Question

Can one learn programming in VB.net using Visual Studio (Winforms stuff) and never learn what a console ‘hello world’ looks like or how, in code, to change which part of the program starts at execution (and other basic things like that) and still be a successful VB.net programmer? Or are there roadblocks just waiting there to be hit?

Answer 1

Depends on what you are doing with the programs. If you are just programming little tools for yourself to use, then there is probably no harm. For hobby projects you can know as little as you want. However, if you are programming as a job, you should have a much better grasp at what is going on. You may be able to fake your way through for a while, but eventually somebody is going to ask you to do something that should be simple, but because of your limited knowledge of programming is utterly impossible. Then you will know why you have to know the basics.

That being said, there’s a lot of programmers out there in the real world with exactly that level of knowledge who do have jobs. Personally, I think it’s a bad idea, but you can’t argue with the market. If these people have jobs, there must be a real market need for this type of programmer. Kind of goes along with what Welbog said. You can be successful in that you can hold down a job. But you still won’t be a good programmer.