Visual Basic?

[Ben]

Thought I'd make a topic about Visual Basic.

I downloaded Visual Basic about a month ago and since it's been pretty cool - it's pretty cool how you can make such big applications in such little time and effort - Visual Basic is probably the easiest desktop-oriented programming language to learn but at first it is still pretty complicated until you've read the manual three times lol...

It's pretty cool what Microsoft has made and since the past few years it has been free too... even though Visual Basic isn't as fully-featured and the integrity isn't as great as C/C++ is but it can do some really cool stuff effortlessly... and some unique tools that are Windows-specific.

Database integration is probably quite easy if you don't need to add database interaction heavily. If so, you'll be needing to use VB code which can be a daunting task and time-consuming but probably easier than any other desktop programming language.

Quick and easy to learn the fundamentals of Visual Basic and you can go straight ahead in making Windows applications, pretty cool overall...

While other's may agree with me, maybe C/C++ would be the best advantage but VB does go along way in Windows development and even though Microsoft may state it is a further down the line of C/C++ you can still do some pretty cool stuff in it!

Do you use VB? What do you think of it?

[Rock]

I've used VB.. it's pretty cool.... but I'm still Basic at it

[Brian]

Did VB back in 2000. Its pretty easy, if you can speak English you can do it. You can do it in short code or 1000 lines of if and else statements hehe.

[sb123]

Originally Posted by Brian

Did VB back in 2000. Its pretty easy, if you can speak English you can do it. You can do it in short code or 1000 lines of if and else statements hehe.

Did VB way back in 1993-94. Learning and using VB was very easy then, and we did very good programming with it, and it helped my team at Lansa USA, Chicago, manage SQL Server connectivity to AS-400 (PowerBuilder was the front-end tool) for the 1st time. Now, after so many years, VB is still the same as far as the learning curve is concerned... Quite Easy!

We were much impressed with VB then (it was VB ver. 3 I think, not very sure, but it was very powerful even then). It was the same time when we could have concentrated on a new application -- JAVA! I opted for VB (as SW development tool with GUI), Sybase (on UNIX), SQL Server (Windows and NT), and PowerBuilder (GUI, Front-end tool) -- and neglected JAVA, because we were not sure THEN, and we wondered -- for what purpose we could possibly use Java?! (1993)

[DPS Computing]

Used VB for 2 years at college - it does have its advantages - a bit clunky and slow for bigger applications and file sizes are relitively large but for an introduction to programming while seeing fast results to keep you motivated it can't be beaten .

[WelshTom]

It's called Visual Basic for a reason. It's really pointless when you compare it to the likes of C++ which has a lot more functionality.

[DPS Computing]

Originally Posted by WelshTom

It's called Visual Basic for a reason. It's really pointless when you compare it to the likes of C++ which has a lot more functionality.

C++ is a big step for a first time programmer. Like all other languagues VB has its place and is an extremely useful educational tool that allows you to see results much faster with less theory.

If it wasn't for VB there would be no A Level Computing / Foundation Degree Computer Science.

You simply cannot teach C++ to any kind of standard in 2 years. Most University lecturers and professors even say that 3 years as part of a degree is not sufficient - hence the reason, although they prefer the use of C++, they are glad that the curiculum is leaning towards Java and VB.

[D.TC]

One of the strengths of VB was (and is) its GUI. For about 15 years I have written the odd Windoze application that has VB for the front end driving C/C++ DLL's. Way back when I was a bit younger I also had Catalyst Tools and the combination the two (VB and Catalyst) gave us a very solid base for internet applications - e.g. a secure email system for the medical profession that transmitted encrypted email divided between two transports SMTP and FTP. It was completed in just over a week. The only problem was that user testing took 8 weeks because they didn't believe that the application could be written so quickly - and it wasn't us that provided the speed it was the tools.

Horses for courses again I guess. VB has a good GUI for RAD and front-ends, but is bloaty and is not a true compiler. It's a good training tool. However, if you have ever come across a large application written in VB you will never forget the nightmare.

Cheers
David

[prijikn]

Visual Basic 6 remains as one of the most popular version as it is easy to program and it doesn't take up a lot of resources and memory of the computer.

[WelshTom]

Originally Posted by DPS Computing

C++ is a big step for a first time programmer. Like all other languagues VB has its place and is an extremely useful educational tool that allows you to see results much faster with less theory.

If it wasn't for VB there would be no A Level Computing / Foundation Degree Computer Science.

You simply cannot teach C++ to any kind of standard in 2 years. Most University lecturers and professors even say that 3 years as part of a degree is not sufficient - hence the reason, although they prefer the use of C++, they are glad that the curiculum is leaning towards Java and VB.

Pascal is noted the best language for learning - With Visual Basic, there is less programming involved, and more GUI stuff, pointless.

[D.TC]

Originally Posted by WelshTom

Pascal is noted the best language for learning - With Visual Basic, there is less programming involved, and more GUI stuff, pointless.

Yes Tom, Pascal is a much better training language. MS targeted too many different markets with VB - hence the easy GUI stuff that doesn't teach anything. But can we even mention Pascal without mentioning Delphi, or does that put us back in an equivalent loop?

[D.TC]

Originally Posted by simrita1

Visual Basic (VB) is a third-generation event-driven programming language and associated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft for its COM programming model. VB is also considered a relatively easy to learn and use programming language, because of its graphical development features and BASIC heritage.

Adapted MS words, now verbatim straight out of Wikipedia.

Yes VB easy to learn, there is not much to it and most is done for you. But to get to grips with real programming it is only the equivalent of showing a new driver how to hold the steering wheel whilst stationary. Programmers coded Visual Basic and they wouldn't have been able to do that with the knowledge gained from a VB equivalent. Horses for courses.