*waits for nes8bit to show up*

Gee, i''ve nothing against VB (I prefer C++ myself). Have you even tried nes8bit''s captured reality engine? Entirely coded in VB with d3d and its just as fast as any other d3d game.

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-cow_in_the_well

http://cowswell.gda.ods.org/

- Panic -

For a first language? Anything derived from C.

For a complement to what you already know(as in a few programming languages), learning VB can''t hurt you(unless your computer weeps as it boots Windows).

Of course, in the industry, you would really need C++, where VB knowledge wouldn''t count for very much.

However, theres little harm in learning a new language, and deciding its great for this and bad for that, where as, not learning a language can hurt you, waste you time doing something in x language, when it could be a one liner in y language.

Now thats a pretty non-biased argument if I have ever seen one.

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A wise man once said "A person with half a clue is more dangerous than a person with or without one."

The Micro$haft BSOD T-Shirt

I can only assume you''re talking about a language for games... because, well, you''ve posted in a games forum

VB is currently a choice RAD tool for business apps. C++ is not. That''s what I''ve seen from consulting for 8 years. If you know VB and SQL/Server you have great job opportunities in a business environment.

Around here C++ is mostly used in the science and scientific business environments. And for games. Keep that in mind if you plan to use a language professionally.

If you''re just learning for yourself, then pick whatever you like. I have VB, C++ and Delphi. I''ve settled into Delphi for my off-hours programming because I get a RAD environment (as good as VB), a super fast compiler, and pretty fast code (almost as fast as C++). I also have a super OpenGL package for Delphi that let''s me write extremely good apps with minimal code

BCB5 rules :0)

Learn both!

I just went through a round of job interviews with some pretty big companies, Nortel, Jetform, supposed to have one with MS, but they cancelled the job (assholes).
You''d be surprised by how many want to know about VB experience. Then they''ll ask what you prefer. C++ no contest. Other companies won''t talk to you unless you''ve got some impressive C++ skills.

For games, use C++. If you''ve got a hard VB question, only a select few can answer it. If you''ve got a C++ question, expect an answer in 5-10 minutes on this site.

Just something I wanted to add. I am a C++ programmer but I tried VB before a few times. I am not here to say why I switched or whatever. I just wanted to mention the compile time between the two. I love hitting F5 in VB and having it run instantly. Thats cool. But it does tend to lead to a few problems later like run-time crashing for parameter crap. But it still is nice.

I''ve been programming in VB for years now. I recently started writing a game in C++, because it''s true that VB is slow. However, for everything other than the game itself (tools, resource editors, etc.) I''m using VB. It''s WAY faster to develop stuff, the environment is friendlier than VC++ when it comes to debugging, etc., and you won''t notice or care about any difference in speed compared to a C++ program 99% of the time.

Problems arise when people don''t take time to learn the language properly. The ease and speed with which you can put together a program can work against you. It''s all too easy to sit down and just "throw code" at a program and end up with a mess. Just like any other language, you need to plan a project and take into consideration the language''s strengths and weaknesses.

If you simply dismiss VB as being slow and useless then you are denying yourself a very useful and productive tool, which would probably benefit and decrease the development time of many programmers who religiously stick to C++ for everything they write.

My advice to the original poster would be to learn both languages if you can. You will then be in a position to choose whichever tool is most suited to the job when you need to write a program.

I started with asm , then c/c++ .however , when I try to learn VB code , I find it very confusing , instead , when I want RAD as far as windows apps are concerned , I use MFC .

OK, here''s some advice: If you''re going to be programming for a company or anybody else, they''ll want you to use a specific language. It''s a good idea to know several languages when looking for a job. Then the chances are greater that you''ll know the language that they''ll want you to use.

If, however, you program in your spare time, use whatever language you want. You can program in BrainF*** for all I care.

If you want a fair comparison of the languages, try them for yourself. IMHO, every language has its advantages and disdvantages, and personal preference plays a strong role. Some people like OO, some people hate it. The same goes for recursion, languages, 3D engines, and everything else.

Personally, I use C++ for big projects, and VB for small, quick, Windows programs. I prefer Object Oriented programming (but I don''t worship it), and I like portability. You may like something else. That''s perfectly fine.


"Science is a tool. If the tool works, we use it. If it''s true, that''s great, but if it isn''t, it doesn''t matter" -- ("Desert Fox" from GameDev.net)''s physics teacher

if u already know vb ild say go for it, i wouldnt recommend anyone to start learning vb now though as ms have indicated that they want c# to succeed. sure vb aint as quick as c but for 80% of the games processor speed aint that important

http://members.xoom.com/myBollux