Which programming languages should today’s mainstream IT managers learn and know? TechRepublic writer Justin James has some advice. The highlights:
If you are running a Windows machine or network, PowerShell, a runtime shell editor on the .NET system, is the most important programming skill to learn. To write PowerShell scripts and 'cmdlets,' you need to learn a .NET language. I recommend C# at this point.
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After PowerShell, I would get familiar with ASP.NET MVC, which is quickly replacing the difficult-to-learn WebForms system for new projects. ASP.NET MVC will allow you to write line-of-business Web applications.
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For internal application development, I suggest taking a look at the OutSystems Agile Platform; it dovetails nicely with your existing Active Directory infrastructure, and for a reasonable licensing fee, you will get an environment that will let you create great internal-use applications.
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The C programming language is the foundation of the *Nix family of operating systems, and you cannot go wrong by learning it. Unfortunately, C is a tricky language to write quality code in, and even simple C applications can cause big problems when written incorrectly."
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If you do not feel comfortable learning C, I suggest learning a C-like language (good choices are Python, Ruby, and Perl) that can also be used to manage a *Nix system. Many critical and common system utilities are written in those languages, and all three have a wealth of support and are easy to learn and forgiving to the new developer. Furthermore, it is easy to write Web applications in all of them. I recommend Python + Django or Ruby + Rails as a one-two combination for having a great system administration language and Web development framework.
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Java is a possibility for Web development, but frankly, I find the Java ecosystem confusing, and it is not a great language for handling system administration tasks. Why learn multiple languages if you don’t have to?
Source:
TechRepublic 
