C++ vs VB 6

[Swi]

I have been using VB 6.0 for about 2 years now. I find it very easy to use and very user friendly. My question is what are the pros and cons of each? I have heard from many people that C++ can do many things VB can not but they fail to provide actual examples. This leads me to believe that those claims are false. Please comment on this.

Swi

 

[TomKane]

Well, the VB6 compiler is written in C++ if that gives you any indication. This is only my opinion, but I think C++ is more powerful in that you can do more with it as a programmer but I think that the trade off is that VB6 is easier to use - you can be up and running doing stuff in VB quicker that you would be in C++.

 

[CasperTFG]

Form wise I think VB is better. If your program is all user interface and no computation then VB is the way to go.

If you program has to do computations and client server stuff, then C++ is probably faster.

Our core company product here is a Server written in C++ that does all the comunications and computations etc. It talks with Client applications through TCP/IP. Since the client applications are all just display type programs they are written in VB.

Just my 2 cents

Craig, mailto:sander@cogeco.ca

In the computer industry, there are three kinds of lies:
lies, damn lies, and benchmarks.

 

[BBaggins]

If you are writing significant end-user applications that are primarily front-ends for a database, VB is the way to go, hands down.

What you can't do with VB is write small, lean utilities that don't require a lot of dependent files. You also can't write code that can be ported to non-Windows platforms. There are other limitations but they are mostly inconsequential to a Windows applications programmer.

It used to be that C++ was the clear winner in terms of runtime performance, but that edge has greatly dwindled.

Nowadays, development time is far more important in most environments, and VB will let you write and debug apps *much* faster than any other language.

 

[dilettante]

Delphi is pretty good too, and fits someplace between VB and C++ in the RAD vs. small & fast code comparisons.

Biggest headache I have with VB is creating NT services. You can do it, but what a nuisance. Still beats 20 times the effort to get a C++ service up though.

 

[xbafge]

They are designed for two different jobs: C++ is a low-level programming system and is designed do deliver the entire capabilities of computers to allow systems software or high performance applications that need to be as small as possible and as fast as possible to be written; VB is a high level syatem designed to make applications programming easier, cheaper, quicker albiet sacrificing some programming power. While it is possible to develop all possible VB programs in C++ it is not possible to develop all possible C++ programs in VB

 

[Swi]

Thanks to all.

Swi