Installing Individual Languages One at a Time

[Guest]

I figured this would be a common question, but I haven't seen the answer
anywhere. Sorry if I'm duplicating.

I remember that one of the big features of the new .NET was that you could
write your program in multiple languages (VB, C#, C++, ...) all in one
project and compile them. Obviously that works when you buy Visual Studio,
but for someone on a budget who wants to update over time (yeah probably more
expensive, but I won't be getting all of the languages) can I still do this.

Mainly, can I buy VB.NET now, and in a couple of months buy Visual C++ and
be able to develop my application using both languages in the same project?

 

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

Mainly, can I buy VB.NET now, and in a couple of months buy Visual C++ and
be able to develop my application using both languages in the same
project?

Even in the Professional Edition (or "better") you won't be able to do that.
What you can do in VS.NET Professional is editing solutions that contain
projects written in different .NET programming languages.

If you are a student, you can maybe obtain a cheaper version of VS.NET at
your school or university. There is also an Academic Edition that is
cheaper than the Professional Edition but doesn't have any functional
limitations. Nevertheless, the academic versions IIRC must not be used for
commercial development.

 

[Cor Ligthert]

RobertD,

To correct the confusion Herfried is forever making. There are in Visual
Studio Net (VB.Net) no "better" versions. They build all the same code,
from which the size and performance is for all the same.

There are in the productrange "higher" versions where in every higher
version are more extra compenents included.

Cor

 

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

To correct the confusion Herfried is forever making. There are in Visual
Studio Net (VB.Net) no "better" versions. They build all the same code,
from which the size and performance is for all the same.

A tool that provides additional features /is/ >better< than the basic tool.

 

[Cor Ligthert]

A tool that provides additional features /is/ >better< than the basic
tool.

Visual studio Net is a toolbox not a tool.

Because of the fact that a toolbox contents more tools, does not mean it is
better. When it are tools you never use it only makes it more difficult to
take the right one and even worse.

Mostly has an amateur carpenter more tools in his toolbox than a
profesional.

However a profesional has often for the parts he knows which are important
in his toolbox better tools, however seldom more than he need to do the
job.

In this last case better does not mean more features, that is seldom, a
professional wants that his tool works forever. Not that he has a lot of
features on his tools that he never use and only makes the tool insecure.

However you are right that amateurs often think that more features make a
tool "better".

Cor

 

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

Visual studio Net is a toolbox not a tool.

Because of the fact that a toolbox contents more tools, does not mean it
is better. When it are tools you never use it only makes it more difficult
to take the right one and even worse.

Most developers I know do not use VB.NET only. That's only a small number
of people, like beginners. As an advanced developer, you have to deal with
code written in C# so often that using VB.NET Standard /is/ a limitation.
Many class libaries available as source code are written in C# and are
provided as VC# project files.

In other words, VB.NET Standard is limited. The OP says that he will buy
other packages for C# too, in order to get a "complete" toolset. VS.NET
professional provides this toolset, "better" versions enhance and extend the
toolset by additional features. Even if you do not use them every day, it's
an advantage to be able to use them when you need them.

Mostly has an amateur carpenter more tools in his toolbox
than a profesional.

Sure, but the professional doesn't have one tool only. He has a set of
tools, at least one for each purpose.

In this last case better does not mean more features, that is seldom, a
professional wants that his tool works forever. Not that he has a lot of
features on his tools that he never use and only makes the tool insecure.

If your toolbox contains more tools (and you know how to use these tools)
it's more likely that you can satisfy your customer's needs.