Best way for a quasi-noob to get started?

Hello:

I am a network guy by trade, and I've been stumbling lately onto things that would be really nifty to have a nice little app to take care of. Typically what I've done is make a .vbs script, and I've even made small Access applications that perform some small functions based on user input. Neither of these methods are ideal, so I want to start looking into making standalone apps.

I can't afford Visual Studio .NET right now, and since I mainly want to dabble, mess stuff up, and figure out how to fix it - I can't justify spending that much money.

On the other hand VB .NET is relatively affordable, and would be good since I already have a basic grasp of some vb. But I don't know if I should go for the C# or C++ programs, because I don't know the goods and bads of the three compared.

If I got VB .NET, would I be able to create small apps (and eventually some larger apps) and distribute them to network users via an .exe or something? I guess I just don't know where to begin, and don't want to spend money on something only to find out that it doesn't do what I had hoped.

Any input would be greatly appreciated :).

Thanks!

-jim

Easy fix. Just download the .NET framework SDK form Microsoft. It comes with the C# and VB compilers and is free. You can code in notepad(Not as hard as you may think)

also you can get a fairly decent free editor here

http://www.icsharpcode.net

Cander,

Thanks for your reply. It's nice to know that someone out there is willing to "help a brotha out". :)

I was expecting at least a few RTFM's from the people here - I didn't even get that! ;)

I think I'll go buy vb.net tomorrow and start messing around with it. I'm anxious to get started, I just hope it's the right path for me to get started on.

Thanks again :D.

-jim

VB is a good start, and if you get into it, you can move up to the C family, theres a few good freeware editors around, so u can save yourself some bucks that way. :)

Pc_M,

Thanks for the reply - I went to Barnes & Noble today and spent a lot of time going through a VB .NET Core Ref guide, and a C# Core Ref guide, and found that C# is much closer to the syntax of PHP, which I've used extensively.

I ended up buying the C# book, which comes with a 60-day trial of Visual Studio, so I figure I can get to know C#, while still being able to dabble with the VB stuff. Then I can more accurately choose my direction :).

/me has a lot of reading to do :-)

-jim

Karl Moores's book is great (see banner at top of this page). Should get you started quickly.

Id definitly go .net if I were you ... VB6 will be an existing app maintenance skill in the not so distant future ..

Thanks muddy - just ordered from Amazon. I'm definitely going the .NET route, I'm just undeciced about whether to pursue C# or VB - or even C++.

:)

-jim

Sorry but I just couldn't let this opportunity of advertising my own product pass me by :)

You can use Source Edit together with the .Net framework SDK. Source Edit has syntax highlighters for both C# as well as VB.Net and you can easily create a custom tool to compile your source code directly from the IDE.

Cheers,

I should have read the details on the book more closely - the VS.NET demo came on a DVD. I don't have a DVD drive at home :o . So I had to boot up my work laptop which does have a DVD drive, and install it across my home LAN. S-L-O-W... :)

Joacim,

Thanks for the info on your app, it looks slick. I'm used to using PHPEdit when I code php, so the syntax highlighting in your editor will most definitely make things a little smoother for me.

-jim