VB – Bringing .NET Programming To You
What's this about C# (C Sharp)? Will it replace VB.NET?
The good news is that VB remains the strong, central component of Microsoft's development software strategy that it has been for over a decade. The other good news is that Microsoft has created a brand new language for the many programmers who prefer a more 'C' or 'Java' oriented look and feel. And the other, other good news is that there is a strong family relationship so you can switch from one to another with a smaller learning effort, say because your obvious talents were recognized and you got a better job in a company that used a different language.
The bottom line here is that the specific choice of a programming language is much less of an issue in the .NET architecture than it was before. All languages implement the same Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) and enjoy most of the same advantages. Most experts have concluded that VB.NET implements 99% of the functionality that C# has.
Visual Basic, however, has a proven track record of productivity and ease of use that is hard to beat. The new version in .NET has implemented serious improvements, such as a vastly improved debugging capability, true multitasking, and structured exception handling. If you prefer a language syntax that looks like C, then C# might be just what you're looking for. For the rest of you, "C'mon In!"
