Coding in "C" Language

coach d wrote:

For someone coding in C (not C++) in this object oriented age, the answer is:

D. Neanderthal

Yes, C is listed high in the Tiobe Index because it's part of LAMP, but I haven't seen anyone looking for a plain vanilla C programmer in a loooooong time.

Hasn't anyone here heard of stuff like Ruby?

Yes. I much prefer Python.

There's plenty of work for C programmers out there. In addition to the embedded systems world, Linux is written in C (Linus Torvalds' opinions on C++ are well known), and most popular Linux programs are written in C (e.g. nginx).

You can also use "C" as a

1) Student

2) Retiree

3) Novice

4) etc

coach d wrote:

For someone coding in C (not C++) in this object oriented age, the answer is:

D. Neanderthal

Yes, C is listed high in the Tiobe Index because it's part of LAMP, but I haven't seen anyone looking for a plain vanilla C programmer in a loooooong time.

Hasn't anyone here heard of stuff like Ruby?

Ever heard of stuff like embedded software?

Andy Dufresne wrote:

I'm a programmer, in the industry these days everyone uses "Software Engineer" for job title/resume purposes, or "Programmer" in parlance because it sounds less snooty.

Software Developer is the same but nobody uses it. Some government jobs and government contractors continue to use the title.

People with the Application Developer title generally wouldn't be programmers. They are probably trained on a workflow using a particular application, which may involve scripting or light programming. I.e. they can configure interfaces on a middleware application.

Sorry, but titles are meaningless. My official title at my previous job was "Software Implementation Engineer" and the job before that "Software Developer I" and all I did for both was web scrub work (HTML/XML/XSLT/JavaScript). On the other hand, there are jobs with the title "Application Developer" that require actual knowledge of machine organization and so forth.

I should mention that my info is regional. IT is a hardcore sector in the West Coast. A "Junior"-level developer position means 5 years of experience and I've never heard anyone use the word programmer.

jamin wrote:Sorry, but titles are meaningless. My official title at my previous job was "Software Implementation Engineer" and the job before that "Software Developer I" and all I did for both was web scrub work (HTML/XML/XSLT/JavaScript). On the other hand, there are jobs with the title "Application Developer" that require actual knowledge of machine organization and so forth.

I agree, my comment was about common usage not all possibilities.

jamin wrote:

I should mention that my info is regional. IT is a hardcore sector in the West Coast. A "Junior"-level developer position means 5 years of experience and I've never heard anyone use the word programmer.

I worked for a "hardcore sector in the West Coast" company and I use to call myself a programmer, when my actual title was systems analyst. I only said systems analyst on my resume or conversing with another IT person.

Whatever.

K&R "C" is still used to program tens of billions of chips, controllers, microprocessors, and quantum computers.

Java is the #1 programming language in the world.

The favorite of Millenials is Python 3.

I'm a researcher who does computational fluid dynamics and here is what I use.

Bring on the hate for being an engineer who uses Matlab

VBA - if I need a piece of test equipment to be easy to use for a tech

Matlab for pretty much everything - finite elements, finite volumes, data processing, image processing. Data storage, making plots.

C - if Matlab takes too long. 10x in speed right away. 100x if I (a postdoc) takes the time to rewrite it efficiently.

Python if I'm collaborating with someone who uses python/ abaqus

For my work, COTS Supercomputer CPUs are too slow. We write routines in an "C" derivative hardware language called ADSL. We use UNIX software to test. Also burn an FPGA or CPLD to test. Then for production we fab a Silicon chip. About 10% of our requirements need Sapphire chips.

It's easy to create memory leaks in a managed language such as C# or Java. Idiots will keep their references to objects indefinitely whether they need them or not.

Supercomputers are too slow wrote:

For my work, COTS Supercomputer CPUs are too slow. We write routines in an "C" derivative hardware language called ADSL. We use UNIX software to test. Also burn an FPGA or CPLD to test. Then for production we fab a Silicon chip. About 10% of our requirements need Sapphire chips.

hw>sw

Run with the Wind wrote:

Would it be o.k to call myself a software engineer if I coded in HTML?

no

tyuoble wrote:

Run with the Wind wrote:

Would it be o.k to call myself a software engineer if I coded in HTML?

no

Well there you have it!

That's why I mentioned "C" language. I was trying to see if anyone on the board was able to discern what I was trying to get at.

So it's not just the language, but how technical the language is that determines your title.

Any programmer who is remotely interested in his or her craft has at least basic competency in C programming. So anyone with any of these titles should be able to do so.

Run with the Wind wrote:

tyuoble wrote:

no

Well there you have it!

That's why I mentioned "C" language. I was trying to see if anyone on the board was able to discern what I was trying to get at.

So it's not just the language, but how technical the language is that determines your title.

HTML is not a programming language. As long as you use any programming language (C, C++, Java, Haskell, whatever), you can use the titles.

Run with the Wind wrote:

tyuoble wrote:

no

Well there you have it!

That's why I mentioned "C" language. I was trying to see if anyone on the board was able to discern what I was trying to get at.

So it's not just the language, but how technical the language is that determines your title.

What does "how technical" mean? Something is either technical or it is not.

Html gets a "no" because it isn't like (or at least commonly used like) all of the other languages mentioned. It's not a programming language. It doesn't do anything. It's a markup language.

A person who uses html would be a markupper not a programmer.

There's no rules for job titles in the United States. You are whatever you call yourself. You don't need to have a Film, Video Arts, or Communications degree to make movies. You don't need to have a Music degree to record songs. You don't need to have an English degree to write for the New York Times. If you can do the job of a 'software engineer' then you deserve $300,000 per year.

Run with the Wind wrote:

Would it be o.k to call myself a software engineer if I coded in HTML?

Run with the Wind wrote:

Would it be o.k to call myself a software engineer if I coded in HTML?

When people hear "software engineer" they're likely to think you have the ability to program. If you know HTML and nothing else, then you don't.

We can't tell you what to call yourself, and there are no legal repercussions I'm aware of. (But this is 'letsrun', not 'letslawyer'.) But if you end up in a job interview because you called yourself a 'software engineer' and all you know is HTML, it's likely to be embarrassing for everyone including you.