (software engineer/consultant) pays about as good as you can get without owning your own business.\n\nThere was a lull in business after 9/11, but that is a thing of the past. Twice in the past three years I have been involved in a bidding war, with two potential clients both wanting to hire me and exchanging offers to try and get me.\n\nI have friends who are .Net consultants who are lowering their billing rate at the same time that I am increasing mine.\n\nHOWEVER, I must say that there is a limited shelf life for *ANY* programming technology. The most important thing you can do is stay flexible and hone your skill at picking up new technologies on the fly.
344137
hey neha.. the industry is good and getting better , yes job vacancies are there....\nThe most important thing about this industry now adays is specializing. It is common knowledge that in every field use of it is common ; you name it , IT is there. so better specialize in a particular field before choosing a job . Some specializations are mainframes, systems, unix-linux- sun ,  or something like animations, \nmake a search on google or yahoo and find out what different job profiles are there.\n IT is too vast, just knowing how to program in C or C++ or Java or such is not enough. you also need to choose what job profile you want (knowing how to program  is for base level developers)like systems engineer, QA, security engineer, support....\n\na brief idea you can just go to any leading software companies site and look into their CAREERS section and you will get a good idea what positions are and fields are available in the market.