My Reasons for Going to the PDC Event


Why was I there at the conference? Was it worth it? Additionally, what is the connection between that event and the topic of this book? Naturally, I had my reasons for going to this mainframe- hostile event: [5]

  • Learning about the .NET Framework

  • Leveraging previous versions and PC technologies

  • Confronting the possibility of starting over

Learning About the .NET Framework

I went to the PDC 2001 event to learn about the .NET Framework and all .NET- related technologies. Microsoft's technical team has included many features in the new .NET technology offering. As a result, many of my colleagues are referring to the new .NET Framework as a "revolution" (as opposed to an "evolution"). With the technological revolutions that I have subjected myself to in the past, this was right up my alley. Some people tend to object to the varying amount of marketing that you get at some of the Microsoft-sponsored events. Me, I welcome it. I want to be convinced and persuaded by the professionals.

As it turns out, the PDC 2001 event had a minimal amount of marketing material and a satisfying number of technical demonstrations and explanations . I recommend attending these types of events. Some of them are even free or nominally priced. Especially keep your eyes open for an annual Microsoft-sponsored event called Developer Days. Besides picking up information and free software, you can view this event as a good opportunity to network with fellow developers. Frankly, I had never attended an equivalent type of event while I was on the other side of the fence (in the mainframe world).

Tip  

There's an annual conference event that focuses on COBOL programming. If you haven't already heard about it, it's called the COBOL Expo. Be sure to check it out at http://cobolexpo.com/homepage.html .

Leveraging Previous Versions and PC Technologies

I wanted to hear from the horse's mouth (Microsoft, in this case) why the effort that I had invested into learning previous versions of Visual Basic and other PC technologies had to now be leveraged (or just forgotten, in some cases) in order to learn to develop on the new .NET Framework. I wanted to hear about the many other features (e.g., ASP.NET, ADO.NET, and XML Web services) and find out how I was to use these new technologies when developing tomorrow's applications. At the same time, I wanted to understand and have a healthy perspective on the fact that most of my bleeding-edge PC knowledge ( gained over the last 4 years ) is now slated to become legacy technology.

Allow me to remind you of the momentous transition that I had recently completed from the legacy mainframe technologies to the newer PC technologies. The explanations that were given, the cleanup that Microsoft has done to the "old" Visual Basic version 6.0 language, and the improvements made available by moving away from COM all combine to better enable developers to program complex business-solutions. Everything that I heard left me feeling very comfortable to join the .NET crowd and retrain. In other words, it was time for me to make a new investment, intellectually speaking.

Confronting the Possibility of Starting Over

I wanted to see the look on the faces of thousands of former experts and gurus while they struggled with the concept of "starting over." This last point deserves emphasis. The changes in the new .NET Framework and related .NET technologies are so encompassing that many have viewed them as a leveling of the playing field. Because practically everything is new, it is unreasonable for many to claim "expert" status ”at least for now. That is right! If there were ever a great time for a mainframe programmer to consider crossing over, now is that time. This is a chance to get in on the ground floor: [6] .NET version 1.0.

Note  

The absence of .NET experts and gurus is being addressed quickly. I am witnessing the rapid consumption of various Microsoft- sponsored events, countless .NET-related Web sites and, of course, some very well-written books (perhaps such as the one you are currently reading). Many developers have started to code already!

Yes, there were times that I felt inferior mentioning that I started with Visual Basic version 5.0 (many "old-timers" started with Visual Basic version 1.0). Now, I (and many others) will stand shoulder-to-shoulder and start with .NET version 1.0, VB .NET version 1.0, and C# version 1.0. This is a great opportunity! To all of my former mainframe peers, please give this one some serious thought.

[5] OK, maybe using the phrase "mainframe-hostile" to describe the Microsoft PDC event may be an unfair exaggeration. I suggest that you take this lightly and view it as my weak attempt at humor (perhaps returning the favor at most).

[6] I apologize for the multilevel direct-marketing sales-pitch tone.




COBOL and Visual Basic on .NET
COBOL and Visual Basic on .NET: A Guide for the Reformed Mainframe Programmer
ISBN: 1590590481
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 204

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