Looking for Some Career Advice - Page 2 - Programming -- Two Plus Two Poker Forums

Jbrochu · 06-08-2012, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clowntable

Python also seems good given you have at least some background in Biotech from a CV point of view and Python is really good with sciency stuff.

That's good to know about Python. Almost all of our legacy code is in Perl/CGI, which used to be big in Biotech.

Jbrochu · 06-08-2012, 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry Legend

PM me.

Sent. Thank you!

Jbrochu · 06-08-2012, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdturner02

The other reason is...

...jQuery Mobile, because it makes mobile development so much easier. If you're familiar with HTML5, CSS, and JS, developing for mobile is a very easy transition using JQM.

My partiality to JQM is based on a few things:
1. It's incredibly easy to use.
2. Apps made with jQuery/JQM can be converted to native with PhoneGap (free, open source). PhoneGap is approved by Apple for the app store.
3. It's being aggressively developed and constantly improving.

From a career perspective, it may not necessarily hold you back if you aren't well versed in it, but if you are, it can be a huge boost over your competition. The reason for that is simple -- the mobile platform is hugely popular, companies are jumping on board, and all indications are that it isn't a passing fad.

Thanks for the info.

I'm very familiar with CSS (for layouts as well as appearance) and HTML - but not HTML5. I can get by with js, but could stand to improve my skills. Dojo has actually forced me to get better with js.

My project app is something that could be in demand for mobile devices, so maybe I'll go ahead and do it in Python with jQuery mobile for the front end.

Is there a "must have" book you would recommend for jQuery Mobile development?

daveT · 06-09-2012, 12:26 AM

If you're not familiar with it, Python has PyLab, MatPlotLib, SciPy, NumPy, and all sorts of excellent add-ons and downloads that are popularly used in the sciences and mathematics. Definitely something to check out once you get more comfortable with the language. I use MatPlotLib at work.

Check'em out:

http://www.scipy.org/PyLab

http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/

http://numpy.scipy.org/

Not really career advice, I know, but the stuff is highly useful. At work, I use PostgreSQL, MatPlotLib, and Python3 to create charts and stuff, though I'm not a professional programmer by any stretch of the imagination. It's pretty cool to have all this stuff prepackaged.

sdturner02 · 06-09-2012, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jbrochu

Thanks for the info.

I'm very familiar with CSS (for layouts as well as appearance) and HTML - but not HTML5. I can get by with js, but could stand to improve my skills. Dojo has actually forced me to get better with js.

My project app is something that could be in demand for mobile devices, so maybe I'll go ahead and do it in Python with jQuery mobile for the front end.

Is there a "must have" book you would recommend for jQuery Mobile development?

I haven't looked through any of the books about it, but with your experience in web dev I really doubt you need one.

Just go here: http://jquerymobile.com/demos/1.1.0/ and check out the intro and the quick start guide. It'll probably take you less than an hour to get comfortable with it. The documentation is very good.

There's a pretty standard format for how pages are structured, and with a basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, etc., it's very easy to pick up.

Jbrochu · 06-10-2012, 08:00 PM

daveT - thanks for the links.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdturner02

I haven't looked through any of the books about it, but with your experience in web dev I really doubt you need one.

Just go here: http://jquerymobile.com/demos/1.1.0/ and check out the intro and the quick start guide. It'll probably take you less than an hour to get comfortable with it. The documentation is very good.

There's a pretty standard format for how pages are structured, and with a basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, etc., it's very easy to pick up.

Thanks, I poked around the site, and as you said it looks pretty straightforward.

I don't actually own a mobile device. I'm guessing if I want to code for mobile I'll need to purchase one for both testing, and also just to familiarize myself with how apps for mobile are designed in general. Do people do all their coding and testing for mobile using "normal" IDE's like Eclipse and testing with browsers? Or are there mobile specific IDE's out there? I ask because it seems a little weird thinking about coding for a dinky little screen but using a browser on a big monitor for all the testing.

My first real decision here is between doing the site for mobile devices, or just sticking with a traditional web app for now.

sdturner02 · 06-12-2012, 09:44 PM

That's a good observation about building a mobile app and testing it on a full size screen. The Opera Mobile Emulator is pretty helpful: http://www.opera.com/developer/tools/mobile/

Personally, I don't use a very different process for developing for mobile. Part of that is because I use Jquery Mobile, which does a good job of standardizing across popular platforms/browsers.

It probably would be a good idea to get a smart phone for testing out your mobile app if you're going to build one. Pages can look very different on the much smaller screen. Also, a standard behavior for a full size platform may act strangely on a mobile device, so it's good to be able to spot that by actually testing on a real device.