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Tips for moving from C# to Java?
As a fairly experienced .NET developer (since 1.0), I’ve seen quite a few interesting jobs in the local area which are primarily focused on Java EE, ESB, WebSphere, JSP etc. Now, I’m quite familiar with most .NET “techs”, but Java is a mystery. I did a bit of J2SE programming at University (2003 ish), but nothing much since.
Has anyone made the same transition (or the opposite one) and could share some info, caveats, anything really! How comparable are the .NET and Java skillsets, and how easily can one make the transition?
I’ve faced the same problem going the other way: Java EE to .NET.
I don’t have too much trouble with mapping language constructs between the two languages. It’s not difficult to figure out relational database access in one language or the other. Loops are loops, ifs are ifs, kids. No worries there.
I’ve read Jon Skeets “C# In Depth”, so I’ve gotten an appreciation for some of the nice things that have been added to C# that go beyond Java: LINQ, closures, delegates, etc.
My problems had more to do with the other details.
Visual Studio is a mystery to me. I’m used to IntelliJ. ReSharper helps. But like any other IDE, until you become familiar with it you’re going to be stumbling around, trying to map something that you know how to do well on another system to the new one. Visual Studio Express doesn’t appear to be the same thing.
I’m also ignorant of organizing, packaging, and deploying applications. I’m in the dark on .NET modules, deployment to IIS instead of a Java EE app server like WebLogic, etc.
Using JUnit and TestNG in my Java projects is second nature. I don’t have the same level of comfort with NUnit.
I simply don’t have it on the tips of my fingers. It’s like a person in a foreign country with a guide book to the language: “How do I say that?” I’m simply not fluent in .NET.
I could really use a good project and a month long pairing with an experienced guide to get me over the hump. But that’s not my role on projects, so I’m stuck.
I’m more comfortable taking that same path with Python. I have PyCharm from JetBrains, so the IDE is a non-issue. Python modules are as plentiful and easy to use as 3rd party open source stuff that I’m used to. I’ve got a great book “Core Python” that’s walking me through. And the more I use the language, the more I like it. I have the same packaging and deployment issues, but I’m more confident that I’ll solve them on my own with Python than with .NET.