Novice VB Question

[PSULionRP]

After I go berated for posting to the wrong group...trying this here instead...

Can I assume, that if we are using Visual Studio 2005 that the Visual Basic
code developed is in Visual Basic 2005??? If I shouldn't assume, is there any
way to tell what version Visual Basic code is written in???

In terms of education, Amazon commentors have some nice things to say about
the Murach books. Anyone have any opinions about the Murach books or any
other learning VB books that they have read??? If I'll be developing in VB
2005, should I stick with the VB 2005 books rather than the VB 2008 books???

Sorry for all the questions. But this forum tends to be sooooooo good.

So I appreciate your review and am hopeful for some replies.

Thanks in advance.

PSULionRP

 

[Scott M.]

Visual Studio 2008 = Visual Basic 9.0 (a.k.a. Visual Basic 2008)
Visual Studio 2005 = Visual Basic 8.0 (a.k.a. Visual Basic 2005)
Visual Studio .NET 2003 = Visual Basic 7.1 (a.k.a. Visual Basic 2003)
Visual Studio .NET 2002 = Visual Basic 7.0 (a.k.a. Visual Basic 2002)

I like Professional Visual Basic .NET 2008 published by WROX as well as Pro
VB 2008 and the .NET 3.5 Platform published by APress.

There aren't too many differences between VB 2005 and VB 2008, so you should
learn 2008 to stay as current as you can and most of what you learn will
work in previous versions of VB .NET.

-Scott

 

[PSULionRP]

Thanks Scott!

Visual Studio 2008 = Visual Basic 9.0 (a.k.a. Visual Basic 2008)
Visual Studio 2005 = Visual Basic 8.0 (a.k.a. Visual Basic 2005)
Visual Studio .NET 2003 = Visual Basic 7.1 (a.k.a. Visual Basic 2003)
Visual Studio .NET 2002 = Visual Basic 7.0 (a.k.a. Visual Basic 2002)

I like Professional Visual Basic .NET 2008 published by WROX as well as Pro
VB 2008 and the .NET 3.5 Platform published by APress.

There aren't too many differences between VB 2005 and VB 2008, so you should
learn 2008 to stay as current as you can and most of what you learn will
work in previous versions of VB .NET.

-Scott

 

[Alex Clark]

There aren't too many differences between VB 2005 and VB 2008, so you
should learn 2008 to stay as current as you can and most of what you learn
will work in previous versions of VB .NET.

Hmm... I'd have to disagree in terms of the "not too many differences".
It's only since 3.0/3.5 that Linq has been around, and don't forget that's a
first-class citizen in the VB 2008 language. I may be wrong but I think
Option Infer was new for 2008, and I'm certain Lambda expressions were.
Ditto anonymous types.

And of course this is before we even consider the new technologies added to
the framework beyond 2.0...

-Alex

 

[Scott M.]

Yes, there are differences in language versions, but they are not critical
to a novice VB learner. In fact, none of those features are considered to
be beginner stuff.

We don't need to consider pre 2.0 Framework technologies at all, since the
OP said he's either going to learn 2005 or 2008, because 2005 is the 2.0
Framework.

But, all this aside, this is why I advised the OP to learn 2008 because the
vast majority of what is learned will be applicable to 2005.

-Scott

 

[Tom Shelton]

Yes, there are differences in language versions, but they are not critical
to a novice VB learner. In fact, none of those features are considered to
be beginner stuff.

We don't need to consider pre 2.0 Framework technologies at all, since the
OP said he's either going to learn 2005 or 2008, because 2005 is the 2.0
Framework.

But, all this aside, this is why I advised the OP to learn 2008 because the
vast majority of what is learned will be applicable to 2005.

-Scott

I have to agree with Scott here... The new features in 2008 are what I would
consider advanced features. In other words, I don't think a beginner really
needs to be to troubled about lambdas, linq, anonymous types, and extension
methods until they really have had a chance to come to grips with the basics.
I would extend that to a complete understanding of generics as well, beyond the
knowledge of what they are and how to make use of existing generic interfaces
(which exist in both 2005 and 2008).

Beyond that, the differences in the language syntax and the framework
libraries are nearly identical (with the exception of the new stuff - wf, wpf,
wcf, etc - but, again those are more advanced topics that shouldn't probably
be tackled until a firm graps of basic concepts has been obtained).

 

[mayayana]

We don't need to consider pre 2.0 Framework technologies at all, since the
OP said he's either going to learn 2005 or 2008, because 2005 is the 2.0
Framework.

