Input needed

[Andy]

Hi

Hope someone can give me some input to this question.
I'm currenty considering to more actively learn dotnet development. 2 years
ago I spent some time learning VB.net, but haven't been using for over a
year and a half..
Should I continue with VB.Net, or should I learn C#? For me, the most
important think is to work with a language that is maintained, and evolves.
But, it should also be easy to use. What are the benefits with VB.Net?
I work as a system administrator, but want to learn more development.

/Andy

 

[Beth Massi [Architect MVP]]

Hi Andy,

I think you should choose a language you feel more comfortable with
especially if you are just learning the .NET Framework. Microsoft is very
commited to both languages so I don't think you need to worry about whether
one will outlive the other.The framework is the hardest part and if you can
use a language you are more familiar with then it will be a lot easier. It's
pretty easy to switch back and forth from C# to VB.NET once you learn the
..NET framework.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vbasic/ is a great place to start exploring.

Have Fun!
-B

 

[Cor Ligthert]

Andy,

I know only one very big benefit from VBNet above C#, which is very
important for me.

It helps me to overcome errors (for me especially typos) when I am typing,
while in C# I have to do some extra builds for that.

Although it is not necessary in some places does VBNet also small automatic
corrections while typing and has VBNet in some cases an auto complete. By
instance where the setting of the closing } can be in complex nested
operations awful in C#, is that in VBNet almost automatic and when it is
wrong you get directly a warning for that.

This is because VBNet has background compiling. Some (C# adepts) people say
that it slows programming. However although that I type very fast, was I
never able to type quicker than the speed of the background process. (What I
have sometimes with the intellisence from C#, what is named as a benefit
from that because it is more expanded than VBNet, but what I don't miss, I
don't read all those stories when I am typing. That I have done before).

That despite, that I like the shorter code from C# more. However, C# is so
restrictive that it gives, on a lot of, in my opinion not anymore needed,
legacy C code rules errors, and won't build, while it is obvious what is
meant with the statement.

For the rest, it is for me, as Beth told. I say always that the languages
are only the glue/cement from the classes in the framework.

Just my opinion.

Cor