Joshua Flanagan

I think people can put to bed their “VB is Dead” theories.  I didn't see a single line of C# code at DevDays 2004.  Every session was presented in VB.NET.

I was a big fan of VB 3-6.  I loved how easily I could be productive.  I taught myself the .NET framework writing VB.NET code with the SDK's.  But when my company decreed that all .NET code must be C#, I reluctantly made the transition (case-sensitivity is such a pain! I don't want to use my shift key while writing code!).  Of course, within a month of using C#, I became a complete convert, and would never want to write VB.NET again.  I don't miss it.  In fact, it really turns me off from projects when I discover they are written in VB.NET.

But I have to admit, after seeing VB.NET in action again at DevDays, I started to miss it.  Pull down menus for overrides and events!  Auto-capitilization!  On-the-fly compilation warnings/errors!  I don't even want to consider the jealousy I'll feel when/if VB.NET has “edit and continue” while C# does not.

What's really cool about the way Microsoft is handling this:  they aren't treating VB.NET programmers like VB programmers.  Ok, they're obviously recognizing the fact that “the masses” feel more comfortable with VB syntax.  But they are not going to let the masses continue to code in their old VB ways.  This was most evident by the focus on design patterns in the Smart Client track sessions.  Design patterns were traditionally the domain of OO fanatics and enterprise focused technologies - something you would hear about when talking to a J2EE programmer, not a VB programmer.  I understand that .NET fits into that world perfectly, I just didn't expect it to be so prominent in sessions aimed at the masses.  I think the first session spent more time talking about the design patterns than the technology that Microsoft was showing off.  Kudos to MS for pushing us all to be better developers, not just by giving us great tools, but by promoting valuable “platform agnostic” best practices.