The future of VB.NET

[azwandy]

Hi guys...I'm back again..recently i've posted some question about using windows form classes and method..and thank God someone have answered the problem and made my life easier..but,that's not the main point..what i would like to ask is,do i need to learn both visual basic and C# in order to fully masterize the .net language,or I just select any one of it.Can somebody give me the advantage and disadvantage of using either language.and,can anyone tell me,what do you think about the future of both of these language?will microsoft scrap vb.net and concentrate more on C#?.I need to hear from all of you.

[dom_stapleton]

I doubt they will scrap VB.NET in favour of any other languages. Different people prefer to use different languages so I think that they will always support a variety of languages to accomodate these people. Visual Basic has quite a large base of users too.

[RobDog888]

There have been many discussions on this topic already so It will help you allot to do a search for them. Some are in the general developer form too. They are lengthy and very informative.

VB.NET is not going anywhere for a long time still. MS has been working on VB9 for a while already but wont be out til 2008/2009 I believe it is.

[kleinma]

since all .NET languages compile to IL code, you will basically get the same compiled exe if you code it in C# of VB. This makes it easy for MS to only have to define syntax for the languages, while keeping the rules generally the same. Yes there are some key differences between the 2, but those gaps have been getting smaller with each new version of .NET

oh and I love the word "masterize"

[szlamany]

I'm certainly no .Net expert yet - but isn't it all about the framework?

And whether you call that framework from VB or C - it's all .Net.

I have never worked with C before, but I was able to translate a C routine to customize tab control fonts into VB with very little effort.

[azwandy]

i couldn't think any better word than masterize...afterall,i got F for my english lesson...sorry for my ignorance

[jmcilhinney]

.NET is not a language; it's a platform. VB is a language. C# is a language. .NET is the platform targeted by those languages, and many others besides. C# is Microsoft's flagship language when it comes to the .NET platform but they are continuing to improve VB and I doubt that they would be doing that if they planned to scrap it.

In the early days of .NET, VB and C# were very similar, which was done so that Microsoft could make both languages work with the Framework. Now that the .NET platform is established, the two are starting to diverge. VB was originally designed as a programming language for the non-programmer. Microsoft are trying to re-establish that in VB, making it easier for those with a non-technical background to create applicatns easily using VB. I'd say that, with the modern IDE, using C# now is probably easier than VB was years ago, but the simple fact is this: VB is aimed at the lower end and C# is aimed at the higher end. There is an ocean of overlap between the two, but VB is easier for the beginner to pick, and will probably become more so, while C# is easier to use when doing some of the more advanced things. This doesn't mean that you can't learn C# if you have no programming experience or use VB to accomplish complex tasks, but each is aimed at a slightly different audience. As I said, that difference will become more apparent as more versions of each are released.

In summary, there is no need for you to learn C#. VB is a very powerful langauge and can do almost anything you want. That's not to say that you shouldn't learn C# if you want to, either for your own interest or to expand your employment prospects. Someone who can code in both langauges is definitiely more employable than someone who can code in one only, although most employers would prefer high level abilities in one than low level abilities in both. If you do get to an advanced level and you find that it is tedious to do some of the things you need in VB, then it may be time to move to C#, either completely or as an adjunct. If you're highly proficient in VB it shouldn't be very hard to move to C#. It's just a matter of learning the new syntax, then learning the new tricks that VB didn't have. One advantage of .NET and VS is that you can have an application written in one language and a library project in the same solution written in another. This allows you to bring litlle bits of other languages in if there are certain situations where they're more suitable. After all, the whole Framework is written in C# and you access that from your VB code.

[azwandy]

thanks.now that answers my question.I'll continue learning VB.It's easy for me to understand the coding and the syntax.Thanks again guys.

[kleinma]

They also wanted to create a language that would target the .NET framework, but, unlike VB have a syntax familiar to C and Java progammers, hence C#