To VB.NET or not to VB.NET?

[Jorge Biquez]

Hello all.
I read on detail all your messages and I was wondering if you could give
me your advice and point of view on the following.
After 2 years of not developing something seriious I'm re-mastering on VB6.
With all the pros and cons I have read on your messages about Microsoft new
strategy on the languages arena I was wondering if I it will be better to
start taking a look at language alternatives. Maybe Delphi or Cbuilder from
Borland(Inprise) or maybe another brand? I mean. I don't know c++ but if
I understood well it should be better that I be proficient on C++ since things
will change a lot and will be "easier" for people that is using C++.
What do you think?
Are you thinking on staying with Microsoft Strategy or switching to another
Brand?
What are good alternatives? Borland(Inprise)? Powerbuilder? other?

Thanks in advance for all your comments.

JB

[Jim Pragit]

Hi Jorge,

In terms of the IT industry, I wouldn't waste my time learning Delphi or
C++ Builder. They're great tools, but relatively few companies are actually
using them. I'm not sure I can recommend VB anymore because it might end
up being the next FoxPro. Learning Java would be a better and safer choice.
Also, consider C#.

If you're a hobbiest, Delphi is a great choice.

- Jim
Elegance and consistency are *features* I wish VB had.

"Jorge Biquez" <jbiquez@icsmx.com> wrote:
>
>Hello all.
>I read on detail all your messages and I was wondering if you could give
>me your advice and point of view on the following.
>After 2 years of not developing something seriious I'm re-mastering on VB6.
>With all the pros and cons I have read on your messages about Microsoft
new
>strategy on the languages arena I was wondering if I it will be better to
>start taking a look at language alternatives. Maybe Delphi or Cbuilder from
>Borland(Inprise) or maybe another brand? I mean. I don't know c++ but if
>I understood well it should be better that I be proficient on C++ since
things
>will change a lot and will be "easier" for people that is using C++.
>What do you think?
>Are you thinking on staying with Microsoft Strategy or switching to another
>Brand?
>What are good alternatives? Borland(Inprise)? Powerbuilder? other?
>
>Thanks in advance for all your comments.
>
>JB

[Kunle Odutola]

Best choices IMO (not in any order) :
1) The .NET platform/framework and VB.NET (and/or C#)
2) The Java2+J2EE platforms/APIs and the Java language

In both cases ensure you really get into the supporting APIs for database,
messaging and message queing, email, object transaction services etc...

Kunle


"Jorge Biquez" <jbiquez@icsmx.com> wrote in message
news:3ae63781$1@news.devx.com...
>
> Hello all.
> I read on detail all your messages and I was wondering if you could give
> me your advice and point of view on the following.
> After 2 years of not developing something seriious I'm re-mastering on
VB6.
> With all the pros and cons I have read on your messages about Microsoft
new
> strategy on the languages arena I was wondering if I it will be better to
> start taking a look at language alternatives. Maybe Delphi or Cbuilder
from
> Borland(Inprise) or maybe another brand? I mean. I don't know c++ but if
> I understood well it should be better that I be proficient on C++ since
things
> will change a lot and will be "easier" for people that is using C++.
> What do you think?
> Are you thinking on staying with Microsoft Strategy or switching to
another
> Brand?
> What are good alternatives? Borland(Inprise)? Powerbuilder? other?
>
> Thanks in advance for all your comments.
>
> JB

[Markus Rautenberg]

> Are you thinking on staying with Microsoft Strategy or switching to
another
> Brand?
> What are good alternatives? Borland(Inprise)? Powerbuilder? other?

Do you really think you will get an unbiased answer in a Microsoft
VisualBasic related newsgroup?

[Phil Weber]

> Do you really think you will get an unbiased answer
> in a Microsoft Visual Basic-related newsgroup?

Markus: He asked for people's opinions, which are inherently biased.
---
Phil Weber

[simon]

Jorge,

I agree with the other poster that DO NOT waste any time on Delphi and
C++Builder. There are so many better things and more marketable things to
learn. .NET is going to be an important part of software development
because Microsoft will not allow it not to be. However, since it is still
in Beta 1 and the final release is definitely going to be different,
therefore get familiar with it but don't spend too much on it either. I
will wait till the release candicate to actually dive in. Meanwhile, it is
perfect time to learn other non-microsoft technologies like Java and XML.

