I don't want to start a war but why would I choose one over the other?
First and foremost I need to keep in mind marketability of the skill and
the future of the language.

I'm getting the feeling I'll be moving from VB to one or the other. I
have some say on which but perhaps not the final decision. I have used
C and C++ a little bit years ago. I have no experience in C#. I don't
expect it to be that difficult but I hate remembering the idiosyncrasies
of too many languages so I'd like to pick one C# or C++ and make the
right choice.

Since you're moving from VB I'd say your best bet is C#. C# is very
good for handling the forms while giving the feeling of power like C+
+. Also if you're at a business C++ programmers are getting hard to
find and thus getting expensive.

IMHO if you can choose, then choose C#. Easier to master than C++, and
hides all the pointer management you have in c++. Unless you have some
strong requirement for C++, to me it is C#.

Al.
http://alsql.blogspot.com.

There is no correct answer. It depends on what you want to do. If you are
writing business applications (ie standard data processing) then I imagine
C# will be easier for you to learn if you are coming from VB. I use C++ and
can tell you it is a steep learning curve. In my case, however, I am glad I
put myself through it.

"cj" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I don't want to start a war but why would I choose one over the other?
> First and foremost I need to keep in mind marketability of the skill and
> the future of the language.
>
> I'm getting the feeling I'll be moving from VB to one or the other. I
> have some say on which but perhaps not the final decision. I have used
> C and C++ a little bit years ago. I have no experience in C#. I don't
> expect it to be that difficult but I hate remembering the idiosyncrasies
> of too many languages so I'd like to pick one C# or C++ and make the
> right choice.

Angus wrote:
> In my case, however, I am glad I
> put myself through it.
>

Amen brother

"cj" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I don't want to start a war but why would I choose one over the other?
> First and foremost I need to keep in mind marketability of the skill and
> the future of the language.
>
> I'm getting the feeling I'll be moving from VB to one or the other. I
> have some say on which but perhaps not the final decision. I have used C
> and C++ a little bit years ago. I have no experience in C#. I don't
> expect it to be that difficult but I hate remembering the idiosyncrasies
> of too many languages so I'd like to pick one C# or C++ and make the right
> choice.

Either might be an excellent choice, depending on what you want your market
to be. C# is strictly .NET, while C++ can be used to develop for a multitude
of environments. OTOH, if you will be developing strictly for .NET, C# would
be the better choice because it's getting support for all the new .NET
features.

Microsoft developed C# specifically for the web. VB.NET was developed and
remains being developed using C#.

What motivated me to choose C# was the indisputable fact that web
development is a client-server paradigm and as such separate language skills
are needed for client-side and server-side development.

JavaScript is the defacto standard for all client-side web development.
Since JavaScript was derived from C both JavaScript and C# have exactly the
same punctuation and nearly the same syntax and grammar making it possible
to say we can learn two or more languages for the price of one so to speak.

<%= Clinton Gallagher

"cj" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I don't want to start a war but why would I choose one over the other?
>First and foremost I need to keep in mind marketability of the skill and
>the future of the language.
>
> I'm getting the feeling I'll be moving from VB to one or the other. I
> have some say on which but perhaps not the final decision. I have used C
> and C++ a little bit years ago. I have no experience in C#. I don't
> expect it to be that difficult but I hate remembering the idiosyncrasies
> of too many languages so I'd like to pick one C# or C++ and make the right
> choice.

cj wrote:
> I don't want to start a war but why would I choose one over the other?

In my opinion C# can't be completely overlooked. If you take a look at
craigslist, you'll notice that there are a huge number of C# jobs out
there. Of course there's still a market for C++ programmers, but that
tends to be the Linux/server side/embedded segment. But even as a C++
programmer, chances are that you'll have to work with C# or Java at one
point in your life.

It's an order of magnitude more difficult to master C++ than C#. In C#
it's easier to write perfectly clean code with a lot less experience.
I've seen programmers who struggle with proper C++ programming practices
and implementation details, which results in difficult to maintain code.
However, the very same people do a fantastic job when they get a chance
to program in C#, and their code quality tends to be much higher.

