C# developers going back to vb.net

[Guest]

Clipper, VB3, VB4,VB5,VB6, C# at first launch. Personnal choice to grow up.
Impossible to go back.
No technical reason to do it.
I loose liberty, control and confidence in VB code after work with C#
After this years in C#, VB code is ugly.
Good luck on your downgrade.

 

[Guest]

You know; I did the route of QBasic, Pascal, some Fortran and even a little
COBOL in the last twenty or so years. What's interesting to me is that the
primary language builders are wanting to give the developers more and more
tools to use in order to craft great programs from the UI and back. We're
not limited to a small subset of the language anymore. If you have not been
at least exposed to the old, how can any of the other replies to this post be
negative about the new??? Both C# and VB.NET are robust and extremely
powerful. My company was using VB6 when I got here and I moved them up to
VB.NET. We had a couple of outsiders write code in C# that I am also
supporting and have found that I like the languages equally. As far as the
move back to VB.Net, the industry is going to go with where they have the
greatest selection. There are many more VB.Net Developers than C#.

 

[Cor Ligthert [MVP]]

James,

In my opinon is yours one of the best answers in this message thread.
(I did not read them all)

Just *my* opinon of course.

Cor

 

[riscy]

I perfer C# since it easier to read code and much less typo.

I found it hard to accepts there is more VB.NET developers than C#.

As matter of interest, I heard that the .net framework library was
orginally written in C# (!).

It all down to personal perference really...because of the JIT, the
result outcome is the same.

 

[Cor Ligthert [MVP]]

Riscy,

Yes, and I would probably do that as well in C#.

In my opinon is for those things C# a better program language than VB.Net

As written just my opinion.

Cor

 

[Guest]

Mike, that was well put, and matches my experiences on this topic almost
exactly.

Kevin, you seem to be itching for somebody to say it, so I'll be the one to
bite and make the contentious remark:

VB(v3-6) has of late started to be found out for the 'toy' language it is,
and programmers who can only claim VB on their resumes are not looked upon as
'serious' programmers. I happen to mostly disagree with this, but that's what
I hear and see all the time talking to programmers and managers in my field,
and there is a kernel of truth to it. When looking at resumes I'm looking for
a deep history of programming in several languages, with OO analysis and
design experience paramount. This person has likely used C/C++/Java
extensively. Someone who only has VB history is unlikely to make the short
list unless they can clearly demonstrate a SOFTWARE ENGINEERING mentality, vs
a WORDS-PER-MINUTE mentality. I'm sure my company is not the only one who
sees it this way.

I myself have my roots in C/C++ programming on VAX and Unix platforms, and
have also spent many years in VB(v3-6) and Java, and now .NET (notice I said
..NET and not C# or VB.Net, because I don't think it really matters). In all
that time the only periods where I felt that I was not really in control and
was using the 'Fisher-Price' language was when using VB(v3-6). .NET was like
a breath of fresh air. A real OO language + RAD + VM = productivity +
maintainability + reuse.

The key issues are as stated by Mike. I like C# specifically for those
things it *doesn't* allow, and that VB.Net does, because I approach problems
primarily as a software engineer and not as a programmer.

 

[Kevin Spencer]

I like C# specifically for those

things it *doesn't* allow, and that VB.Net does, because I approach
problems
primarily as a software engineer and not as a programmer.

Now, that is a concise expression of something of great importance. Like C,
C# is very strict, and the more powerful a technology is, the more strict it
ought to be.

--
HTH,

Kevin Spencer
Microsoft MVP
..Net Developer
Ambiguity has a certain quality to it.

 

[Guest]

I am a big fan of people that shout about what is wrong in forums. Why they
hate this or that...why they are so cool... and how we should not even be in
the same forum with them. By that I mean, these are the people that make my
stop reading an interesting post b/c they are so busy letting everyone know
why they are sooo cool.

Now...to why I started reading this post in the first place. I started
developing in college with VB6, some standard sql, and did web design to pay
the bills (buy beer).

I used vb.net b/c that is what our company used when I started developing
here. I made the push for us to have the choice. The developers that
orignally worked in vb6 still like vb.net better, but they are opening upto
C#.

