Using VB.NET in the Real World

[Sharrukin Amiri]

Hello,

1. Is anybody building Stand-Alone Apps with VB.NET in the real world?

2. If using VB.NET, are you using the new functionalities of VB.NET or
using VB 6.0 functionality?

3. How are you remembering all the VB.NET Syntax? I use to open my VB 6
and start coding to build apps for customers. With VB.NET, I can no longer
to this. Any suggestions?



Thanks!

Sharrukin

 

[Robin Tucker]

1. Yes, very much so.

2. Yes, most definately.

3. Practice, study, google, time.

4. As with any new skill, see point 3.

 

[alantolan]

1. Yes. Several. For a few years now.

2. Only the VB.Net functionality. A deliberate effort to NOT use any
VB6 usages (I even removed Microsoft.VisualBasic from the project
imports)

3. Same as learning anything new. Lots of practice.
Same as changing from anything - deliberate effort to avoid
back-sliding.
Use only streams for input-ouput
Use only ADO.Net for database access.
Think of the application in terms of interrelating
classes/objects instead of a set of forms backed by code modules.

There are no silver bullets for learning a new language especially when
moving from a procedural (sorry, object based) one to an OO one.

Don't know of any books that I would recommend but you can try

This newsgroup (and the related ones)
www.gotdotnet.com
msdn.micrsoft.com


Alan.

 

[Mike Labosh]

[Don't ask why all this text shows up as a hyperlink. I think Outlook
Express is just doing something strange today]

1. Is anybody building Stand-Alone Apps with VB.NET in the real world?

2. If using VB.NET, are you using the new functionalities of VB.NET or
using VB 6.0 functionality?

3. How are you remembering all the VB.NET Syntax? I use to open my VB 6
and start coding to build apps for customers. With VB.NET, I can no
longer
to this. Any suggestions?

Excellent Books:

http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/6699.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/4909.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/5153.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/5203.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/5199.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/6436.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/5797.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/6510.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/5956.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/6370.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/mspress/books/6451.asp

Instructor-Let Training (I used to teach these, and they're great)

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/syllabi/en-us/2373Bfinal.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/syllabi/en-us/2565Afinal.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/syllabi/en-us/2373Bfinal.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/syllabi/2640afinal.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/syllabi/2310BFinal.asp

--
Peace & happy computing,

Mike Labosh, MCSD

"Mr. McKittrick, after very careful consideration, I have
come to the conclusion that this new system SUCKS."
-- General Barringer, "War Games"

 

[Herfried K. Wagner [MVP]]

2. If using VB.NET, are you using the new functionalities of VB.NET or
using VB 6.0 functionality?

I prefer VB.NET's own methods (the ones which are similar to those known
from VB6) over the .NET Framework's methods, for example, when doing string
manipulation.

3. How are you remembering all the VB.NET Syntax? I use to open my VB 6
and start coding to build apps for customers. With VB.NET, I can no
longer
to this. Any suggestions?

It seems that you are lacking experience with VB.NET ;-).

 

[Bob Powell [MVP]]

1. Yes, definitely. Huge and complex ones...

2. Definitely the latest. 6.0 is worse than useless (he said donning his
flameproof trousers)

3. VB syntax is too convoluted. I still need to look things up. Practice
makes perfect though.


--
Bob Powell [MVP]
Visual C#, System.Drawing

Find great Windows Forms articles in Windows Forms Tips and Tricks
http://www.bobpowell.net/tipstricks.htm

Answer those GDI+ questions with the GDI+ FAQ
http://www.bobpowell.net/faqmain.htm

All new articles provide code in C# and VB.NET.
Subscribe to the RSS feeds provided and never miss a new article.

 

[Mike Labosh]

2. Definitely the latest. 6.0 is worse than useless (he said donning his

flameproof trousers)

Nice Troll. Excellently done.
--
Peace & happy computing,

Mike Labosh, MCSD

"Mr. McKittrick, after very careful consideration, I have
come to the conclusion that this new system SUCKS."
-- General Barringer, "War Games"

 

[Mitchell Vincent]

1. Yes, definitely. Huge and complex ones...

2. Definitely the latest. 6.0 is worse than useless (he said donning his
flameproof trousers)

Any tips for another soul trying to develop a complex application?

I've noticed that things are slow(er) than I expected - but I might have
been expecting too much. Any comments on improving performance (on
simple things like showing a window with quite a few controls on it, etc).

 

[Bob Powell [MVP]]

Slow to start forms and apps are a feature of the .NET model because it
relys on JIT compilers.

Either get used to it or pre-compile using NGEN the native image generator.

--
Bob Powell [MVP]
Visual C#, System.Drawing

Find great Windows Forms articles in Windows Forms Tips and Tricks
http://www.bobpowell.net/tipstricks.htm

Answer those GDI+ questions with the GDI+ FAQ
http://www.bobpowell.net/faqmain.htm

All new articles provide code in C# and VB.NET.
Subscribe to the RSS feeds provided and never miss a new article.

 

[Cor Ligthert]

Mitchell,

I've noticed that things are slow(er) than I expected - but I might have
been expecting too much. Any comments on improving performance (on simple
things like showing a window with quite a few controls on it, etc).

That expection I had with every new version from whatever after the Gamma 10

However there was forever so much functionality added that all performance
was eaten up by that.

(Did you ever see what everytime more and more is needed for computers for
new Games).

As one posibility to make thins slow, I hope that you did not use the "show"
to quick or to often.
By instance not in your load event. Screenpainting is in a modern
application the most performance consuming part that you don't see in your
program.

Cor

 

[Phill. W]

Alan,

2. A deliberate effort to NOT use any VB6 usages
Agreed.

(I even removed Microsoft.VisualBasic from the project imports)

Which doesn't actually make a /lot/ of difference, since the compiler
itself makes use of it behind your back. ;-)

My biggest qualm /against/ removing MS.VB is that I'm [still] stuck
doing quite a lot with tab-delimited files. Without ControlChars.Tab
or plain, old vbTab, just where /do/ you get hold of a readonly,
String constant containing the ASCII character 0x09?

Or do you have to rewrite that as well?

Regards,
Phill W.