What is your Favorite New Feature?

[Joacim Andersson]

Optional parameters are the work of the devil. I think it encourages sloppy program design. It is more sensible to use multiple overloads of a function each taking different arguments. Then have one version call subsequently more generalised overloads to avoid code duplication and encourage re-use.

Hmmm.... "Work of the devil", I wouldn't stretch it that far. I still use optional parameters at times as long as I don't need more than one, otherwise I go with overloading instead. Anyhow this discussion is a bit of topic since we're talking about new features and optional parameters have been available since VB4.

When it comes to my own favorite new featurs in 2008 I can't do anything but agree with earlier posters. I absolutly love everything about LINQ and XML literals are such a beutiful feature that I almost got a tear in my eye the first time I heard about it. The fact that it's a pure VB concept also makes me smile a bit since C# usually gets most of the power first.

For ASP.Net I absolutly love getting intellisense for JavaScript.

I really like how the "intellisense-box" becomes transparent when you press and hold the right Alt button. Clever

Thanks for the info Atheist, I hadn't even noticed that feature . No more "pressing-ESC-to-get-rid-of-the-drop-down-just-to-read-that-other-line-of-code-where-I-had-that-information-needed-on-this-line-as-well".