Code Maintenance with Net

[Kamran]

I think .net is going to create a real problem maintaining applications.
Although it is nice that you can write your program in a multitude of languages
this creates a problem. It means that different developers on the same project
can use their own favorite languages(And don't even think they won't). This
might appear to be an advantage, but in the long run, you have to maintain
this stuff. Applications are hard enough to maintain without a middle tier
built with Perl, VB and C#. What a nightmare...

[David Bayley]

Kamran,

> It means that different developers on the same project
> can use their own favorite languages(And don't even think they won't).

They won't because the managers won't allow them to. In larger
organizations, then the existing factions will continue to exist, but at
least interop is much better.

> This
> might appear to be an advantage, but in the long run, you have to maintain
> this stuff. Applications are hard enough to maintain without a middle
tier
> built with Perl, VB and C#. What a nightmare...

Syntax isn't all that important, it's the frameworks that make maintaining
apps written in different languages difficult today. Having a common
framework, rather than the seperate continents that exists today, will far
outweigh the problems of language syntax IMO. Heck, the IDEs of the future
will probably do language translation transparently.

In the long run diversity is good, and will potentially lead to better
languages (visual, or whatever). Having a common environment to compete in,
is essential for that evolution. Likewise, on the macro scale, other
competing environments are a good thing, even if they only have the one
"pure" language <g>.

--
David.