I am one of the few developers that started in VB6 and migrated to C# on my
own accord. I am not that great at either one...but feel I am making a
quicker track up the learning curve in C# than I did in VB. In a simple
simile, vb is like English and C# is like math. This is this. Do this. In VB,
I feel like I am writing a story... Let me tell you about my variable.

I do not agree with those that persist that VB is easier to read. VB is
easier for you to read for the same reason English is easier than Swahili
(sp?) for me to read. I don't sprechete the linguite.

I also use ReSharper and that enables me to run circles around what I could
do in VB productivity wise. That might add to my bias...but it comes down to
adapt or become extinct. Our developers have the option...maybe that is what
the whiners are crying about... your big bad boss won't let you choose.

Instead of going through forums blasting people for liking one or the other,
why don't you take the time to learn the other and see what it all about? I
did. That's

Paper or Plastic? They both hold groceries. They both have strengths. But if
someone held a gun to my head and told me to choose... I would think they
were silly and tell them to pi$$ off.

 

[Mike Hofer]

I perfer C# since it easier to read code and much less typo.

I found it hard to accepts there is more VB.NET developers than C#.

There have been VB developers since 1991. C# didn't exist until .NET
came out (2002?). So, yeah. There are a LOT more VB programmers.

The question is, "How many of them are worth their salt?"

As matter of interest, I heard that the .net framework library was
orginally written in C# (!).

The Base Class Libraries are, indeed, written in C#.

It all down to personal perference really...because of the JIT, the
result outcome is the same.

Exactly. That's the point of having .NET support multiple languages: it
allows the developer to leverage his existing skillsets so that he can
be as productive as possible as fast as possible.

As for the compiler, you're MOSTLY right. If you write a "Hello, World"
program in C# and VB.NET, then compile them, the IL does differ a
little bit, but not enough to be worried about. You can see the
differences by viewing the code in ILDASM.

I imagine that in very large applications, it might be noticible. But
they'd have to be really big. And I'd further hazard a guess that in
the end, it all averages out.

Which brings us back to your point. Pick the language you like, and run
with it.

 

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

There have been VB developers since 1991. C# didn't exist until .NET
came out (2002?). So, yeah. There are a LOT more VB programmers.

That's not what was stated. What was stated was that there were more
*VB.NET* programmers than C# programmers. There may be more VB
programmers, but not all of them have moved to VB.NET, as I understand
it. Many have stayed on VB6, many have moved to VB.NET, and many have
move to C#. I don't know what the proportions involved are - do you?

<snip>

 

[Mike Hofer]

That's not what was stated. What was stated was that there were more
*VB.NET* programmers than C# programmers. There may be more VB
programmers, but not all of them have moved to VB.NET, as I understand
it. Many have stayed on VB6, many have moved to VB.NET, and many have
move to C#. I don't know what the proportions involved are - do you?

You're right. I missed that. Thanks for the correction.

I don't think *anyone* likely has the definitive number of VB.NET vs.
C# programmers. It would be an interesting percentage, whatever it
was. Also, how many companies have flat out refused to move forward?
How many initially refused, but have given in? How many were early
adopters? How many adopted but went back?

I'd be interested in knowing all of that. I wonder where I'd have to go
to find it.

 

[Cor Ligthert [MVP]]

Mike,

As Jon do have as well not any statistics. However maybe it is giving an
idea that in the beginning of VBNet we saw in the VBNet newsgroup texts as:
"I did not like VBNet in the beginning, however now they should have to pull
me back, while I am loudly screaming by my hairs to get me working with VB6
again".

This kind of text we see not anymore. There was a week ago a message linked
from the VB6 newsgroup, to open a discussion about that to the VBNet
newsgroup. In my opinion are the reactions much more pro VBNet than in past.

In my opinion becomes the let say VB6 advocacy a minority (however it is a
strong force so they are still struggling).

As said all only my opinion.

Cor

 

[Guest]

VB has several new features such as the My object. VB will continue to evolve
into a language that is used for both simple and enterprise applications.

As it stand right now there are few differences between C# and VB. They are
basically the same language overall, the real difference is the syntax.
However, the future releases of C#/VB we all will see each language go down a
different road.

 

[Guest]

been developing in asp/vbscript and vb starting from qbasic to vb6.. after
switching to c# i have never looked back. i find c# syntax among other
language features much more elegant and readable..
cheers