Frequently Asked Questions about Training and Courses

Choice of Course

I have never done any programming. What course should I attend?
I want to be a C programmer, but I have never done any programming. Can I attend the Standard C course?
I want to learn C++. Is it really necessary to know C first?
I taught myself C and have written a few small programs. Can I attend the Advanced C course?
I am interested in web development. Should I attend the Java course?
Is there a difference between Java and JavaScript?
I don't want to waste my money on a basic or introductory course. I would rather go straight to the advanced courses.
When am I ready to attend the Advanced course?

Certification and Examination

Will I have to write a test or an exam at the end of the course?
Will I receive a certificate?
Is Incus Data an approved/accredited training vendor?

Information about course schedules

The date on the schedule doesn't suit me.
The course I am interested in is marked as "On request".

Platforms, compilers and editors

I program under Unix/Linux/Dos. Will what I learn on the C / C++ course be applicable to my environment?
I use a Microsoft / Borland / Other vendor C/C++ compiler. Will what I learn on the C / C++ course be applicable?
Does the Client-side Web development course make use of an HTML editor such as Microsoft FrontPage or Macromedia Dreamweaver?

Employment after the course

Will attending a course guarantee me a job?
Will Incus Data help me to find a job after the course?

Other questions

As a manager, it is often difficult for me to determine the skill levels of my programmers. Can you assist with this?
Are the lecturers available for consultation?
What happens if I have a problem with my code after I have attended a course?

Choice of course

I have never done any programming. What course should I attend?

The Introduction to Programming course is designed for people without any programming experience. It will provide you with the background that you need to know before you attend any other programming course.
After you have completed that course, you will then be able to decide what programming language you want to learn, and attend the appropriate course. The lecturer on the Introduction to Programming course can advise you in this regard.
If you are interested in web development, you should attend the Client-side Web Development course. It also does not require previous programming experience.

I want to be a C programmer, but I have never done any programming. Can I attend the Standard C course?

No. The Standard C course is intended for people who already have a programming background, either in C or in some other language. The correct course for you to attend is the Introduction to Programming course.

I want to learn C++. Is it really necessary to know C first?

The C++ language is built on the C language, and it is essential for you to have a good C background before attending the Standard C++ course. Unfortunately 5 days is not long enough to teach you both C and C++, and for this reason a knowledge of C is a prerequisite.
Although some books and courses may claim to teach you C++ without requiring any C knowledge, the truth is that approximately 80% or more of the content of those books / courses is the C language.

I taught myself C and have written a few small programs. Can I attend the Advanced C course?

No, you should definitely not attend the Advanced C course at this stage, as it is very unlikely that you will be able to keep up. You will, however, derive a lot of benefit from attending the Standard C Programming course.

I am interested in web development. Should I attend the Java course?

Java is a programming language which is used, inter alia, to create Java applets for use on the Web. Java, however, is a complete development environment which is also used to develop programs that are entirely unrelated to the Internet. IF you are a programmer and you specifically want to learn to write Java applets, then attend the Java course. If you are interested in web development, however, then you should attend the Client-side Web Development course.

Is there a difference between Java and JavaScript?

Yes: Java is a complete programming language that is used to write any type of program - just the way C,C++ or Visual Basic can be used. JavaScript is an independent scripting language, which is used primarily to write scripts (i.e. small programs) that run in web browsers such as Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.

I don't want to waste my money on a basic or introductory course. I would rather go straight to the advanced courses.

Please read the importance of prerequisites. If you don't have the appropriate background and experience, you will soon be left behind on an Advanced course. Then you really will feel that you have wasted your money, because you will not have been able to benefit from the course at all. Experience has shown that delegates benefit the most from a course where they have the right background knowledge, and where they are slightly familiar with the topic already.
We can assure you that all the Incus Data course are intensive learning sessions.

When am I ready to attend the Advanced course?

It depends on the amount of practical experience you have had. We generally advise that delegates who have attended a particular course should wait approximately 6 months before attending the Advanced course. You must practice the skills that you learnt on the first course so that you can benefit properly from the Advanced course.

Certification and examination

Will I have to write a test or an exam at the end of the course?

No, there is no test on completion of the course.

Will I receive a certificate?

Yes, provided you attend all the days of the course and participate in the practical exercises, you will receive a certificate which confirms that you have attend the course in question. Note that there is no certification as to the level of skill that you have obtained, as that would require an examination.

Is Incus Data an approved/accredited training vendor?

Yes. Incus Data has been an ISETT approved training institution since January 2002, and now has Provisional Accreditation status. You can view a copy of our ISETT Provisional Accreditation Certificate for 2006 (PDF format).

Course Schedules

The date on the schedule doesn't suit me.

Please contact us. We often reschedule courses to meet delegates' requirements, and may be able to arrange a course to suit your schedule.

The course I am interested in is marked as "On request".

Please contact us and inform us of your interest. There may be other people who are interested in the same course, and then it may be possible to schedule the course.

Platforms, compilers and editors

I program under Unix/Linux/Dos. Will what I learn on the C / C++ course be applicable to my environment?

Yes. The Standard C, Advanced C, Standard C++ and Advanced C++ courses are all platform independent courses. Our aim is to teach you C and C++ in accordance with the ISO standards, and without specific reference to functionality available only on a particular platform.

I use a Microsoft / Borland / Other vendor C/C++ compiler. Will what I learn on the C / C++ course be applicable?

Yes. The Standard C, Advanced C, Standard C++ and Advanced C++ courses are all compiler independent courses. Our aim is to teach you C and C++ in accordance with the ISO standards, and without specific reference to functionality available only from specific vendors or in specific compilers.

Does the Client-side Web development course make use of an HTML editor such as Microsoft FrontPage or Macromedia Dreamweaver?

No. The intention is to teach you web development skills without reliance on an HTML editor. We use normal text editors such as Vim, jEdit and Context.

Employment after the course

Will attending a course guarantee me a job?

No. Our courses teach you the fundamentals that you need, and give you the opportunity to practise what you learn, but generally you will need more experience that can be provided in 5 days to secure a job. Unfortunately, most employers today are looking for staff with experience.

Will Incus Data help me to find a job after the course?

No, we are not a personnel agency. We are on occasion approached by personnel agencies that are looking for information as to people who have attended a particular course, but it would be unethical for us to disclose that information. Most of our clients are companies, and it would be wrong to pass on information about their staff to outside companies.

Other Questions

As a manager, it is often difficult for me to determine the skill levels of my programmers. Can you assist with this?

Yes. We can assist you in two ways:

• We can provide you, the manager, with feedback about the progress of a delegate on a course. The lecturer is in a unique position to assess the ability of a delegate to learn and apply new skills, which can help you determine the best way to use your staff. Please note that this information is strictly confidential. We recommend that you contact us prior to the course, so that we can ensure that the feedback is appropriate to your needs.
• We can conduct short evaluations of your staff to determine whether they have the necessary skills levels to attend a specific course.

Are the lecturers available for consultation?

Yes. All our lecturers are available for consultation, and are on occasion requested to assist e.g. in setting up code standards or with actual development.

What happens if I have a problem with my code after I have attended a course?

Delegates are welcome to e-mail the lecturers with questions. The lecturers will, however, expect you to have at least tried to solve the problem on your own. We will not do your work for you (unless you are prepared to pay our consultation fee!). Please ensure that you include the code with which you are struggling to make it easier for the lecturer to identify the problem. If you cannot remember your lecturer's e-mail address, you can send your query to info@incusdata.com.

If you have additional questions, please don't hesitate to e-mail us at info@incusdata.com.

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