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Bonus TIPS for Successful Posting

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Learning time?

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    #1

    Learning time?

    Im brand new to alpha 5 but very impressed and excited. This is also my first post.

    I did a search and really couldnt get an answer so I figured I should just ask. Spending a good 8 hours a day, how long should it take the average person to get alpha5 down well enough to build a good application for prospects - and the average time to master different levels of the program, all the way to web based applications.

    I know this is probably very hard to answer exactly due to the multitude of variables, but a very general idea would be helpful. Im committed to learning the whole program either long or short but this will help me to set some incremental goals.

    Thank you in advance for your input and I very much look forward to many years as a member of this highly recommended and very reputable community.

    Jon Simpson
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: Learning time?

    Hi Jon and welcome to the forums.

    As you admitted there are just way too many variables to even guess. Even if I knew your background, education, dedication, persistence, etc., it would still be a meaningless guess as there are still too many variables. And then there is the point of exactly what the application you want to build entails...a hard project for some users would be fairly easy for others.

    The only way to find out for yourself, in my opinion, is to simply start and see how you progress and then you yourself can guess.

    Just know that if you search the help files, user manuals, and this messageboard for an answer to a problem and still cannot find a solution, then a post here most times will. (A sample database with instructions on how to reproduce it is usually wanted to enable people to help more).

    Good luck and have fun!!
    Mike
    __________________________________________
    It is only when we forget all our learning that we begin to know.
    It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
    Henry David Thoreau
    __________________________________________



    Comment

      #3
      Re: Learning time?

      Welcome to the forum.

      Many of us are here to help and there are usually several people with real good answers to about any scenario. Maybe not the same few as some are better in certain areas.

      I think you are going to find alpha to be very deep and if it does not supply what you need the tools are there to make it or import it.

      There just really is no answer to how long, partly because when you get something finished, you will see room for improvement and do it again a little different.

      Good luck!
      Dave Mason
      [email protected]
      Skype is dave.mason46

      Comment

        #4
        Re: Learning time?

        I think it also depends on who your 'prospects' are. I find that most of my clients are sophisticated, know what they want and are up on technology. You will have a harder time satisfying a client like that early on in your education. And all projects become more difficult as you get in to the nitty gritty. You will also find that as soon as you master something, you don't know anything at all. For example, I pretty much mastered the Alpha web environment using tables for my basic design, and now have re-learn everything in order to 100% CSS-based design, because that's where it's at.

        A good path would be to work through the AlphaSports application that comes with Alpha Five. There is a guide on the Alpha site that breaks that application down. See my website also for some videos and resources. learn alpha.com is also a good reference. Nothing beats a real project for learning; find a friend that need a real application. My first desktop application was a CRM for myself, and I still use it. My first web application was for my father's family business, and they still use it (although they complain all the time, siblings you know).

        As far as how long - a few months to build something for yourself, but a year or so (I would guess based on my own experience) if you are going to build something for a significant prospect.
        Steve Wood
        See my profile on IADN

        Comment

          #5
          Re: Learning time?

          Let me tell you what happened to me.
          I started as a non programmer that wanted to make some simple web collaboration application for the Department I worked on, I started with Access (like almost all non programmers do) It Didn't took me long to learn it but I wanted my application to be a WEB application and Access failed miserably in this area, then I tried learning ColdFusion but I quickly got lost on all the technicality of setting up a WebAplication, then I learned VisualBasic in which I was able to do some Basic stuff but the same problem arised again, I wanted a web application and visual basic was not the right tool. Then it came Alpha wich I almost blindly downloaded from Download.com and felt in love with it almost instantly, I was able to make my firts Web application In days and get it running in the press of a button. After a while I have mastered XBasic (alphas proprietary language) and now im able to do sophisticated web and desktop applications without having to learn two different languages. Now I consider my self a programmer and have developed about 20 full blown applications.

          In conclusion, you made the right decision by selecting alpha. How long will it take you to learn alpha? about 12 hours to learn the basics and then it all depends on how far you want to get, you will never stop learning new things in alpha I assure you.

          Mauricio
          Cheers
          Mauricio

          Comment

            #6
            Re: Learning time?

            Let me tell you what happened to me.
            I started as a non programmer that wanted to make some simple web collaboration application for the Department I worked on, I started with Access (like almost all non programmers do) It Didn't took me long to learn it but I wanted my application to be a WEB application and Access failed miserably in this area, then I tried learning ColdFusion but I quickly got lost on all the technicality of setting up a WebAplication, then I learned VisualBasic in which I was able to do some Basic stuff but the same problem arised again, I wanted a web application and visual basic was not the right tool. Then it came Alpha wich I almost blindly downloaded from Download.com and felt in love with it almost instantly, I was able to make my firts Web application In days and get it running in the press of a button. After a while I have mastered XBasic (alphas proprietary language) and now im able to do sophisticated web and desktop applications without having to learn two different languages. Now I consider my self a programmer and have developed about 20 full blown applications.

            In conclusion, you made the right decision by selecting alpha. How long will it take you to learn alpha? about 12 hours to learn the basics and then it all depends on how far you want to get, you will never stop learning new things in alpha I assure you.

            Mauricio
            Cheers
            Mauricio

            Comment

              #7
              Re: Learning time?

              Thank you very much for the answers and for the warm welcome! I suspected that it would be difficult to answer that but some of the personal experiences helped. Thank you

              Comment

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