Positives for a Java developer in a PHP-Drupal job?

Question

Is working with Drupal + snippets of PHP for an extended period a likely career dead end for a Java developer? What positives can an industry newbie take from the experience? The SQL aspect of the job is not new, and the PHP required is only slightly more complex than copy and paste, so it's really only the CSS/Javascript stuff that is being learned for the first time.

Answer 1

This was the longest statement i have ever seen. :) Didn't understand exactly. anyway...

Did any one said you to copy paste.

If you know , to write your own code. Don't copy paste.

Are you using Drupal. Why don't you develop your own content management system .

Or write your own components or modules. Java also you can try your own inventions.

Everything is good in their own way. Nothing is best.

Answer 2

I've worked in both Java and PHP, with far more time in PHP development. Despite what many in the Java field will tell you, PHP isn't amateurish, is quite powerful, and in extensive use. Sure, few amateurs choose to write Java while many hacks dabble in PHP, but I'd relate that to the complexity and temperamental nature of Java compared to PHP. They're both programming, they both (should) require good OO skills, and both power quality web applications.

That being said, if the situation and the money are there for a PHP job, they why fight it? I'd personally take a challenging PHP job over most Java job any day of the week...because they're often accompanied by large, clunky, slow-to-adapt corporate structures.

Regardless, build and test your skills in both. It can't possibly hurt.

Answer 3

If you consider yourself a Java developer and in two years or so, you want a Java job, then get a Java job now. If you're a general, do any kind of language, developer, then PHP isn't a dead-end.

However, if you do copy/paste programming for any extended time, it is going to be a dead-end.

Answer 4

I think it's what you make of it.

I assume that you have little to no choice; whether for financial reasons, job prospects etc. But I am sure that you can bring the same rigour to a PHP/Drupal job that you would to a Java job.

i.e. organisation, testing, refactoring engineering etc. I wouldn't turn down someone for a Java job that had experience in another language - other language skills are always useful.

Its always possible that you could end up writing a REST or SOAP based backend in Java to speed up or improve tasks that would prove difficult in PHP.

Answer 5

First of all, Drupal in itself is a skill. There are several companies out there that have turned to Drupal, Joomla, & Plone to run their websites, enterprise intranets, etc. So PHP is far from a dead end in terms of employability.

However, unless you're creating custom modules or modifying existing ones to provide functionality, you will begin to slide into "Designer" mode because so much of the heavy lifting is taken care of for you and all you're left with is CSS & Javascript.

In conclusion, the more languages/frameworks you've worked with the better off you are. However, if you're a hard core coder, you may find yourself yearning for JAVA.

Answer 6

The problem seems to be that you are not writing PHP code, as opposed to the problem being that you are writing PHP code instead of Java. Drupal, in addition to an application, is its own elegant framework to develop in, but if you aren't developing in it (writing Drupal modules) then you aren't learning it. I found learning Drupal to be great for me as a developer, regardless of what other language(s) I ultimately want to code in forever.

Coding in Drupal has helped me cement my understanding/experience in writing hook based and modular software. Also, you will gain some great experience documenting code well and coding to very specific standards, as the Drupal community is pretty rough on you if you don't.

Learning Drupal and PHP can be great for a Java developer, but only if you are programming. If you are copying and pasting code, I assume you aren't writing your own modules. If you want to grow as a programmer while working with Drupal, the answer is module development.