which skill set is needed for PDA Programming

[Lord Kalthorn]

Why would you not recommend .NET.

 

[inimino]

.NET is a proprietary technology controlled by Microsoft and has limited portability. Your statement that "ultimately the OS you'll be using on the PDA is Windows" is unfounded as there are many PDAs existing today which do not run Windows, and the trend is toward more diverse environments.

Java is the most likely contender at the moment to offer portability across the widest range of these devices.

 

[Lord Kalthorn]

Hmmm... I still think .NET - cause if you learn that you can use it not only on most PDAs - but practically if not all Computers with the Internet, and most Computers in general if you wanted other projects.

 

[inimino]

You can use .NET on the Microsoft platform, so far.

You can use Java on Microsoft and many others, including many new mobile devices.

 

[root]

.NET is basically just the MS implementation of the ideas behind java.

the only reason .net looks cleaner is because the runtime libraries / frameworks are/will be installed with the OS when you buy a computer and will run silently wihout you really knownig they are there.
conversly Java has to have a runtime installed (that practically will never bedistributed with an OS (remeber the legal batle with virtual machine SUN actually didn't want java to be distributed with windows).
hence the run time has to be downloaded.
installed. and runs in full view (complete with systray icon)...

Java works more efficienty but just doesn't look as clean as .NET

 

[Lord Kalthorn]

BUT Java doesn't have VB, VC++, VC# and VJ# support with it?

 

[root]

no, but
Visual basic is a puerkly microsoft creation
Visual C++ isn't a language, it's a microsoft IDE for C++, Visual c# (again is an IDE) so I'll assume you mean Csharp -which is a .net language, Jsharp is a microsoft bastardisation of a perfectly good programing language that has introduced new bugs, security flaws and a slower run time than the standard Java package...

Java does not have any of these microsoft technolgies simply because it is made by Sun, not Microsoft...
Aer microsoft products anyless good because they don't nativly support python, perl or PHP as programming / scripting lanuagues?

there is no comparrison, I mean I'm as bigger microsoft fan as the next guy (cept when LK is the next guy), but ou do have to fight fairly.

 

[Lord Kalthorn]

Well yeah; but .NET won't support PHP because PHP won't let it on there - I would happily allow PHP to be Open Source and .phpx with the .NET Runtypes and Ideals. As long as it was in Microsoft of course - but still Open Source.

Thats not going to happen though. And J# is very good - because it allows the Java people who will eventually have no where to go to do something with their Java Knowledge which will eventually, and we all know it, be useless. Either to PHP or .NET.

 

[root]

http://www.php.net/downloads.php

Php is open source -you can download edit and compile the source code.
the point is that PHP desn't need a phpx byte compiled version. it's one of the fastest excecuting web languages already...
and if t does get the byte compiled version, the PHP foundations relationship with Zend, and their relationship with Sun will ensure (has ensured) that it moves closer to Java...

certiany PH wont go to PHPX because the dot net framework is windows only.

 

[inimino]

Apples and oranges:
Java is a language
.NET is a glorified library

Of course Java is more than a language, and .NET is more than simply a less-hideous MFC. But comparing .NET with Java as though they are the same thing is bound to lead to confusion.