Coffee break #10: disappointments in the work of a programmer that you need to be prepared for; PHP or Java: which is better for web development

Disappointments in being a programmer that you need to be prepared for

Source: Simple programmer The development field is one of the most popular career options for techies. Here you need less scientific knowledge than for an engineer at a nuclear power plant, and you can earn more. In addition, sometimes you can work remotely. But, despite the obvious advantages, there are also some disadvantages. The problem is not even their presence, but the fact that many newcomers to the field of programming do not even admit the thought that this wonderful work has its downsides. You get a job as a junior and at first you are happy with everything: you can finally use the skills you acquired during your studies, and they also pay good money. And then reality hits you over the head. The job turns out to be not as ideal as you previously imagined. We tried to collect those things that most often upset novice programmers. We're not doing this to tell you to stay away from this profession - just that you should know a little more about what awaits you.

Programming is boring

This statement may seem ridiculous, but it is true. If you've never worked in IT before, your experience is obviously related to your studies. And when you study, you do interesting things. You move forward in short steps: you think about the problem, and then get a surge of happy hormones after successfully solving it. But in the real work of a programmer, everything is completely different. How about fixing the same bug on client sites day after day? How about ten hours of staring at poorly written code with no documentation, and then realizing that the problem was in one method that someone accidentally removed two years ago? Programming, of course, definitely has interesting moments, but sometimes it is an unbearably boring activity.

Constant learning

In the development field, everything is imbued with learning much deeper than in other professions. The IT industry is developing much faster than professional gamers break their keyboards. The rate of progress is so fast that you will have to study just to keep up with everyone else. New frameworks appear every month, new programming languages ​​are constantly being created and implemented, all sorts of innovations in coding are popping up everywhere, and if you don’t update your knowledge, you simply won’t find a good job in the future.

Irregular working hours

What do people think about being a programmer? They imagine a person with a laptop, sitting on the beach, sipping a cocktail, working 4 hours a week and earning $200 thousand a year. They imagine a group of friends playing ping pong in a spacious office before returning to their workspace with a gorgeous view from the window. What do people not realize? Nobody thinks that programmers sit for hours at their desks poring over documentation. Nobody thinks that in order to write code for three hours, you need to spend another five hours coming up with a solution. People don’t understand that a programmer can be asked to work overtime for several days in a row, because the managers promised the client mountains of gold, but you have to clear it out.

Human factor

Trying to balance school and work with your personal life can be challenging. And more often than not, the main cause of programmer frustration is not the code, but people. It could be little things. You're trying to concentrate, but managers are constantly tugging at you to ask about deadlines. You spend a lot of time perfecting a piece of code and discover that your colleagues changed the library you were using and didn’t tell you anything - the code just stopped working at some point. Dealing with these situations can be difficult, especially if you don't have very strong soft skills, which most techies don't have.

You meet people who are smarter than you

As a programmer, you will work with an incredible amount of smart people. Some of them, one might say, are even too smart. In general, this is good, but the problem is not with these smart people. The problem is with the programmers themselves. Some young people who come into the development field are used to being the smartest people around them. And when they meet someone who patented 12 inventions as a student, it traumatizes them. You realize that you can become friends with these people, and that you will definitely learn a lot from them. But you also understand that you will never surpass them. This may be one of the simplest problems on the list. It’s unpleasant, of course, but overall it contributes to improvement. Working with such smart people teaches you humility. But that's only if you don't go the wrong way and don't hold a grudge.

And about the good

This article is just a scare. Frankly, most of the problems described here lie in wait for you in any high-growth, high-money industry. The problem is that many people think that software development is just a job in heaven. But really it's just a job. This work can be interesting, but only if you have no illusions about it.

PHP or Java: which is better for web development

Source: Dev.to .Net or Java, Python or PHP, PHP or Java? No matter what programming languages ​​you choose, there will always be two armies of developers who believe in the superiority of one language over the other. The truth is that there are no good or bad languages. There are languages ​​that are better or worse for certain tasks. We are going to prove this using two popular programming languages ​​- PHP and Java. Let's take a closer look at the similarities and differences between Java and PHP to understand where each is preferable.

PHP and Java: types and purpose

Both of these languages ​​are object-oriented (PHP can also be considered functional). PHP is a server-side scripting language originally created for web development, but is now used for other purposes. Java has a similar purpose. It also supports dynamic web applications, but it is a general-purpose, compiled language. The main purpose of Java is to create code that can be used on different platforms. The code runs on any device that has a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) installed. PHP is an interpreted language, which means it works on the fly. The code (script) is sent to the interpreter, translated into machine language and immediately executed. Java is a compiled language that works by converting source code into binary language so that the JVM can understand it. The JVM then adapts it to the operating system of the specific device. Another thing to consider is the difficulty of maintaining, updating, and making changes to the code. With compiled languages, all these operations are more complex, since the code must be recompiled after each change. This is why PHP is easier and faster to edit.

Development time and cost

The main task of any business is to bring a quality product to the market as quickly and cheaply as possible. In general, software development in PHP takes less time and money, development is easier and faster than Java. But remember that certain problems are better solved in Java. Development speed and cost should not be the main factor to consider when choosing a programming language. Unless, of course, you plan to sacrifice quality to save time and money.

Safety

Experienced developers are able to create a secure solution no matter what language they use: PHP or Java. However, Java is considered more secure and has more tools. At the same time, this creates difficulties for low-level programming. For the sake of security, Java may disable certain functions, which is why it is the language of choice for higher-level applications.

Performance

Again, comparing the performance of PHP and Java will not give a clear answer as to which is better - both languages ​​can be used to develop reliable and fast software. PHP speed is consistent because every line of code is executed at once. But in solving more complex projects, Java is more reliable.

Tools

Because PHP and Java are not only widely used but also mature languages ​​(both dating back to 1995), they each have a large selection of tools, frameworks, and libraries. At the same time, Java is slightly ahead of PHP. This language provides a wider range of debugging tools and APIs. The latter factor is especially important when creating complex projects for enterprises, since it allows integration with many external and third-party platforms.

Conclusion

Java and PHP have many differences in their approaches to developing web applications, making each more suitable for specific purposes. Java has increased security and can easily use third-party APIs, so it is often chosen for large and complex projects: for example, in banking or industrial automation. PHP is a low-cost, fast way to market, ideal for small businesses looking for a simple solution.