Novice VBer

[JosephInc]

Hello,

I am new to programming and chose Visual Basic to be the first programming language I learn. I currently have Visual Basic 2008 Express Edition installed and was wondering if there are any good VB tutorials and books to help me learn the language.

Also, I had a few questions out of curiousity.

1. Can I code a new BASIC-like language using Visual Basic?
2. Is it possible to code an IDE that uses plugins to support Visual Basic, C/C++, etc...

And where can I purchase the full version, latest edition of VB?

[RobDog888]

Welcome to the Forums.

Learning resources...

2008
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vbasic/ms789086.aspx
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vbasic/bb466226.aspx

2005
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/aa718408.aspx
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vstudio/aa700732.aspx

[JosephInc]

Thank you very much!

[RobDog888]

Oh forgot but if you want to get C#/C++ you can download C#/C++ Express separately or Visual Studio trial version.

How do I ... in C#
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vcsharp/bb798022.aspx

Download
http://www.microsoft.com/express/vc/Default.aspx

[JosephInc]

Visual Basic is the best language to learn first as a first programming language, right?

[supertotallyawesome]

I would say, if you are completely new to programming, jump right into C#. Although VB.NET is pretty much the same thing as C# now, it may teach you bad practices which could confuse you later when you try to move on to a different language. Learning C# is pretty simple, it teaches you the basic syntax of all C-type langues, while still holding your hand and letting you rapidly develop applications. I started off in VB, but I much prefer C# now, and I find it a burden to have to support some of my older applications that were written in VB and VB.NET.

[JosephInc]

I C# basically C++, but MS's version for the .NET? Is it a lot harder than VB?

[supertotallyawesome]

C# is not identical to C++. It has similar structure, but it is a lot easier to read through than C++. Most of the time, if you see an example in VB.NET and an example in C#, it will look almost identical. The only difference most of the time is square brackets [] get used for things like arrays, all your lines end with a semi-colon ; and your functions and sub-sections of code are enclosed in squiggly brackets { } . Personally, I think if you can pick up on VB.NET, you can pick up C# just as easily.

A very simple, crude example of the differences:

VB:

Private Sub MyMessageBox(str As String)
     MessageBox.Show(str)
End Sub

C#:

private void MyMessageBox(String str)
{
     MessageBox.Show(str);
}

[JosephInc]

There's not much of a difference. I may go C# instead of VB.

[Shaggy Hiker]

There is an advantage of one of the C style languages, but it isn't all that much for most people. C# is pretty watered down C++, which can get into much more exotic constructs using the Standard Template Library, multiple-inheritance, and a few other things that serve mostly to muddy the water. Even MS doesn't use all of C++, but restricts themselves to what they consider a rational subset, which may be what you have in C#.

As for which to choose between C# and VB, it comes down to which syntax you have an easier time typing and reading. The C-style languages make extensive use of symbols, and have a fair number of extraneous symbols such as the {} and semicolon. Some might say that the curly braces aren't extraneous, since the same sort of thing exists in VB, and there's an element of truth in that, but only an element.

Basically, if you are a good typist, VB will be much easier, since you don't need to use hand killing Shift+top row stuff all over the place. Learning to read a C-style syntax is valuable, but unless you are totally hunt and peck, you might as well do your hands a favor and stick with VB.

[RobDog888]

Learning either C# or VB will be the same .NET framework. One language is not necessarily better then thte other because of this. It depends on what your app is needing to do which "may" influence which language to use.

Bottom line is once you learn the .NET framework you only have to learn the different syntax's of each to know both.

[alex_read]

1. Can I code a new BASIC-like language using Visual Basic?
2. Is it possible to code an IDE that uses plugins to support Visual Basic, C/C++, etc...

You can write text parsers which could then be interpreted and run code at a high level programming language level, yes. You can also write Windows applications which would allow you to write an IDE also and provide dialogs to expose a plugin framework, yes.

Most of the programming languages interprete and convert high level programming code (such as Visual Basic), down to native processor instructions directly which would require the use of the programming language assembler, but you can produce a program which compiles your custom language commands to Intermediate Language or .Net framework calls and have the .net framework and runtime handle the execution of the code for you.

And where can I purchase the full version, latest edition of VB?

A link to the free, or cut-down "express editions" of specific Visual Studio and .Net languages has been supplied above.

To buy the professional edition of Visual Studio I believe was something like 200 pounds perhaps but there's more info here: http://www.microsoft.com/emea/msdn/v...heretobuy.aspx

Visual Basic is the best language to learn first as a first programming language, right?

From a .Net perspective - there is not a lot of difference between each of the .Net languages as you will be learning the way the .Net framework operates and which of it's code libaries and methods can be used to perform tasks such as opening files or reading databases or simply outputting messages to the screen.

Syntactically the .Net languages are different - whether you call the framework code with or without squiggly brackets etc. but that's not really important. Hence, from a .net viewpoint, any .net language will be appropriate and all are the easiest.

C# and VB are the most popular, and are developed faster than the others such as J#, but what each .Net language lacks in one release will be bought upto speed with the others in the following release (if C# has WriteToTextFile, and VB is released with WriteToDatabase, by the next release usually both C# and VB will contain both of these so the above VB or C# preferences aren't really relevant and are the individuals preference/opinion only).

From a woder perspective, it really depends upon your end goals - what you would like to do in the future. If you're extremely keen on writing compilers of games then no, a .Net language isn't you best option. If you can give us more details on what you want to become in the future if you know, then we could advise better. If you have no idea just yet and want to learn any current language to start with and don't have a specialist interest, then yes any .net language is appropriate.