C# or Java? you decide

[Dillinger4]

After reading a thread (i forget which one) that talked about Java
and C# and how Java will lose the battle i just wanted to air my views. Any replies would be cool.

C# is the answer of Microsoft to the Open Source under GNU Licence.
Java is not based on Open Source, so it can't be directly concerned by
C#.
It may be concerned in this point of view : C# is native compilation
whereas Java isn't. And on that line, Sun has to be carefull and not
sleeping too much. Native compilated code don't break the
"write once run everywhere". It will be more powerfull and would
show up all the power of the language. And Microsoft won't be able
to block these programms anymore.

I have done some research, not as much as I could have, but there are some conclusions that I have come to.

C# is not a direct competor to java because they really are attempting to address diffrent ends of the spectrum.

C# is more of a C++ replacement than a Java replacement. It is more a way for cleaner DCOM/MFC programming than a true cross platform language spec.

C# does NOT have the security of Java nor will ever have the level or security that java enjoys. Any attempt to tell me otherwise will have to be backed up with hard facts. I've seen code where you can selectivly turn off GC of specific objects, that's a DOS waiting to happen. The only way for C# to be secure is to use NO unsafe functions, but the way to get the most speed from your app is to use unsafe functions.

The similarities in the language are skin deep, as any OO functional language would have similar language specifications.

People sometimes say it might be better from a size perspecteve. Remeber that to run windows apps requires almost 1gb ( xp ) 600mb ( 2000 ) 300mb ( 98 ) to run windows applications. VB has and still does require a large .dll even to run it's applications and that is just a thin wrapper over the native calls.

Dispite my current issues with sun's JCP, size of the runtime, pure graphics speed, and footprint ( much better with beta2 thanks! ) it is still the best combination of development and acceptance ( some obsure languages are better, but with fewer tools and runtime options ).

Watch out C# developers, as M$ is changing it's licencing to possibly prevent OpenSource development with it's tools!

[Zaei]

Personally, I am not a big fan of .NET, and its runtime libraries. It is almost as if each and every language included in the package is moving further towards VB. Yes, it will allow the languages to seamlessy interact, but at what price? I much perfer to stick with VS 6.0

Z.

[Dillinger4]

Thats what im saying. If you guys love to program in C++ so much, now your going to be forced to use C#.


I was a Visual C++ programmer who switched to Java in 2000. When I made the switch, Microsoft was pushing VB, Visual C++, and Visual J++. All these languages were unified by COM; objects written in one language could be used by the others.

Two years later, support for J++ is dropped and Visual C++ must be being dropped for C#. And where does VB stand in relation to C#? If I have a team of VB-trained programmers can they maintain a body of C# code or will they be resigned to only access the code though OLE/COM/COM+/ActiveX/OCX?

For example, as a C++ programmer, I had to look at VB documentation to understand the COM functionality exposed in MS Office programs. It wasn't too big a deal, but I would have preferred a set of documentation geared to C++.

With Java, you use the same syntax in JSP, EJB, Swing, and Core programming. It seems to run against computing trends to have a language like C# add keywords to an established standard like C++.

[JoshT]

Visual C++ is not being dropped, it still part of .Net. You have the choice of using C# with the .Net object model. There was a Dr. GUI article on MSDN that explains this.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/de...ui09042001.asp

And I personally think as long as OSes continue to be written with C/C++, the languages will be here for a long time.

[Zaei]

Just beacuse an OS is written in a language has no bearing on how that language is used. ASM is basically the only thing required for an OS. Then, someone could write a C# compiler for that OS, and leave C/C++ in the dust. Or, the UI could be in C, but there may not be a compiler for it. Yeah, a freeware compiler might be released by someone whoe really liked that OS, but most useres would probably be using C# by that time. See what i'm getting at?

No one is going to force C# on you, but the preassure will be there

little MS voice in head: uuuusssseeeee cccccccshhhaaarrppppp!!!!
me: NOOOOOOO!
little MS voice in head:yeesssssssss!!!
me: NOOOOOOO!
little MS voice in head: lloooooosssseeeeee ccccc pllussss pllusssss!!!
me: NOOOOOOO!

Z.