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That's true.
Of course, if you're going to have to learn the language anyway, you're going to have to write some code examples to see how things work, so they might as well be stuff you're going to use for the project. As you gain experience, you can (usually) go back and improve things later!
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This can happen with new projects too  . On the first week on my new job I was given a project to build an interface for a telephone server. At this point I was a C++ programmer with zero experience in VB. The head of department then told me that every program in this company is written in VB, so I started learning .
I must admit, VB isn't the hardest language to learn, but I dived in and learned it as I went through the project. Now after 6 years we did a more or less complete redo on the project, to remove the "lessens learned" passages in the code  .
cheers
Phil
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The project is maintence of a 100,000 line VAX BASIC application from the 90's and you start tomorrow... have fun
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I code VB.Net for a living. Before that, I did mostly VB6 
Now, having to work on a VAX again... that is a rubbish heap of a different stench.
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Bring it on!  
Steve
_________________
I C(++) therefore I am
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Been there, done that, took the money, and ran.
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With 100,000 lines of code, even if it's written in one of your faviorate languages, it's quite a job to maintain the project at a short notice.
Best,
Jun
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Sign me up! But then I've written Vax BASIC when was it, oh, in the 80s...
It’s not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it’s because we do not dare that things are difficult. ~Seneca
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OT. I know who you are now. I was looking at recommendations on a certain food book on Amazon when I ran across your recommendation.
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That's me! I also did a lot of testing in the UK for one Peter Reinhart's Bread Books - baking is my hobby (I used to be semi-professional). I probably have more baking books that programming ones, so if you want advice I'd be happy to oblige. On baking books, that is, you probably don't need programming ones!
It’s not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it’s because we do not dare that things are difficult. ~Seneca
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I was actually hunting about for recipes for Coeliac's when I came across Rose's Heavenly Cakes. I bought it to bake food for the kids based on your review, so thanks - the Ginger cake is the moistest, tastiest cake I've come across in a long time.
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I reckon that's one of the best in the book. I double up the lemon drizzle just to put it over the top. Glad you are enjoying it. Do you bake bread? Peter Reinhart's next book is a 'free from' type book for people with allergies, etc. so may be of interest to you. Sourdough breads are my REAL passion.
It’s not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it’s because we do not dare that things are difficult. ~Seneca
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AnnieMacD wrote: Do you bake bread
We do. I have to do it in two batches - the gluten free run for Mrs Yoda, then the flour version for myself and the kids. I wasn't aware that Peter's book was going to be free from; I will definitely keep an eye out for that. My current favourite is Ann Byrn's book "The Cake Mix Doctor bakes Gluten Free". The White Chocolate Pound cake is delicious, and as tasty for the none-Coeliac members as well.
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Stop trying to hire people. 
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I've had to do small projects using languages I wasn't familiar with.
Programming constructs like looping, flow controls are generally the same, it is more like learning a new syntax to the same things. With moderen IDE's that check the syntax and provide suggestions it is easier than ever to learn new languages.
Oh and we can't forget Google! With Google it is so easy to find code examples, Good and bad.
It was broke, so I fixed it.
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... eat a bacon samich.
Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done.
Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H
OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre
I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer
Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett
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I've never learned a new language, framework, or other 'big thing' other than through diving in and using it for a real project. Simply reading or doing book or lab exercises doesn't leave me with confidence in the material. My most recent example was learning C# and WPF. I asked for book recommendations here at CP, bought a couple books, and took a DevelopMentor class for a week. It really didn't start sinking in until I'd been working with it for a couple of months on my project that needed it. During that time I restarted the project multiple times and made countless throwaway projects to play with things that looked interesting.
I realize this isn't the point of the survey, which seems to be more interested in how you react to having to learning something new. I can't imagine any response other than "dive in and do it". Quit, just because you have to learn a new language? That's like a carpenter leaving his job because his boss wants him to use a different hammer. If that's your attitude, your employment history will eventually render you unhirable.
Software Zen: delete this;
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Learning a new language isn't so bad, but what if they want you to learn Clipper or Z80 assembler?
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I have a fairly good recollection of Z80, after early experiences with a ZX81.
That was really Z80 - I had no assembler, so had to hand-code opcodes to machine code.
Anyone else remember such beautys as DATA statements full of hex strings, and subroutines to POKE them into memory.
Still it could be worse - one of my first exposures was a friend with a kit computer with 9 switches on the front panel, one per bit and "commit", so I guess a keyboard and hex were a luxury by comparison.
However these early experiences were valuable - learning assembly and hex are skills I still value. When writing C++ that must be optimal, it can be useful to peek at the generated assembler to see what the compiler made of it. Particularly with templates - different compilers have radically different capabilities optimising templates, and its good to see whether something generates efficient code.
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Clipper I could see, if the point of the project was to port an ancient application to a modern platform. If it wasn't I would probably try to encourage the project in that direction, even though Clipper does seem to have an active, contemporary community.
I've done a lot of assembly language programming, including the 8085, so picking up the Z80 wouldn't be painful. I believe there's a microcontroller out there based on a Z80-like core, so this one is a possibility.
My point is, "can do!" is a lot easier attitude to have if you're trying to stay employed.
Software Zen: delete this;
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I agree that a positive attitude is a good thing. One thing I've always evaluated a job on is the question of "Am I learning or improving a skill with a future?" It's not always that way of course. Recently I had to do some maintenance on a VB.Net / CE / Windows Mobile 6 app, but over time I like to stay in things that have a future. Not much call for Btrieve programmers anymore.
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When I started in a new department I was supposed to be doing design, because I was bored with coding C. Then the boss calls me in, "you know what GIS stands for?". Like a fool I admitted that I had done a bit of GIS in the past. So the next day I started doing Visual Basic for Applications for the first time on Windows for the first time. For the first 5 minutes I was really annoyed; "I don't do Basic. Schoolkids do Basic. Real softies use Unix. Managers use Windows." Then I found out what fun it was, "Hey I'm getting paid to do this!", I mean, VBA is like a video game.
I never looked back. My cv reads like a history of computing.
(And, to be honest, I don't miss vi one bit.)
------------------<;,><-------------------
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RedSonja wrote: I don't miss vi one bit
Ah. The treatments are working .
I used vi on a project once :shudder:.
Software Zen: delete this;
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I have to say I still miss vi. I have a DOS version of it on an XP machine and I go in now and again and do some mass editing just so I don't forget the commands. It's very powerful
It’s not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it’s because we do not dare that things are difficult. ~Seneca
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