Ok, first a disclaimer: I'm a Microsoft MVP with a competency in Visual Basic.
Normally I would not give this much thought, I've always favored VB (I started using it back when it was in version 3) over all other languages and thought very little of the debates that went on online comparing it to other languages.
Even when I read columns like this one, I felt nothing of it. 'VB will prevail' I used to tell myself, after all, no sane company in its right mind would alienate its 'largest group of developers'. I still think so.
However, when I am asked to 'consider' switching over to C# by my company, and specifically my boss and friend, who he himself is a former VB MVP, a few different thought-storms are brewing in my mind.
But probably the most important question is: how did this happen?
That is when I decided to write this blog. The fact of the matter is, there are many reasons for this to happen. The migration of developers from other platforms, J2EE for example, find a more familiar face in C#. VB6ers NOT migrating to the .Net world is another factor. And perhaps, the mere fact that VB is dubbed the hobbyists language of choice (after all, it is the most downloaded setup of Microsoft's 'express' editions) is yet another reason why 'professionals' are migrating.
But perhaps most importantly is universities worldwide offering C# as the development language of choice (or any semicolon language for that matter).
All the rest, is merely the chain reaction set in motion. C# books becoming more popular and better selling. C# developers becoming more desirable and thus paid better. Resources for C# are becoming much more available than for VB. And now Microsoft, the company that popularized the language, are treating it as a second-class citizen.
I don't mind becoming 'multilingual', but I've grown to love and respect VB throughout the years, and I won't go down without a fight! In my opinion, VB is and will remain the 'easiest' most efficient language to develop applications in; plus I don't think it is fair. Bill Gates: help!!
Anyway I'll take C#, with a grain of salt.
What do you think?
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6 comments:
I am switching to C# but totally agree with Bashar's statement that VB is still the easiest and most elegant of the .NET languages. Add to that its superior studio integration (intellisense, Background compilation, ...ect).
Still, its MS (or dark forces within) that is pushing us toward the semicolon world
Who cares what you like Bashar Basha!!
Take an advise from a rounder:
Like what you enjoy, but you must
enjoy what they$$ like
The sharpest....The smartest :)
Regards,
Mostafa - C# MVP
I have to agree with you Bashar. I have been using VB6 and classic ASP for the past 8 years but last year i switched to dot net (after a lot of fight and struglle to keep in VB but no luck) and the logic thing to do was to go for the C# and i think its the VB for the web development
vb6 was streets ahead of c#/vb.net et al for producivity. our development costs went up - and stayed up - by about 30% when we switched to dotnet.
asp.net/viewstate boost costs by a similar amount. we re-write on pricinciple rather than support the garbage we encounter in that stuff
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