Start learning. Please, suggest...

[AlvaroF1]

Actually I'm using VB6 and Access to make small apps, but I think I'm wasting time, since we have new code languages. I know a litte bit of VB .NET but, at least here in Brazil, it's too heavy to computers.

Actually I'm using VB6 and Access to make small applications. I know a little of VB NET, but at least here in Brazil, the programs are too heavy for the computers. Now, I am planning to learn a new language to make "medium" applications. Thinking about the future, which language do you suggest me to start learn, to develop programs for local networks?

Thanks.

[dRAMmer]

I started learning pascal, then cobol, cics, and then finally I got the hang of learning Turbo C, it was great. That time I thought I would never learn another language again. And then came VB 5, well of course there were the earlier versions, but I didn't took notice of it, as I considered C the mosr powerful tool (language that is), and then in our school (when I was still attending college) the projects required needed to be written in VB. and so I grabbed a book (I think it was 21 days.... to learn...) but then I got bored, but then again it's required. So what I did.... grabbed a copy of it, installed it and played with it. And now, I'm still playing with it, while earning too
And then... something (bad??? ) got into MS.... they made changes on VB that it almost looked like C, well I may not be totally right and a few threads had already been through this, so to end it, I would suggest you go with either java or C#. But I would recommend C# more. It's a great tool, anyway you learn this language to create your front-end most of the time. If you are developing an n-tier application anyway, you would need to learn separately the different tools anyway (ADO, SQL, ASP/PHP, DCOM, UML....)

[szlamany]

Actually I'm using VB6 and Access to make small apps, but I think I'm wasting time, since we have new code languages. I know a litte bit of VB .NET but, at least here in Brazil, it's too heavy to computers.

Actually I'm using VB6 and Access to make small applications. I know a little of VB NET, but at least here in Brazil, the programs are too heavy for the computers. Now, I am planning to learn a new language to make "medium" applications. Thinking about the future, which language do you suggest me to start learn, to develop programs for local networks?

Thanks.

VB6 to learn code techniques is fine - coding concepts are the basics of what you must learn - they "move" to other languages quite easily. I've done BASIC on three different hardware platforms, used COBOL and DIBOL - made a living off all of these, done FORTRAN. We've done large-scale ASSEMBLER routines (major stuff).

With that said, you should leave ACCESS. ACCESS is not real SQL. MS has a DEVELOPERS edition of SQL SERVER that is very inexpensive ($50 US - or less). If you can get your hands on that, you would have a much more marketable DATABASE skill. Learning to talk to SQL with ADO from VB is a really good skill to add to all this.

[Dave Sell]

... I would recommend C# more. It's a great tool, anyway you learn this language to create your front-end most of the time. If you are developing an n-tier application anyway, you would need to learn separately the different tools anyway (ADO, SQL, ASP/PHP, DCOM, UML....)

I am curious... You seem to recommend both C# (.NET) and DCOM in the same breath.

I am currently developing in DCOM and I really like the results I am getting. I have been averse to picking up .NET because I was under the impression that .NET obsoletes (sp?) DCOM. Am I wrong about this? Does DCOM still exist in .NET land?

[dRAMmer]

Not sure about this either. Will just start learning .NET, had just read a few articles. About DCOM, sorry 'bout giving that impression.

[Dave Sell]

maybe the better question is: "Does COM still exist in .NET land?" I have read 2 books on .NET so far, but have not developed anything with it yet. One book is all about COM and .NET interoperability, so this suggests that .NET does not really need COM anymore. Or something. I guess I won't know unitl I get into .NET hardcore...

[Shaggy Hiker]

COM and DCOM appear to be discouraged under .NET, but they are not entirely gone. Consider that something like DirectX is COM, and there is no non-COM DirectX.NET, and there probably never will be. Therefore, there has to be a place for COM within .NET, but the place is more on the sidelines.

Having said that, I would add that so far, the move to .NET has been very rewarding in general. I don't really want to go back.

[Dave Sell]

COM and DCOM appear to be discouraged under .NET, but they are not entirely gone. Consider that something like DirectX is COM, and there is no non-COM DirectX.NET, and there probably never will be. Therefore, there has to be a place for COM within .NET, but the place is more on the sidelines.

Having said that, I would add that so far, the move to .NET has been very rewarding in general. I don't really want to go back.

You could say that I am strictly a COM programmer. I have no use for VB6 outside of COM / DCOM development. That being said, would .NET offer me something to replace COM / DCOM functionality? If not, I wonder if I will ever move to .NET...

[joan_fl]

would .NET offer me something to replace COM / DCOM functionality?

Over VB6? Sure.. VB.NET & C# are fully object oriented first of all. VB.NET is finally a full fledge langauge, and not a back seat to COM development in C++.

COM+ is still around. In fact your Enterprise components will still go into the Component Manager where COM+ components are. You get the benifits of connection pooling, object pooling, ect. Developing Enterprise Components (COM+) in VB.NET or C# give you all the benifits of COM+, but in the framework of .NET.

Hope this helps,