Hope this helps.

simon.


"Jorge Biquez" <jbiquez@icsmx.com> wrote in message
news:3ae63781$1@news.devx.com...
>
> Hello all.
> I read on detail all your messages and I was wondering if you could give
> me your advice and point of view on the following.
> After 2 years of not developing something seriious I'm re-mastering on
VB6.
> With all the pros and cons I have read on your messages about Microsoft
new
> strategy on the languages arena I was wondering if I it will be better to
> start taking a look at language alternatives. Maybe Delphi or Cbuilder
from
> Borland(Inprise) or maybe another brand? I mean. I don't know c++ but if
> I understood well it should be better that I be proficient on C++ since
things
> will change a lot and will be "easier" for people that is using C++.
> What do you think?
> Are you thinking on staying with Microsoft Strategy or switching to
another
> Brand?
> What are good alternatives? Borland(Inprise)? Powerbuilder? other?
>
> Thanks in advance for all your comments.
>
> JB

[Mike Mitchell]

On Wed, 25 Apr 2001 14:40:09 -0500, "simon" <substring0@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>.... .NET is going to be an important part of software development
>because Microsoft will not allow it not to be.

"Microsoft will not allow it not to be" - what arrogance! It's the
*customers* who decide, not Microsoft! Get a clue!

MM

[Markus Rautenberg]

"Phil Weber" <pweber@devx.com> wrote in message
news:3ae70904@news.devx.com...
> > Do you really think you will get an unbiased answer
> > in a Microsoft Visual Basic-related newsgroup?
>
> Markus: He asked for people's opinions, which are inherently biased.

Correct. And sometimes their tendency is predictable.

[Torsten Rienow]

Mike, i think you are wrong. Microsoft will decide.
..NET is the new vision, like COM was before.
But COM was sold to programmers.
..NET will be selled to managers.


"Mike Mitchell" <kylix_is@hotmail.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:3ae75d9a.13128925@news.devx.com...
> On Wed, 25 Apr 2001 14:40:09 -0500, "simon" <substring0@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >.... .NET is going to be an important part of software development
> >because Microsoft will not allow it not to be.
>
> "Microsoft will not allow it not to be" - what arrogance! It's the
> *customers* who decide, not Microsoft! Get a clue!
>
> MM

[Jonathan Allen]

I hope they concentrate their marketing on managers. In my shop, the
programmers are begging to use .Net while the managers are really hesitant.

--
Jonathan Allen


"Torsten Rienow" <torsten.rienow@bcf.de> wrote in message
news:3ae76dae@news.devx.com...
> Mike, i think you are wrong. Microsoft will decide.
> .NET is the new vision, like COM was before.
> But COM was sold to programmers.
> .NET will be selled to managers.
>
>
> "Mike Mitchell" <kylix_is@hotmail.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
> news:3ae75d9a.13128925@news.devx.com...
> > On Wed, 25 Apr 2001 14:40:09 -0500, "simon" <substring0@hotmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > >.... .NET is going to be an important part of software development
> > >because Microsoft will not allow it not to be.
> >
> > "Microsoft will not allow it not to be" - what arrogance! It's the
> > *customers* who decide, not Microsoft! Get a clue!
> >
> > MM
>
>

[Jon Ogden]

I know of only a few programmers who have actually worked with .NET (either
language) for a legitimate length of time who aren't ready and eager to use
..NET. Like you, I find that our managers are somewhat timid ..though I think
I may have started the ball rolling on a pilot project using beta two.

