Is Visual Basic worth learning?

quadboi

quadboi

quadboi

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Is Visual Basic worth learning? Also vb.net

Hello,

Is Visual basic worth learning (VB 6) in particular... Or Visual Basic 2005

What are the advantages etc... it will be a first programming language in which I will put in 2-3 hours a day for 6 weeks.

Thanks, if so, the best online free tutorial?

http://www.vbtutor.net/vbtutor.html - Any good? :rolleyes:

Thanks guys/gals. - Yes I am the one who was going to learn html, but I feel programming is a far better use to me..
 
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Depends on why you want to learn a programming language really.

Personally, I would stay away from VB6 if you're just learning it out of interest. It's quite an aging language and has been superceded in support from MS, purpose, and functionality by the likes of VB.NET, C# etc. It's also, in my opinion (and quite a few others'), a bad language to learn as a beginner because it teaches you bad habits (it's not strongly typed, doesn't enforce variable declaration etc.).

If you just want to learn a programming language for the sake of it, I'd recommend C# or Java (my personal preference being C#), or VB.NET if you're so inclined (it's almost identical to C#, just lacking a couple of extra little features). They're both free to use (assuming you use the C# Express Edition IDE), and are the pretty much the latest and greatest in managed programming languages. They both encourage good programming practises, but are also fairly easy to learn as a beginner.
 
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Definitely definitely not VB6. VB.NET is okay but if you've got a clean slate, and no reason to choose VB in particular, I'd definitely go with C#.

C# has the same functions and libraries as VB.NET so it's pretty easy to transfer between the two, but syntactically C# is a lot nicer, amongst other things, and it's easier to transfer from C# to Java, C, C++ etc.
 
As Rob said, I'd recommend C# over VB.NET, if you've no reason to go for VB.NET. It has more features than VB.NET, is generally held in higher regard, and is just a lot more elegant and concise. To be honest, there's not really a lot of point in VB.NET other than to introduce old VB6 programmers to the .NET framework.

C# is Microsoft's current flagship language, and is built from the ground up around the .NET framework, whereas VB.NET is just an adaptation of VB6 to use the .NET framework, and so it would make more sense to go with C#, especially as a new programmer.

Anyway, excuse me while I don my asbestos undies :)
 
Thanks, could you in a couple of sentances explain what either C# and vb.net do/designed for..


Thanks


Also, btw, a teacher at my next school will be setting up evening lessons, just after school for free for around 10 people who are intrested in I.T. to teach them Vb.net... I will be attending that so, I feel its more suited to learn vb.net, atleast its another thing under my belt...
 
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Well, as I've said, C# and VB.NET are pretty similar in terms of functionality. Essentially, they're both designed to be modern, easy to use, and managed programming languages for general application development.

Not a brilliant summary, I'm sure looking at Wikipedia would be more informative :)

As for attending VB.NET classes, as long as you understand the differences in syntax between C# and VB.NET, then there shouldn't be any problem, as they're both using the same libraries.
 
Personally, I would stay away from VB6 if you're just learning it out of interest. It's quite an aging language and has been superceded in support from MS, purpose, and functionality by the likes of VB.NET, C# etc. It's also, in my opinion (and quite a few others'), a bad language to learn as a beginner because it teaches you bad habits (it's not strongly typed, doesn't enforce variable declaration etc.).
Click to expand...

Visual Basic 6 is still used though. As for variable declaration, pretty much everyone uses Option Explicit which turns on the enforcement variable declaration. I think that the use of the .Net platform is nowhere near as big as people make out on this platform and perhaps has not lived up to in aspects such as use to many peoples expectations.
 
robc123 said:
Visual Basic 6 is still used though. As for variable declaration, pretty much everyone uses Option Explicit which turns on the enforcement variable declaration. I think that the use of the .Net platform is nowhere near as big as people make out on this platform and perhaps has not lived up to in aspects such as use to many peoples expectations.
Click to expand...
The examples I gave were just a couple of points off the top of my head, and yes, the variable declaration enforcement isn't a particularly good one :p

As for the .NET framework, it's certainly an enourmous improvement over the functionality that VB6 offers out of the box. If you're using the .NET framework, practically everything you could need is provided for, leaving you to focus on the business logic, rather than getting caught up in how to do this or that task within the limitations of the language.
 
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I think vb.net is a nice start, it seems the "ok" descision reading your opinions as they are both similar... so, I can swap after learning vb.net as I believe it is easier as there are better video tutorials etc... available (link above by myself).... also will get guideance at the class after school.


It also looks like a great interface easy etc... the Visual Basic 2005 I have just got from MS website
 
:) Thanks for that link, however as they are both similar (Wont lose out on much), and im getting classes anyway so will go over same things twice..., might aswell learn vb.net first... :)



Thanks v much, might do the first lesson today, im going to do it lesson by lesson , master each lesson each day... will have the basics of vb.net in two weeks, taking it slowly as I have other subjects to contend with for gcse's starting next year, you know on the MS website they have these video tutorials they are for the basics are there any for intermedia and advance aswell..

Thanks guys :)

Will have an rss feeder in 3 weeks time..Following the MS guides/tutorials.

After that what other applications are good for beginners etc... ;) Get on msn too Inquisitor thanks ;) I presume you know vb.net
 
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