Next major language?

[kberry79]

I am wanting to get a second "strong" language under my belt before I run out of VB6 projects to do for my current employer. Based on my previous experience below, what language should I really focus on?

I have done some minor programming in Java, C, C++, and C# [one project converted from C] (oh and a semester of VB.NET in college). I have decided that if I go .NET, I'll go with C# (so I don't get confused when I go back to maintain my current VB6 projects among other reasons). I've been interested in Win32 programming lately (with C/C++). And tonight I began considering Delphi (something a bit new to me). As for Java, I haven't used it much in the last couple of years.

[penagate]

C# and C++. But be familiar with C before you start C++.

[CornedBee]

But be familiar with C before you start C++.

I disagree. Go for C++ directly and don't bother with C unless it's C you want.

There's no, and I mean absolutely no, good reason to learn C before C++.

[kberry79]

Thanks for the reply.

I am familiar with C and some of the basic OOP aspects of C++. I only know console style programming with C/C++. I am considering learning win32. I just began learning to use the API with VB6 (as I have had to use it in recent projects.)

As for C#, I have converted a tiny console project I did in C to a GUI C# program. (Later this project was ported to VB6 and has grown from a tiny project to a small project.)

I've talked one of my friends into using C# for a project he is wanting to do for himself. He's learning programming. I could learn the language as I help him learn programming with C#.

[szlamany]

Why the VB.Net hangup? I do VB6 and VB.Net - it's easy to go back and forth.

The strength of the .Net isn't in the language - it's in the framework. If you want to do both VB and C do them both in .Net. I don't do much C but I've had no problems converting C examples of .Net code into VB for my use.

Oh - and don't forget T-SQL - we do more coding daily in T-SQL then anything else!

[kberry79]

The strength of the .Net isn't in the language - it's in the framework.

Yes, I agree. I may (in the future) use VB.Net, C++, and C# together.

Why the VB.Net hangup?

I'm kind of a purist (or traditionalist maybe). When I took that class on VB.NET, it remined me a lot of Java. I didn't like the two being mixed (even though it was an overall improvement to VB).

Also, I would like to know a C-style syntax language at least as well as I know VB6.