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Originally published at Internet.comA majority of the e-mails I receive ask the question "What should I focus on, technology-wise, to learn/master?" This is a very good question, however complicated the answer. The simplest answer is "It depends" (the mantra of good consultants everywhere). The more complicated answer is one that I'm still struggling with.
Jason Purdy
Recently a renowned Perl developer gave a really good answer in an interview, saying that the key is focusing on the practice of programming, rather than a specific technology.
Unfortunately, there's no real book out there that will tackle this, outside of the course books from high school or college Computer Sciences courses. The best way to learn programming is to start with CS classes of some sort (so you understand the fundamentals of memory, processing, etc), but it doesn't stop there. You will be forever honing your craft by practicing, researching, and collaborating. Do not let the hype and marketing machinery lead you away from your comfort zone, just because it's the latest or coolest or "popular" choice.
It also helps to understand the system that you have to work on. When it comes to Web development, there are usually three different areas where you can program to create interactive Web applications, and with them, a spectrum of difficulty: ...
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