If you reread the post you'll see the OP is using
2005. He's not asking about that. He's asking
about what books to buy.

 

[Tom Shelton]

If you reread the post you'll see the OP is using
2005. He's not asking about that. He's asking
about what books to buy.

Ah.. then he should stick with 2005 books. Simply because there a few new
language features that may sneak into a book about 2008

 

[Scott M.]

I read it as a tentative decision and since the lifecycle of VS 2005 was so
short (most of my clients either skipped it and went straight to 2008 or
were on 2005 for a short time and then went to 2008), I was suggesting that
the OP invest in 2008 books so that he can learn the basics of VB and still
have a book that has the relevant info about 2008, because chances are he'll
be there soon. If not, the 2008 book will still be relevant to him because,
at his level, neither VS or VB has changed enough in 2008 to make a
difference.

-Scott

 

[mayayana]

I read it as a tentative decision

"If I'll be developing in VB
2005, should I stick with the VB 2005 books
rather than the VB 2008 books?"

Perhaps it would be better to read what was
written rather than the question you'd like
to answer.




and since the lifecycle of VS 2005 was so

 

[Scott M.]

What does the word "if" mean to you?

Perhaps, you should stick to providing your own opinion instead of providing
it for others?

-Scott

 

[Kevin Provance]

| Perhaps, you should stick to providing your own opinion instead of
providing
| it for others?

But, isn't that what your MSFT masters have taught you to do on their
behalf? Pot, meet kettle.

 

[Scott M.]

I really don't know where all this is coming from. I'm simply trying to
answer the question with the information that I've gathered from 8 years of
experience with this. I've got one guy pissed off for some reson because he
doesn't like me thinking that "if" is a tentative word and now you are
adding your trolling comments by making some kind of assumption that I am
beholden to MS for something.

It seems to me that YOU are providing YOUR opinion of MS as if it were MINE.
Who's calling that pot/kettle black?

-Scott

 

[Family Tree Mike]

I really don't know where all this is coming from. I'm simply trying to
answer the question with the information that I've gathered from 8 years of
experience with this. I've got one guy pissed off for some reson because he
doesn't like me thinking that "if" is a tentative word and now you are
adding your trolling comments by making some kind of assumption that I am
beholden to MS for something.

It seems to me that YOU are providing YOUR opinion of MS as if it were MINE.
Who's calling that pot/kettle black?

-Scott

Scott,

You seem to have gotten caught in the crossfire of a couple of VB6
posters mad at Alex Clark. They (the VB6 community) seem to be having a
bad weekend. See the thread titled "Unary Operators".

 

[Kevin Provance]

| You seem to have gotten caught in the crossfire of a couple of VB6
| posters mad at Alex Clark. They (the VB6 community) seem to be having a
| bad weekend. See the thread titled "Unary Operators".

You fail to realize that if alexandra would stop posting .Nxt bull$hit in
our community, none of this would be a problem. She's doing it on purpose
to be a trollette.

 

[Alex Clark]

Scott,

Kevin/Mike (the same poster) is basically just a troll with severe
behavioral problems. He/she/it doesn't like the fact I'm helping people in
"his" newsgroup, microsoft.public.vb.general (for general discussion about
the VB language in whatever version) and seems to think he owns it. MS
haven't told him otherwise (yet).

At worst he's a nuisance, at best he's some good entertainment. He is also
"internet famous", from what I'm told. I wouldn't let it worry you, and if
it does then just put "it" into your killfile, as many on these newsgroups
already have done.

Cheers,
Alex

 

[Scott M.]

Hmmm. Can "mayayana" and "Kevin Provance" not see that I am not Alex? Hmmm.
I think they are just mad at life right now.

-Scott

 

[Family Tree Mike]

Scott,

Kevin/Mike (the same poster) is basically just a troll with severe
behavioral problems.

I'm hoping you are referring to Mike Williams... I never put it
together they may be the same poster.

 

[Scott M.]

I guess I'll count myself lucky that in the 10 years or so I've been using
the MS NG's I haven't run into him/them.

<plonk>

-Scott

 

[Alex Clark]

I'm hoping you are referring to Mike Williams... I never put it together
they may be the same poster.

Yep, Mike Williams - sorry I should've been a little more specific there ;-)
There was an incident a while back when "Kevin" replied to a post and forgot
to change his settings back from his "Mike" persona, then vehemently denied
it and went nuts at anyone who noticed it. Like I said, he can be quite
entertaining at times...