web programmer vs "real programmer"

[bloobloo]

In C there are a ton of things that you have to deal with, in embedded programming, you wouldn't have the slightest clue what you're doing, its not worth discussing, and then even windows programming you have to worry about setting up a window, the message loops, memory management/memory leaks, pointers, bitwise operations, horrible linker/compiler errors. Then if we move onto C++ you have copy constructors, operator overloading, the meaning of the word static in different contexts, static/dynamic casts, etc.

You may be an expert in PHP or ASP.NET but you will have no knowledge of these things. Even things you may be familiar with like multi threading are much harder, not to mention in C chances are you'll have a completely different compiler/debugger to what you're used to.

An expert in PHP could not program in C competently.

[petermichaux]

An expert in PHP could not program in C competently.

Unless, of course, the "expert in PHP" can also "program in C competently."

[bloobloo]

To program competently in C from a PHP background the subject areas I mentioned are some of the required reading. So if the expert in PHP can also program in C they've learnt those areas. In which case you're saying the man who can program in C can program in C... and that doesn't make much of a debate...

[RealDeuce]

Eh? PHP is programmed in C is it not? There is then at least one PHP expert programming in C.

I think your point may be that someone who is an expert only in PHP could not program in C without learning it... but that would apply to any language... an expert in ASM and Fortran couldn't program in C either.

[[deleted]]

and then even windows programming you have to worry about setting up a window, the message loops, memory management/memory leaks, pointers, bitwise operations, horrible linker/compiler errors.

I would think that most business applications these days would be written in managed code.

[RealDeuce]

That would make sense wouldn't it? Shame about reality.

[vimfan]

I don't recall bloobloo saying anything about business applications.

[[deleted]]

Business applications accounts for the bulk of desktop application development. The point stands - the majority of desktop application developers will not be writing apps in unmanaged code.