Just starting about 8 months ago with VB 6.0, I'm wondering what the major differences will be if someone doesn't mind taking the time to post their thoughts. I've been hearing and reading a little about it but haven't had the opportunity to get the beta version.

Every day above ground is a GOOD DAY!!!

I went into it myself with a very positive attitude, but... I just uninstalled VS.Net Beta 1 tonight.

I'll (maybe) take a look at Beta 2, but for now I am going back to VS 6 (including VB 6).

Can you say ugly?  That's what VB has become in VB.Net. The problem is the C++ types have trodden all over it with their muddy sneaker prints.  You get so much nasty stuff plopped into your code it isn't funny.  Lots of declarative nonsense blocks commented with stuff like "I'd turn back if I were you!"  Ok, more like "don't try to edit this stuff or your code will die."

In trying to make that relic from Bell Labs (C, and now C++) easier they've dragged VB down into the muck.

Sure, I'll go back and take another stab at it.  Sure, I'll get used to it.  Sure, the improved capabilities in VB7 are worth it.

But I don't think I'm ever going to enjoy it.

From a productivity perspective it looks like a GIANT leap backwards.  You might be better off becoming a C# or C++ programmer than beat your head against VB7.

dilettante -

There's no doubt that VB7/.NET will cause a rise in demand of high-resolution monitors.  Not only are there a lot more dockable windows, but as you point out, lots of placeholders in the code for info needed by the development system itself.  Luckily you can roll those up to only take one line, but still....

I for one am glad to see the new changes.  I can now write true Windows NT Services, instead of jumping to Visual C to do it, or using an unsupported OCX.  There's no doubt that the learning curve will be steep, but I think it'll be worth it.

Chip H.

I have to agree with Chip H. on one point, at least (in theory, if you can stand to write it) you will now be able to create NT services and poolable objects, and other things in VB.

But it is going to be painful, and the streets are littered as it is with "VB programmers" who don't really know what is going on now.  With VB.Net we'll have even more people creating programs that "sort of work" "most of the time" based upon taking an old program somebody else wrote and hacking on it.

Shades of the commercial Cobol programmer days!

Still, if you're going to the trouble to wring out working VB.Net code why wouldn't you go whole-hog and just abandon VB for C#?

Dilettante,
It appears to me that you've never done any extensive development in C/C++. If you're only a Visual Basic programmer and haven't been exposed to the niceties involved with the true OO characteristics involved in other languages, then you have no idea what your missing. In that event then Yes, you get a lot of 'garbage' added to your code. For us programmers that do development in VB and C++, then the 'garbage' opens a lot of doors in providing functionality that could not be done as efficiently in VB, or not at all.

Neil Konitzer, President
Freisoft
www.freisoft.com

Neil -

I think dilettante has a good point -- the bar has been raised by .NET and VB7.  Anyone who was just "getting by" will be in for a big shock.  Those who have kept up with the literature and studied OO principles will be in a great position.

My only concern is that, as with any new technology, there will be programmers out there using the new features just because they're available, not because of any real need by the assignment.  I saw that happen in VB5 when interfaces came out.  All of a sudden, everyone just had to have interface classes.

Chip H.

That's probably why Microsoft is still continuing to support VB 6 long after .NET is released. The new version won't be for everyone. If you're sticking with creating non web-based apps, then there may not be any reason to go to the new version.

In the line of work that I do, it's in my best interest to take advantage of the new features. There's definitely a learning curve here, but that's the nature of the business. How many successful BASIC developers are still in business only doing BASIC work?

To re-iterate my point, being a C++ developer as well, I'm happy that VB is now becoming more of a true object-orientated language.

Neil Konitzer, President
Freisoft
www.freisoft.com

I think you need to understand what MS has come to understand though.

They've had phenomenal success with the VB product line during its 10-year run.  This is due about 50% to the "accessability" of the product.  It made it possible for a lot of people (who otherwise would never have the chance) to deal with the message-driven model required for Windows programming.

The other 50% was the ability to get at functionality beyond VB through the extensibility it supported - the "add-in controls" model (VBX, OCX, et al.).

Now they're saying that this (latter) is what Web Services are all about.  A way to implement extensions for _distributed_ functionality - i.e. package up the distributed computing "hard stuff" as web services that can easily be consumed by the masses of casual developers.

But if web services are to be the OCXs of the next few years, what the heck will the great unwashed use to consume these?  I don't believe VB.Net is going to cut it in this arena.

So I suspect the answer is that VB will die off and today's VB developers will split and go toward C#/C++ on the one hand and something new (?) on the other.

As for people doing nothing but VB, I know of DROVES of VB-only programmers.  Mostly in larger organizations, doing exactly what they did 10 years ago as Cobol programmers: making simple data-entry/data-retrieval programs and report programs (using Crystal or other reporting add-ins).

The IBM community is seeing this same problem.  IBM has been pushing Java as the strategic development platform for their customers.  You have to understand that IBM's a much bigger Java player than Sun itself is.  But long-time IBM shops are finding that they can't afford Java programmers, and few of their Cobol/RPG developers have been successful making the transition.  The result is more jobs going to H1B types.  This REALLY doesn't play well in the current nationalistic climate.

But only time will tell.

For those people who want to stay with VB6, here's a subtle clue as to the future of VB:

In the Visual Studio Programmers Journal magazine (used to be VBPJ), they have a graphic by each article, and they check off the technologies the article uses.  Look at the position of VB6 in the list: dead last.

Chip H.