VB as a tool

Matt Gullett

A tool like any other. Less powerful than C++, but for some situations far superior in terms of productivity and time-to-deliver. Also a good prototyping tool and test bed for COM objects.

David Stone

I think I may be the only VB programmer on here.:) Of course, I use VB.Net, so I am just as effective as any of you are. ;P David Stone dstone@newcenturytitle.com
MEEKNESS, n. Uncommon patience in planning a revenge that is worth while. The Devil's Dictionary, Ambrose Bierce

Paul M Watt

I am surprised from all of these answers, I thought there was a larger anti-VB sentiment.:) Maybe it is just the few people that really hate VB stand-out. They must have had a bad run-in with a VB developer and continue to dwell in the past:)

Build a man a fire, and he will be warm for a day
Light a man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life!

Prem Kumar

Matt Gullett wrote: Also a good prototyping tool and test bed for COM objects Thats what it is! And the best thing is you can do almost every thing with the new features which usually have a COM base.

Matt Gullett

Many people seem to treat C++ (JAVA also) as a religion. To them anthing else sucks.

Jason Henderson

I prefer C++, but when you have to use a "tool" like PowerBuilder (at work), VB is a god-send. Like it or not, I'm right.

Nemanja Trifunovic

VB as a language is inferior, but as a RAD tool can be very useful sometimes. I really fail to understand why there is no real RAD environment for C++. :confused: I vote pro drink :beer:

Paul M Watt

There is Borland's C++ Builder, however I developed with this for a year with verison 4.0, and I thought it was a piece of crap. C++ Builder created their own windows library components that you use which is call Visual Component Library. VCL is actually the object's that are used in Delphi. I still prefer Visual Basic for a RAD. RAD - Rabid Application Development:)

Build a man a fire, and he will be warm for a day
Light a man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life!

ColinDavies

kilowatt wrote: general concensus Is a general concensus the same as a general consensus ? Regardz Colin J Davies

Sonork ID 100.9197:Colin

More about me :-)

Nemanja Trifunovic

Maybe I should have said: "I really fail to understand why there is no decent RAD environment for C++." :) I vote pro drink :beer:

Joao Vaz

Nemanja Trifunovic wrote: I really fail to understand why there is no real RAD environment for C++. Wrong! We have Borland C++ Builder 6 (this fully suports Partial Template Specialization) and IBM Visual Age C++ version ;P Concerning Borland C++ Builder 6, I'm waiting the FREE personal edition of it , to play with :-) And the Kylix C++ version for linux too :rolleyes: Cheers, Joao Vaz A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person - Natalie Portman (Padme/Amidala of Star Wars)

Paul M Watt

Nemanja Trifunovic wrote: Maybe I should have said: "I really fail to understand why there is no decent RAD environment for C++." Point well taken.:)

Build a man a fire, and he will be warm for a day
Light a man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life!

Paul M Watt

Only on the 3rd Tuesday in May for an even numbered year. Oh, it looks like it is my lucky day!:):):)

Build a man a fire, and he will be warm for a day
Light a man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life!

peterchen

YOu obviously never met Paul Watson ;P

The earth is not dying. It is being killed.

Christian Graus

David Stone wrote: Of course, I use VB.Net, so I am just as effective as any of you are. As effective as any C# programmers you mean ? Or any other CLR language except C++. Managed C++ is in fact faster than VB/C#, it is optimised. And native C++ canes them all. But as I often say to Paul Watson ( who uses VB ), just because you've made a poor choice in terms of programming language does not mean we think any less of you, so don't fret about it :-) Christian The tragedy of cyberspace - that so much can travel so far, and yet mean so little. And you don't spend much time with the opposite sex working day and night, unless the pizza delivery person happens to be young, cute, single and female. I can assure you, I've consumed more than a programmer's allotment of pizza, and these conditions have never aligned. - Christopher Duncan - 18/04/2002

Christian Graus

I'd go both. VB sucks, VBScript is worse, VB.NET is an intermediate step and VB will die within the next two iterations of Visual Studio. However, if you have the right COM components on hand, it's very good at throwng something together quickly, it's also good for people who are not smart enough to cope with the fact that C++ is taught wrong almost universally ( as C with classes instead as C++ ), or who simply want to learn to program in a more 'supportive' environment. It's an inferior language, no question. But I still think C# is inferior to C++ ( but give me C# over VB any day ). I am learning C# because of ASP.NET, it will be an effective tool for that purpose. Languages are tools, that does not make them all equal, but it also means the inferior ones have some uses. Christian The tragedy of cyberspace - that so much can travel so far, and yet mean so little. And you don't spend much time with the opposite sex working day and night, unless the pizza delivery person happens to be young, cute, single and female. I can assure you, I've consumed more than a programmer's allotment of pizza, and these conditions have never aligned. - Christopher Duncan - 18/04/2002

peterchen

The "anti-VB sentiment" is actually that it supports a coding style that is not suitable for complex and team projects. In less pc words: VB attracts and promotes lots of coders with very low design&development skills, and learning basic can be a major step away from true enlightment as taught by C++ gurus, The OO Family, the Delphi Dolphins, the Project Managment crew, and basically everybody who has experience with large-scale and/or commercial quality development.

The earth is not dying. It is being killed.

peterchen

Optima++ was quite a good C++ RAD tool, alas, it faded due to some bad design decisions and (probably) corporate politics.

The earth is not dying. It is being killed.

David Stone

Argghhh...this didn't reply to my post. It replied to the post under it. This happened to me earlier. Wonder why. Oh well. I forgot that Paul does VB too. David Stone dstone@newcenturytitle.com
MEEKNESS, n. Uncommon patience in planning a revenge that is worth while. The Devil's Dictionary, Ambrose Bierce

mstephens

I think both your points are correct. VB is an inferior language, but as a quick and dirty testing tool for COM components written in C++ it's damn good. It's lack of unsigned integers or longs is a complete pain in the ass for a lot of work i've ever done with it.