VB, C# and .NET

retrac2k

retrac2k

retrac2k

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Whitstable
Right, without trying to sound completely stupid, can someone clarify something for me...

Is coding in VB the same as VB.net? And does coding in C# also simply utilise the .net framework?

I'm just a bit confused... as I'm sure is apparent! I'm having a bit of a hard time differentiating between simple VB and C# and how it relates to .net.

Can someone clarify this for me?

TIA
 
.NET is a framework that you can utilise to help you develop software it could be a windows, web or even a mobile application for phones. You can write code to utilise the framework in a number of languages it could be VB.NET, C# and others. If someones mentions VB without the .NET bit at the end that's usually associated with the old VB, version 6 or below it is not associated with .NET.

What is a framework? It is basically a large collection of bits of code called classes written by Microsoft to help you develop your software quicker. For example you could use a class written by Microsoft to help you with handling files.
 
Hi, thanks for replying!

So basically, if you can code in C# and/or VB, then the .net bit pretty much follows on...?

In a sense, is this comparable to learning how to use additional libraries, in other languages like C++? i.e. you basically utilise .net code and functions in VB/C#

Cheers
 
retrac2k said:
Hi, thanks for replying!

So basically, if you can code in C# and/or VB, then the .net bit pretty much follows on...?

In a sense, is this comparable to learning how to use additional libraries, in other languages like C++? i.e. you basically utilise .net code and functions in VB/C#

Cheers
Click to expand...

Yeah pretty much. I could develop a class in C# but you could use it in your VB.NET application, why because they all use the same framework. This is why .NET is so powerful because once you learn what you can do with the framework you can develop a windows, web or even a mobile application in C# or VB.NET or any other language .NET supports.
 
OK awesome! Cheers for that!

Right, well I've done 3 years of Java at uni, and a bit of C, and spent my final year coding in C++ for my dissertation. How easy/hard do you think it would be to pick up learning .net and C#/VB?

Any good books that you could recommend?

Thanks again!
 
retrac2k said:
OK awesome! Cheers for that!

Right, well I've done 3 years of Java at uni, and a bit of C, and spent my final year coding in C++ for my dissertation. How easy/hard do you think it would be to pick up learning .net and C#/VB?

Any good books that you could recommend?

Thanks again!
Click to expand...

Well considering your Java, C and C++ background I wouldn't bother learning the VB.NET syntax and just stick to C#.

The following book is superb: -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sams-Teach-...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213301809&sr=8-1
 
Absolutely brilliant! Once again, thanks very much!

I've been looking around on the internet with regards to software engineering/development jobs, and a lot of them require knowing how to code in VB.net and C#... so you reckon that have the C# skills would ultimately be more beneficial?
 
retrac2k said:
Absolutely brilliant! Once again, thanks very much!

I've been looking around on the internet with regards to software engineering/development jobs, and a lot of them require knowing how to code in VB.net and C#... so you reckon that have the C# skills would ultimately be more beneficial?
Click to expand...

What you will find is C# developers and I'm not saying all can have a superiority complex against VB.NET developers. Heavens know why because you can achieve the same in both pretty much. One thing I will say there is more demand for C# developers. Why I'm not sure? Maybe because there's more VB.NET developers in the market.
 
Thank you so much for all of your really helpful comments!

I think I'll invest some time trying to learn a bit of C# then, and see what happens!

Love these forums!! :)
 
RockLobster said:
What you will find is C# developers and I'm not saying all can have a superiority complex against VB.NET developers. Heavens know why because you can achieve the same in both pretty much. One thing I will say there is more demand for C# developers. Why I'm not sure? Maybe because there's more VB.NET developers in the market.
Click to expand...

I know of companies that have chosen to use VB.NET pver C# as their language of choice 'because VB.NET developers are cheaper'
I've tried to convince them that any competent developer can work in both and if they really are that much cheaper there's a reason for it.

/Working on a VB.NET project at the moment
//Much prefer C# to VB.NET
 
RockLobster said:
What interests you Windows apps or Web stuff?
Click to expand...

To be honest, I haven't really done a lot of web stuff... my main reasoning for trying to learn either C# or VB is due to most of the jobs I've seen require it, or at least want you to have knowledge of how to use it.

OK, so I think I understand where the whole .net bit fits in to both languages, so is there a quick example that anyone could give as to some additional function that .net provides for C#? i.e. a function that .net gives you that isn't available in 'standard' C#?
 
retrac2k said:
To be honest, I haven't really done a lot of web stuff... my main reasoning for trying to learn either C# or VB is due to most of the jobs I've seen require it, or at least want you to have knowledge of how to use it.

OK, so I think I understand where the whole .net bit fits in to both languages, so is there a quick example that anyone could give as to some additional function that .net provides for C#? i.e. a function that .net gives you that isn't available in 'standard' C#?
Click to expand...

It's not quite as simple as that; C# is technically just a language specfication, but in 90% of its usage, it refers to Visual C#, which is Microsoft's implementation of the C# specification. There are other implementations, such as Mono, but these are open source projects that are rarely used by businesses.

The .NET Framework is a completely integral part of Visual C#, so there's not really any such thing as 'standard C#' :)

.NET actually consists of far more than just a library, and you'd probably be best off reading up about it here.
 
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retrac2k said:
Right, well I've done 3 years of Java at uni, and a bit of C, and spent my final year coding in C++ for my dissertation. How easy/hard do you think it would be to pick up learning .net and C#/VB?
Click to expand...
If you've done Java for 3 years you pretty much know C# already. They are very similar languages. There's only a few little features that are different. The .NET framework is comparable to the Java API and the JVM.
 
Just a small note:

VB <> VB.Net

So if you learn VB6.0 and then say try to create some VB.Net programme, you will most likely fail. C# > VB (.Net or otherwise)
 
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