Dealing with existing C++ code can be a disaster when you have lots of
inexperienced programmers on your team. To program well in C++ you have
to learn disciplined modern C++ practices, such as reference counted
smart pointers, RAII, exception safety, etc. Picking up a good style is
impossible when you learn from old C++ books. Companies who hire C++
programmers tend to have lots of legacy code that I wouldn't consider
modern or easy to maintain.

When practices right, I love modern C++ a lot, but even I tend to admit
that programming in C# or Java is more relaxed.

The decision is up to you, because there's a market for good C++
programmers. For example, device drivers or game engines can't be
written in C# yet. But you have to work a lot harder to achieve success
in C++ than in C#.

If your question is related to C++/CLI (programming .NET in C++), then I
don't recommend it. You should know that Microsoft has poor Windows
Forms and Web Services development support for C++/CLI. C++/CLI
currently is a lot lower class citizen language in .NET than C#.

Tom

>such as reference counted smart pointers
There's no such thing. That's why they are smart, they handle it for you.

--

Regards,
Alvin Bruney [MVP ASP.NET]

[Shameless Author plug]
The O.W.C. Black Book, 2nd Edition
Exclusively on www.lulu.com/owc $19.99
-------------------------------------------------------


"Tamas Demjen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> cj wrote:
>> I don't want to start a war but why would I choose one over the other?
>
> In my opinion C# can't be completely overlooked. If you take a look at
> craigslist, you'll notice that there are a huge number of C# jobs out
> there. Of course there's still a market for C++ programmers, but that
> tends to be the Linux/server side/embedded segment. But even as a C++
> programmer, chances are that you'll have to work with C# or Java at one
> point in your life.
>
> It's an order of magnitude more difficult to master C++ than C#. In C#
> it's easier to write perfectly clean code with a lot less experience. I've
> seen programmers who struggle with proper C++ programming practices and
> implementation details, which results in difficult to maintain code.
> However, the very same people do a fantastic job when they get a chance to
> program in C#, and their code quality tends to be much higher.
>
> Dealing with existing C++ code can be a disaster when you have lots of
> inexperienced programmers on your team. To program well in C++ you have to
> learn disciplined modern C++ practices, such as reference counted smart
> pointers, RAII, exception safety, etc. Picking up a good style is
> impossible when you learn from old C++ books. Companies who hire C++
> programmers tend to have lots of legacy code that I wouldn't consider
> modern or easy to maintain.
>
> When practices right, I love modern C++ a lot, but even I tend to admit
> that programming in C# or Java is more relaxed.
>
> The decision is up to you, because there's a market for good C++
> programmers. For example, device drivers or game engines can't be written
> in C# yet. But you have to work a lot harder to achieve success in C++
> than in C#.
>
> If your question is related to C++/CLI (programming .NET in C++), then I
> don't recommend it. You should know that Microsoft has poor Windows Forms
> and Web Services development support for C++/CLI. C++/CLI currently is a
> lot lower class citizen language in .NET than C#.
>
> Tom

cj wrote:
> I don't want to start a war but why would I choose one over the other?
> First and foremost I need to keep in mind marketability of the skill and
> the future of the language.
>
> I'm getting the feeling I'll be moving from VB to one or the other. I
> have some say on which but perhaps not the final decision. I have used
> C and C++ a little bit years ago. I have no experience in C#. I don't
> expect it to be that difficult but I hate remembering the idiosyncrasies
> of too many languages so I'd like to pick one C# or C++ and make the
> right choice.

It depends a bit on the app.

First note that there are actually 3 choices: C#, C++ for .NET and
C++ for native.

But unless the code you want to write is special, then you should
got for C#. It is simply easier to do than C++.

That is also reflected in the job market where even though there are
plenty of C++ jobs, then C# has passed C++ in most markets and
seems headed to pass C++ in the rest of the markets soon.

Arne