"Jonathan Allen" <greywolf@cts.com> wrote in message
news:3ae7a857@news.devx.com...
> I hope they concentrate their marketing on managers. In my shop, the
> programmers are begging to use .Net while the managers are really
hesitant.
>
> --
> Jonathan Allen
>
>
> "Torsten Rienow" <torsten.rienow@bcf.de> wrote in message
> news:3ae76dae@news.devx.com...
> > Mike, i think you are wrong. Microsoft will decide.
> > .NET is the new vision, like COM was before.
> > But COM was sold to programmers.
> > .NET will be selled to managers.
> >
> >
> > "Mike Mitchell" <kylix_is@hotmail.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
> > news:3ae75d9a.13128925@news.devx.com...
> > > On Wed, 25 Apr 2001 14:40:09 -0500, "simon" <substring0@hotmail.com>
> > > wrote:
> > >
> > > >.... .NET is going to be an important part of software development
> > > >because Microsoft will not allow it not to be.
> > >
> > > "Microsoft will not allow it not to be" - what arrogance! It's the
> > > *customers* who decide, not Microsoft! Get a clue!
> > >
> > > MM
> >
> >
>
>

[Thomas J. Theobald \(Borland\)]

Well, although I'm a biased source, Delphi has paid my way for the past five
or six years. But rather than take my opinion, here's one from eWeek -
http://www.zdnet.com/eweek/stories/g...712635,00.html .

Whatever you end up choosing, though, good luck with it! There's a really
cool set of years coming up, and I'm sure we'll see each other around.

Later -

T

[Pippi Pilkinson]

I have spent the last 7 years on VB.
Upgrading applications from VB3 to VB4 to VB5 to VB6.
And for each upgrade more and more applications to fix.
So now I have switched back to Cobol. Now there are an objectoriented
release.
And on IBM-MVS z-series you can run Linux, Java and Apache.
I do not have to do any upgrades anymore.
I can be a developer again, not mostly an upgrader/rewriter.
I can do scalable webapplications.
Wow!

/pippi

Jorge Biquez wrote in message <3ae63781$1@news.devx.com>...
>
>Hello all.
>I read on detail all your messages and I was wondering if you could give
>me your advice and point of view on the following.
>After 2 years of not developing something seriious I'm re-mastering on VB6.
>With all the pros and cons I have read on your messages about Microsoft new
>strategy on the languages arena I was wondering if I it will be better to
>start taking a look at language alternatives. Maybe Delphi or Cbuilder from
>Borland(Inprise) or maybe another brand? I mean. I don't know c++ but if
>I understood well it should be better that I be proficient on C++ since
things
>will change a lot and will be "easier" for people that is using C++.
>What do you think?
>Are you thinking on staying with Microsoft Strategy or switching to another
>Brand?
>What are good alternatives? Borland(Inprise)? Powerbuilder? other?
>
>Thanks in advance for all your comments.
>
>JB

[Rick Barnett]

Hey Thomas, don't you know you guys were supposed to be history by now, long
since crushed under the boot of VB. You must be loving it now that VB is
shattered into the "classic" camp, the "moving to Java/Delphi" camp, the "moving
to C#" camp, and the "stick with the new VB.C#-wannabee" (which is particualarly
sad since C# is a Java-wannabee) camp.

You guys already made Delphi cross-platform and you're coming out with this
web-services thing probably before we even see .NET Beta 2. There must be some
truth to the rumor that Anders H. is actually a Borland mole. Fess up!

Good thing I'm a VC guy, we still kick C++ Builder arse :-p

Rick


"Thomas J. Theobald (Borland)" <ttheobald@@borland.com> wrote in message
news:3ae86e20$1@news.devx.com...
> Well, although I'm a biased source, Delphi has paid my way for the past five
> or six years. But rather than take my opinion, here's one from eWeek -
> http://www.zdnet.com/eweek/stories/g...712635,00.html .
>
> Whatever you end up choosing, though, good luck with it! There's a really
> cool set of years coming up, and I'm sure we'll see each other around.
>
> Later -
>
> T
>
>

[Mike Mitchell]

On Wed, 25 Apr 2001 21:41:27 -0700, "Jonathan Allen"
<greywolf@cts.com> wrote:

>I hope they concentrate their marketing on managers. In my shop, the
>programmers are begging to use .Net while the managers are really hesitant.
>

The managers are being hesitant because they are being driven by their
budgets, their brains, and their experience of management. That's why
they're there and programmers, who are driven by blind enthusiasm and
a need to prove themselves at all costs, can only beg.

If we listened to programmers, all private cars would have their own
nuclear power units and the roads would be paved with Burger King
packaging and flattened Jolt cans.

MM