Hey, community.
This one might probably trigger some of you. But just a question that comes out of the blue: What are your thoughts on it?
I first learned programming back in the day with Visual Basic 2008. Nowadays, I can program with C#, Java, PHP and some other languages rather well (I’m no professional, though), but I often come back to Visual Basic, because I’m just so used to it. Even though it’s not that often, because I’m a Linux user.
But let’s say I need a small program for Windows real quick? VB.NET is gonna be my choice. Right now, I’m implementing a board game server + client for the game of go (also called baduk or wei’qi) and I’m making really good progress.
I personally think that people should just use what they want to use. I don’t get the hate for PHP and some other languages and I think this gate-keeping and god complex some developers have is really annoying. Makes me want to use VB.NET even harder.
I also don’t like to jump on board with every new and upcoming programming language or library, just to be cool.
I’d also like to emphasize that I’m not creating software for a living right now. I do have a small company for a little bit of freelance work, but that’s just money on the side that comes in by creating really small projects.
You can just as easily creat those small apps with csharp.net so really it just comes down to preference. I personally don’t enjoy the syntax of VB though.
I can use both VB.NET syntax and also C# syntax just fine. I’d even go as far and state that, apart from the syntax, VB.NET is just as good as C# (after some settings adjustments, like
Option Strict On, etc.).I do understand that Visual Basic syntax is kinda alien, though.
Yeah they both compile to the same CIL so performance isn’t an issue.
I feel like you just answered your own question of why people don’t like VB.NET and prefer C#. Per your own words you have two languages that are “just as good” except one of them needs settings adjustments or it’s not as good, and also has “alien” syntax which makes it harder for other developers to work on the code and makes it harder for you to move to other C-style languages (basically every currently popular language).
So if at best they’re “just as good”, then the obvious choice is C# which requires no settings change and has familiar syntax. Especially so if you can work in both just fine.
It’s not just some “god complex” thing, it’s mostly just practicality.