Can someone share their views on the following?

I recently started learning Visual Basic 6.0 and now I hear comments from more experienced programmers that it would make more sense to learn VB.Net as in a short time this is what will ensure better work prospects.

Is Visual Basic really not worth learning now?

Thanks for your views

You still have to know VB6 (or any basic for that matter) to program in VB.NET.


The general logic is the same, only the ways of obtaining the results (file access, controls) are different.

First off, learn VB6. It would be very easy to then move onto VB.Net if you knew it. There are some major differences including some functions being taken out and different variable types. I started learning VB4 and I am programming in 6 with just as much ease. If you are willing to go spend the money on .Net then go ahead, and if you are eventually going to buy it then learn it first. No sense in spending more money.

ah the Question Begins.
Usually the answer is based upon "Do you want to spend the money?"
In the Case of .NET you don't have to spend the money on Visual Studio you can use notepad all you need to do is download the framework (which is free) from Microsoft's web site.
That said as a business owner I would hire people who show that they are willing to take the time an effort to learn the new technologies on their own. What this tell me is this person is ready to programme in .Net and I don't have to train them.The future is set for .Net and companies will have to follow eventually (3 years or so)
You can see the trend starting already with the elimation of Windows 95 and NT 4.0
2000 is replacing NT4 and SQL 2000 is replacing sql servers 7 and below.
As you already know in order to programme .NET you will need Windows 2000 or above.

If you are going to move to .NET from VB6.0 I suggest you forget everything you know with VB6 and look at VB.Net as a new Language.

Saves you a lot of frustration in the long run.


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Interesting response... I'd like to take that one step further.  For a novice programmer, (who has only tinkered in various languages) would you suggest going into the more powerful C# or starting with VB.NET??

TJ_Shrews

C# or VB.NET?

Why not both? VB is generally easier to do than the other languages, but general  programming "logic" is the same in virtually all.

For example: "If, For, while" statements in VB and VC are similar (well, even qbasic/gwbasic, C/C++, javascript... are similar).

Anyway... I'd learn both. If it's just for your own knowledge (not for an employer, or at their request), learn whichever you think you'd enjoy, or can learn the easiest, first - then the other. That way you know one (well), and can do it in a job.

If it's for your current job, you may want to see what languages they currently have the most of their windows based programs done in. If you have to convert them, it'd be a lot easier converting VB6-VB.NET then say VB6-C#.
Last place I worked for was planning on converting ALL VB/VC programs to the .NET framework. Some companies today may also be considering it.

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TJ_Shrews wrote:
Interesting response... I'd like to take that one step further.  For a novice programmer, (who has only tinkered in various languages) would you suggest going into the more powerful C# or starting with VB.NET??

C# is nice VB.NET gets the job done faster speed means $$$ and deadlines are met on time.Very important factors of business.Now days the Client/Customer owns the source code and looks to a language that anyone (programmers) can make adjustments if required. VB.NET is perfect for this type of environment. I am a consultant and I work with VB.NET or VB6.0 more than any other language. Clients are in a profit business they look to VB to provide that, get the consultants in to write the application get the in house programmers to support the application after. Cost effective comes more into play once the development has been completed.
If your getting into ASP.NET and VB.NET as the language of choice be prepared to include Java and SQL as part of the thigs to learn list :-)


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I'm still considering to learn vb.net but I need to know one thing before installing it. Is the coding in vb.net totally different from vb6?

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alexytc wrote:
I'm still considering to learn vb.net but I need to know one thing before installing it. Is the coding in vb.net totally different from vb6?

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i just want to mention that Visual Basic is a RAD tool.  it is for building applications, and even systems from scratch, in a very short span of time.. and even compared to C, vb does make a big impression, becaue aside from easy tools, you have help from almost everywhere!

codes, tools, controls... right now, they can be found easily, understood well, and used properly.

...that's just what i think

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Hi,
my own tuppenies-worth:
Speaking as a vb6-bod, now doing vbnet & c#, vb.net is like any other vb upgrade. you _can_ use it just like vb6 (with some minor mods), however, be prepared for some alteration in design from vb6, that said, if you've come from an COM/MTS/COM+ background the migration is a LOT simpler: you will understand that a class resides in a file in a dll; NET inserts another layer of abstraction called a namespace (like a dll that contains many other dlls), ie. myfinancedll1.myclass1 and myfinancedll2.myclass2 in vb6 can be refered to as myfinance.myclass1 and myfinance.myclass2 in NET). In short, there is a definite move towards OOP in the NET framework, i found the hardest bit getting used to ADONET rather than ADO as the biggest step (how do i open a bl**dy recordset!!!).
I dont mean to discourage you: I love the net stuff and would recommend it to anyone, however, as i said, a good grounding in OOP will help no-end when you start but you can definitly pick it up as you go, in both VBNET and c#.

Encouragingly (is that spelt right), i hope,
Kieron

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Oh yes,
please note the lack of support on the MSDN (both online and offline) for VS6, rumour has it that MS will drop their support early Q2 next year for the VS6 platform, however, the guys here will be supporting it for ages, im sure.
Kieron

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Build it better, faster, quicker, easier.. then fix it (non-offical MS mission statement)