I''ve been comparing both tools. Can anyone tell me if there is anything one tool can do that the other can''t? Or can they perform identically just in a different method. Also, I''m getting the impression that Visual Basic appears to be much easier to use and learn. Is this true? Would Visual Basic be ideal for building a game engine?

quote: Original post by 4thegraphics
I''ve been comparing both tools. Can anyone tell me if there is anything one tool can do that the other can''t? Or can they perform identically just in a different method. Also, I''m getting the impression that Visual Basic appears to be much easier to use and learn. Is this true? Would Visual Basic be ideal for building a game engine?

Visual Basic doesn''t have as good code management as VC. It''s not object oriented, has no classes. On top of that, you cannot use such things as pointers.

I''d go with C++. In the end, I think it is easier and quicker once you learn it.

quote: Original post by ktuluorion
It's not object oriented, has no classes.

BZZZZT false.



-eldee
;another space monkey;
[ Forced Evolution Studios ]

'In C we had to code our own bugs. In C++ we can inherit them.'

[edited by - eldee on September 25, 2002 2:29:36 PM]

Visual Basic has nice form development. It's easy to throw together nice, functional forms with headings, pictures, etc.

Microsoft Visual C++ doesn't have a strong form development package, but Borland C++ Builder does.

EDIT: This refers to version 6.0 of Microsoft C++.

Personally, I trust Microsoft's memory management more than Borland. Sometimes the Borland environment locks up on me at work, and its database access requires BDE to be set up and configured, which is a pain (not as much of a pain as managing ODBC) - but this is only important if you are working with databases. Still Borland does have a very nice database tool set.

For games, Microsoft C++, I would say, is the way to go of the three I mentioned.


[edited by - Waverider on September 25, 2002 2:49:53 PM]

So, it''s ideal to go with C++?

There''s a difference between Borland''s and Microsoft?

Is one better than the other? How?

ktuluorion, everything you said about Visual Basic isn''t at all true, especially when you look at Visual Studio.net ... Visual Basic and Visual C++ have virtually all of the same features. Their coding styles are just different. Visual C++ allows programming at a more fundamental level that allows great precision. Visual Basic is much quicker to develop with, but practically everything is dealt with visually and for a hardcore coder, that sucks.

4thegraphics, to answer your initial question, it honestly doesn''t matter all that much which language you deal with except any code you write in Visual Basic certainly won''t be portable over to any other platform.

As far as whether to go with Borland, MS Visual, or even Bloodshed, it depends on your pocket. MS Visual has by far the most resources and Bloodshed is completely free. I haven''t the first clue as to what Borland could offer you over those two.

Get a copy of VC++ 6.0 for 25 bucks (after $50 rebate). It comes with wrox press introduction to c++ on cd and a book that will teach you enough about your compiler to atleast get started. This is what I got from amazon.com a few years ago, maybe its different now, I have no idea. If you dont like the intro to c++ that comes with it buy sams teach yourself c++ in 24 hours.

I thought VB was Object Based, not Object Orientated.

Does VB support Inheritance and Polymorphism in .NET?



Stu M

(Quick search on Google)

It appears it does...

Has anybody got experience of this? Would it be reasonable, to say, write a scenegraph using VB?

And would the performance penalties be bad?


Afterall, if I''m writing a game engine to specifically target
Direct X, then portability has already gone out of the window.. so to speak.

(just for the record.. I''m a C++ / Assembler person... but I''m always interested in different approaches)


Stu M

Visual Basic is nice in that it''s pretty easy to learn, and you can get programs together really quickly, because of it''s visual design environment.

Grant Palin