Computer programming has become one of the most underestimated directional tools of the global economy in the last decade. Programming is everywhere you look, from cellular phones to laptop computers to checkout counters. These programs, which look like nonsense to the lay-person, are vital for the basic functioning of any computerised equipment. As such, the programming professional is in high demand in the UK, Europe, and throughout virtually the entire world . However, it is important to look at trends that may influence the programmer job market in the future before diving head-first into a programming position.

One trend that is likely to influence the role of permanent computer programmers is the shift towards temporary and consultant positions on technological issues. Companies that already have in-house IT and programming departments may maintain only a small portion of their current staff in the future. It may hence be inferred that programmers are more likely to become employed as contractors as companies look to cut permanent payroll and maintain their bottom line. In order to prepare for this eventuality, it may be useful for a computer programmer to develop additional side interests, whether helping a local business with some IT issues or undertaking other private consulting work.

Irrespective of whether permanent jobs for computer programmers will suffer a decline, it is a virtual certainty that the increased intricacy of computing will require a constant re-education of veteran programmers. Computer programs and programming languages differ greatly from one another, even though they may share some basic elements. As technology advances and new generations of operating systems and languages become prevalent, there will be a need for programmers who are able to program in a variety of programming languages. The IT professional would be wise to keep abreast of technology and learn new skills as his or her career progresses rather than risk becoming a technical ‘dinosaur’.

To continue on the theme of on-going education, the most employable and versatile computer programmers in the future will be the ones who are able work in a variety of environments on a range of technology platforms. For example, telecommunications companies need programmers that can work on most or all of their projects. This includes wireless networking, data streaming, cellular phones, and other equipment that requires a broad range of knowledge. Indeed, companies may begin to expect computer programmers to become more broadly knowledgeable than in the past. However, computer programmers that are truly committed to their craft should not have a problem meeting that expectation. Their natural curiosity, hard work, and technical prowess can turn them into versatile programmers for the rapidly changing job market.

About the Author:
Stephen Trigg is the CEO of Quanta Consultancy Services, specialists in Human Capital Management Consultancy, providing Banking Jobs and Biotechnology Jobs.
Source: ArticleTrader.com

For the development of dynamic web sites and applications, both ASP (Active Server Pages) and PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) are popular development tools for web developers. Dynamic web sites provide an interactive experience for visitors, and can interact with information stored in databases. I will briefly review both web scripting languages to provide some insight into each.

ASP version 1.0 was developed by Microsoft in 1996 and has been systematically revised throughout the years, leading to its current release - ASP.NET 3.5.

PHP was developed in 1995 by the Danish/Greenlandic developer, Rasmus Lerdorf. Similar to ASP, PHP has greatly evolved from version 1.0, in its early years, to its current release, version 5.2.0. PHP is now produced and maintained by The PHP Group.

Platform
ASP web pages are stored and run on Microsoft’s IIS (Internet Information Server) server platform.

PHP web pages can be stored and run on a variety of server platforms including Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Unix and Linux.

Cost
The latest versions of ASP have been released as part of Microsoft’s .NET development framework and environment. An Express (limited feature set) version of ASP.NET is freely available from Microsoft; while the complete development environment will set you back approximately $700 USD. As ASP websites and applications require a Windows server, a server license is required. A license for the current version of Windows servers (Windows Server 2003 family), will set you back another $400 - $4,000 USD, depending on the version chosen. Most advanced websites and applications connect to a database for data storage. Similar to ASP.NET, Microsoft offers a limited feature version of their SQL Server database for free. A complete version ranges in from $4,000 - $25,000. While SQL Server database use is most common for ASP developers, free database solutions, such as MySQL are also available.

PHP is considered to be free software by the Free Software Foundation. PHP can be downloaded at no cost from The PHP Group. In contrast to ASP, PHP can be installed on the Linux platform. Linux operating systems are also free software, and can be downloaded and installed on servers at no cost. Most advanced PHP websites and applications connect to a MySQL database, which is also available as free software. Like ASP, PHP websites that are configured to run on Windows servers or with a SQL Server databases, require similar Microsoft licenses.

Ease of Use
ASP.NET is a pleasure to use for object-oriented programmers. The development interface is clean, intuitive and well implemented. The point and click interface and programming language may present a learning curve for seasoned developers.

PHP language syntax is familiar to programmers that have worked with other languages such as Perl, C and Java. While PHP is not a pure object-oriented language, it borrows the structure where it is convenient. As community support is strong with PHP, most questions by developers can be answered with only a quick Google search.

Conclusion
While ASP is a user friendly, sophisticated, development tool, associated licensing costs become a necessary evil. Where PHP lacks in luster, it makes up in leaps and bounds in familiarity and community support.

About the Author
Crocus Plains Software Ltd is a leading software development services and enterprise solutions agency. Crocus Plains offers business services for web design and development, Internet marketing and search engine optimization, and customized enterprise software development. http://www.crocusplains.com