Software Development or Networking?

cirx08

I'm in college studying computer science and next year i have to choose either between Software Development, Networking and Support or Applications. The thing i'm confused about though is what each one is, I know for sure i'm not doing Applications, I either want something to do with HTML, PHP and MySQL or Visual Studio's. Am i right to say that HTML, PHP and MySQL would all be Networking and Visual Studios would be Software Development and if so would there be any way of doing both a bit of both in the one course?

CuAnnan

Depends on the course brief, but I'd expect that networking is the TCP/IP stack, UDP, etc and that software development is the principles of computer science using a computer programming language or two.

Aswerty

cirx08 wrote: »

I'm in college studying computer science and next year i have to choose either between Software Development, Networking and Support or Applications. The thing i'm confused about though is what each one is, I know for sure i'm not doing Applications, I either want something to do with HTML, PHP and MySQL or Visual Studio's. Am i right to say that HTML, PHP and MySQL would all be Networking and Visual Studios would be Software Development and if so would there be any way of doing both a bit of both in the one course?

You've listed a markup language, a server side scripting language, a database and an IDE. I would imagine the Software Development stream would best suit the use of these technologies although some can be used in the software development side of Networking.

Really this is a question that will be best answered by your college. Look up the module descriptions for each of the streams. Talk to students in their final year or talk to one of your lecturers. You could ask your class representative to get the head of your course to give the class a run down of why you should choose one stream over another. This could be through an email or a short face to face with your class.

cirx08

Thanks, I think i'll ask my friend (class rep) in the morning to bring something up about a talk at the next meeting

Tom Dunne

cirx08 wrote: »

I either want something to do with HTML, PHP and MySQL or Visual Studio's. Am i right to say that HTML, PHP and MySQL would all be Networking and Visual Studios would be Software Development

I wouldn't think so. To me, networking is pure CISCO/LANs/WANs/security/TCP/IP and all that kind of stuff with little or no programming.

Software Development would be Visual Studio and the associated methodologies (Object Oriented Design, UML,Data Structures and Algorithms, Analysis and Design, etc.) whereas Web Development would be HTML/PHP/MySQL. Though arguably you could apply the former to the latter.

cirx08

Tom Dunne wrote: »

I wouldn't think so. To me, networking is pure CISCO/LANs/WANs/security/TCP/IP and all that kind of stuff with little or no programming.

Software Development would be Visual Studio and the associated methodologies (Object Oriented Design, UML,Data Structures and Algorithms, Analysis and Design, etc.) whereas Web Development would be HTML/PHP/MySQL. Though arguably you could apply the former to the latter.

So what your saying is that i might still be doing Web Development with Software or not? I think i might go on for Software anyway but i still plan on doing Web in my spare time because i really enjoy doing it...

Aswerty

@ Tome Dunne.

I'd mostly agree with your answer except I'd expect there to be programming on the Networking side of things such as socket programming, network/network component simulation and implementation of security protocols and techniques. At least this was the case when I was learning networking in university although I did engineering as opposed to computer science so I could have a different take on this.

Also I'd expect web development to be covered in software development but once again this is something only the university can shed light on.

Tom Dunne

cirx08 wrote: »

So what your saying is that i might still be doing Web Development with Software

It is possible. The only people that can answer that for sure are your college lecturers.

Aswerty wrote: »

I'd expect there to be programming on the Networking side of things such as socket programming, network/network component simulation and implementation of security protocols and techniques

I've just checked with our Cisco certified networking lecturers (I work in a 3rd level college) and they have confirmed that they would not teach any kind of programming in the courses. However, they said it would be done in the programming classes.

totoal

Maybe the option is Telecoms instead of Networking.
That may cover socket programming, OSI Model etc.

stevenmu

According to the OP it's "Networking and support", this would make me think that it's more like Tom Dunne's definition, aimed at a general IT/support role and no programming. Of course the college can answer for sure.