VB is not (pretty much) useful anymore

Question

i wanna ask, is it true that VB(.NET) is not really useful anymore? except, maybe, VBA

Answer 1

Yes I would say so.

It wasn't like that 10+ years ago but it is now.

VB is quite easy to read and learn as a first programming language since it looks more like English than c# but that strength is outweighed by its incredibly low popularity. Learning it because it is so much like English is a bit like choosing to study pig latin instead of French or Spanish. Languages need to be popular or they're useless. Programming languages are for developers to read and maintain and if barely any developers continue to know it, it is less readable or maintainable than c#.

I would never start a professional software project in VB.net. If a legacy application is unfortunate enough to already use VB.net heavily, I'd consider incrementally adding more c# to it in the hopes that it eventually becomes completely c# instead of writing new code in VB.

Answer 2

I use HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python mostly.

ASP.net is still very popular and around 5 years ago I was using it a lot but my employer needed lots of help on a big project written in Python. Python is nice but so are many other general purpose programming languages. If you're looking for a recommendation on languages to learn, I would suggest starting with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and eventually to a serverside language such as c#. Have fun making lots of stuff in those languages as you go.

Answer 3

Michael U. VB.NET and VBA are similar in syntax only. The are many fundamental differences that may be irrelevant for this discussion.

I did find an article that highlights many of these differences. However, I've NOT checked all of them for accuracy. Still, it covers the general differences.

http://checktechno.blogspot.com/2013/04/difference-between-vbnet-and-vba.html

For relatively simple applications and various edge cases, MS Access is a great option for small companies that don't have the software development resources or budget for anything more robust.

Beyond that, MS Access isn't even a consideration for experienced development teams I've ever worked with.

Even for me, my entry into software development began with building a service dispatch program for a plumbing company. I switched to VB6 + Crystal Reports + MS SQL Server 6 after the initial release due to more demanding requirements.

NOTE: This was way back in 1996.😉

Answer 4

Josh Greig You piqued my curiosity... how has you're experience been working with Python on a large project? How has its compared with languages you've worked with on other large projects?

Answer 5

Chipp It's not that VB.NET isn't useful anymore... rather, it's simply not preferred in among professional development teams.

As much as I can't stand looking at or writing in VB style syntax, it was the language that I was first exposed to which launched my career in 1996.

However, I'm happy to have moved on from VB, never to look back. 😉

Answer 6

Is there a significant difference between VB.NET and VBA as used in MS Office, especially MS Access where VBA might be considered its backbone?

I guess Access and VBA are not as popular as they were in the late 90s but my employer, for better or worse, still decided to switch from MS Access 97 to the current version of Access because for inhouse use in a small company it offers an easy and quick way to build forms and reports, add functionality with VBA and later make changes and additions. Also, when I was studying C# I found that building forms and adding event driven code are very similar in Access and C#.

This is not a recommendation for Access or VBA, I just wanted to point out, that they both still seem to have their uses to some.

Answer 7

Josh Greig what langs you're using right now?

Answer 8

Thanks for the article, David Carroll . It was not easy to read, but I think I have an idea of the differences now.
I wish we could simply switch to C#, which would probably be the next best thing, but we really do not have the resources and so far the requirements do not exceed the limitations.
And there are other projects which will need to be solved in more current and less limited programming environments. So its not like I am missing something. 🙂

Answer 9

Michael U. Should you be interested in taking your C# learning to the next level, converting an existing application like the MS Access app would be awesome.

One of the biggest challenges in learning is having something to build while learning. The MS Access app is essentially your prototype for your new C# app.

The cool thing is you could consider an ASP.NET Core MVC Web Application, a WPF Windows App, or go hard core with ASP.NET Core WebAPI + ReactJS. 😉

Side Note: If you're following the 2019 Women's FIFA World Cup, I just wanted to say it was tough loss today for Germany. I was convinced the final match would come down to USA vs Germany.

Answer 10

David Carroll I have actually considered doing that converversion on my own - it would be a really huge challenge but I would learn a lot. The only problem is time and other projects. Perhaps some day.
(I think the web API or mixing too many technologies would be too much for a first c# project. 😅)

(PS: I'm sorry but I am not much into watching soccer or other sports.)

Answer 11

btw, why women's world cup suddenly? I don't get it