>>Then again, given that a person can deliver a quality solution, the language is only the tool used to implement it. In other words, the development environment is less important than the problems solving skills used to create the solution.
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>I agree to an extent. Some programs are completely no-brainers. I try to stay away from those programs. I have a feeling you do the same (try to find something challenging).
>

Sometimes it's the "no-brainers" that eventually cause the most problems. Especially when the client comes backs and asks for something the wholly beyond the capacity (or intent) of the system. Then you can be faced with re-doing the whole thing. Personally, it's situations like these that caused me to develop my own Framework/API with a rather open archetecture.

>That is the great thing about being a programmer. We have to know methods and procedures inside-out...and we have to get the computer to do these things...we have to translate speech (desires) and procedures into basic, simple logic. Then we get the computer to perform these tasks. In the mean time, we learn a lot. Through my job, I have gained an incedible amount of knowledge about the insurance industry. I have to know, not just a little, but a lot of every area in our industry. To design a computer system that can handle the changes in our industry is exciting and challenging.
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>I am sure it is the same for most programmers.
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>When I started here (MDM Insurance Services Inc.), I never worked in any Foxpro before (DBase and Clipper though...). I learned VFP a lot quicker than I learned what I had to know about the industry and the office procedures in our company. That is the challenge. We as programmers know how to program. Period. What we have to be able to do is learn other things and get the computer to 'understand' those things too. Then the computer does its job...
>

Same here, but with me it's the carpet business.

>Anyways..."problems solving skills"...I actually agree completely...that is the difference between a programmer and a user. If the tool is more important than the skills, then maybe you are just a user doing a little programming...
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>Anyways, take care.

Thanks for the reply,

George