When we say 'VB' now, what do we refer to, VB.Net or VB6.0?

[dee-u]

Previously when I hear the word VB it only meant for VB6.0 but now it seems the tide is changing towards VB.Net, whats your call?

[JuggaloBrotha]

If someone who I know works on vb6 projects says 'vb' then I assume it's vb6, otherwise I assume .Net or I ask.

[si_the_geek]

Either or both, depending on the context - in my experience it's been that way for about 5 years.

[dilettante]

In a way it's like wondering whether VB meant VB4, 5, or 6 in 1999. Of course VB.Net was a major break from the Microsoft Basic product line that goes back decades.

To me it's a bit like calling Pig Latin "Latin" but the confusion was inevitable. I try to be explicit whenever I can.

Microsoft made the problem worse when they dropped the .Net from VB.Net a while back.

[dee-u]

In a way it's like wondering whether VB meant VB4, 5, or 6 in 1999. Of course VB.Net was a major break from the Microsoft Basic product line that goes back decades.

To me it's a bit like calling Pig Latin "Latin" but the confusion was inevitable. I try to be explicit whenever I can.

No problem with VB4-VB6 but the confusion arises when VB is already referring to VB.Net.

Microsoft made the problem worse when they dropped the .Net from VB.Net a while back.

That would actually complicate things...

[RobDog888]

When we say "VB" we mean VB.NET. Microsoft has dropped the ".NET" part as they are promoting VB.NET and trying to get away from VB6.

[dee-u]

When we say "VB" we mean VB.NET. Microsoft has dropped the ".NET" part as they are promoting VB.NET and trying to get away from VB6.

Who are you referring to with WE?

[RobDog888]

Professional developers mainly. I dont know any that refer to VB6 with "VB". We have 20+ Software Engineers at my job. People and other influentials at the PDC dont even consider or think about VB6 as "VB".

[dee-u]

Professional developers mainly. I dont know any that refer to VB6 with "VB". We have 20+ Software Engineers at my job. People and other influentials at the PDC dont even consider or think about VB6 as "VB".

Way back in 2005-2006 when I am at peak of 'spamming' VBForums I'd remember that VB is mostly meant for VB6.0 but now I am encountering threads where VB is meant for VB.Net. I myself still refers to VB as VB6.0 though for clarity's sake I specify 6.0 and .Net.

OT: From being a freelancer for quite some time how did you go about adapting to being an employed programmer and perhaps following the company's standard instead of yours.

[Pino]

Yep, I'm with Rob on this one. Vb is a term that is used to describe the latest release of the VB products.

Although certain in enviroments it may be used to represent anything right back to vb4

[RobDog888]

Good point Pino, it can be varied depending upon the environment of it being used. At any Microsoft event "VB" will mean VB.NET for ex.


@DU, Well it was tough waking up at 6:45 am every day when I was used to waking up at ~9 am or later So far so good. Making good progress and advances. I changed at the best time, right before the economy really took a dump.

[DeanMc]

I hope they name the next release VBX or something. The reason is simple. While in a production sense the word can be polymorphic (do you see what i did there ) it makes searching online a bit of a nightmare if the latest release breaks the last. Granted there havent really been any major changes since 2003(1.1) but never the less when searching for VB - "something". You may end up with some outdated code where as if you went vbx -"something" you would get a more accurrete response.

[Hack]

Searching online does pose certain challenges.

I can't tell you have many times I've been searching for one type of VB code and wound up with the other VB code type for returns.

[DeanMc]

Although to be fair it may also be simply a case that you cannot categories which platform you are coding for so easily, or to be more precise, you may not know. It is a pity that MSDN can seem very sterile at times because as a reference it is great, sometimes though the articles can be quite formal and to the point.

[RobDog888]

I hope they name the next release VBX or something. The reason is simple. While in a production sense the word can be polymorphic (do you see what i did there ) it makes searching online a bit of a nightmare if the latest release breaks the last. Granted there havent really been any major changes since 2003(1.1) but never the less when searching for VB - "something". You may end up with some outdated code where as if you went vbx -"something" you would get a more accurrete response.

Nope, they already mentioned before that VBX will not work as it will create confusion. So its been known officially for some time now as VS 2010, due out in about a year from now.

At the recent PDC2008 event they showed demos and previews of it already too. Really great improvements.