C# v VB.NET - any research on usage?

[Robin Tucker]

I need to find some documents/research for my manager about VB.NET v C# use.
I've noticed that there are many more people using C# than VB.NET, that
there seem to be more job vacancies specifying C# and projects written with
it.

I would basically like any links you might have to articles with
non-anecdotal evidence for usage patterns, if there are any.

Thanks,
Robin

[James Curran]

I have absolutely no evidence to back this up, but I was once told that
VB (all versions combined, not just .Net), is the most popular computer
language in the world, to the point the all others are just statistical
noise (ie, by more that 99:1)

From my own experience, I noticed that VB is most popular with
consultant who are doing one-off projects for small clients who have no
development staff of thier own. C/C++/C# is more popular with large
companies doing in-house development.

--
Truth,
James Curran
[erstwhile VC++ MVP]

Home: www.noveltheory.com Work: www.njtheater.com
Blog: www.honestillusion.com Day Job: www.partsearch.com
"Robin Tucker" <no****@nomeans no.com> wrote in message
news:dk******** ***********@new s.demon.co.uk.. .

I need to find some documents/research for my manager about VB.NET v C# use. I've noticed that there are many more people using C# than VB.NET, that
there seem to be more job vacancies specifying C# and projects written with it.

I would basically like any links you might have to articles with
non-anecdotal evidence for usage patterns, if there are any.

Thanks,
Robin

[rgreene]

Some reasons our shop is using C#:

1. All our software engineers (except me) come from a VC++ background,
and even though most agree VC++ is unproductive in many regards, they
never would and still won't touch VB with an 11ft pole! Why try to
fight other's bias when you have a good way (C#) to work with it...

2. C#.NET is just as easy for a VB6 developer like me to learn as
VB.NET. The challenge in either case is in learning the Framework, IDE
and OO, and in the exposure of much more low-level stuff (such as
hashtbls, static classes and members, and a host of other computer
science concepts).

3. There seems to be a Microsoft bias toward C#:
- Some learning books have C# in the text and VB on the CD only.
- According to numerous threads, C# code in the Visual Studio 2005
release candidate is much more stable than VB code.
- C# was designed with the set of features it needed to take full
advantage of the .NET Framework and CLR, without other historical
baggage!

Good luck...

[Kevin Spencer]

You mean your line manager makes decisions based upon the popularity of a
programming language?!

--
HTH,

Kevin Spencer
Microsoft MVP
..Net Developer
A watched clock never boils.

"Robin Tucker" <no****@nomeans no.com> wrote in message
news:dk******** ***********@new s.demon.co.uk.. .

sorry to inject something you didn't ask for, but i felt it was
something you should read, given your thoughts on C# vs VB usage.

No thats fine. I don't mind anecdotal evidence, it's just not too useful
when discussing which language to use for which project with a line
manager. I'm using VB.NET myself at the moment but whenever I need to
incorperate code from the outside world, the chances are it will be
written using C#. So, actually, my project consists of my main application
and associated libraries, with a few other libraries in C#. I'm not sure
the mixture is too aesthetically pleasing - at least it won't be for the
maintenance guy who comes after me.

[Jim Underwood]

I think his manager is looking for studies showing trends is use, in order
to determine the availability of the skillsets, and therefore the ease of
finding someone who can maintain the code. No matter how well your
application works there will always be some maintenance needed and the app
is worthless if you can't readily find someone to maintain it.

"Kevin Spencer" <ke***@DIESPAMM ERSDIEtakempis. com> wrote in message
news:%2******** *******@TK2MSFT NGP15.phx.gbl.. .

You mean your line manager makes decisions based upon the popularity of a
programming language?!

--
HTH,

Kevin Spencer
Microsoft MVP
.Net Developer
A watched clock never boils.

"Robin Tucker" <no****@nomeans no.com> wrote in message
news:dk******** ***********@new s.demon.co.uk.. .

sorry to inject something you didn't ask for, but i felt it was
something you should read, given your thoughts on C# vs VB usage.

No thats fine. I don't mind anecdotal evidence, it's just not too useful when discussing which language to use for which project with a line
manager. I'm using VB.NET myself at the moment but whenever I need to
incorperate code from the outside world, the chances are it will be
written using C#. So, actually, my project consists of my main application and associated libraries, with a few other libraries in C#. I'm not sure the mixture is too aesthetically pleasing - at least it won't be for the
maintenance guy who comes after me.

[Kevin Spencer]

Well, Jim, I can tell you without any statistics, that there are plenty of
both.

--
HTH,

Kevin Spencer
Microsoft MVP
..Net Developer
A watched clock never boils.

"Jim Underwood" <ja************ *@fallonclinic. com> wrote in message
news:eB******** *****@tk2msftng p13.phx.gbl...

I think his manager is looking for studies showing trends is use, in order
to determine the availability of the skillsets, and therefore the ease of
finding someone who can maintain the code. No matter how well your
application works there will always be some maintenance needed and the app
is worthless if you can't readily find someone to maintain it.

"Kevin Spencer" <ke***@DIESPAMM ERSDIEtakempis. com> wrote in message
news:%2******** *******@TK2MSFT NGP15.phx.gbl.. .

You mean your line manager makes decisions based upon the popularity of a
programming language?!

--
HTH,

Kevin Spencer
Microsoft MVP
.Net Developer
A watched clock never boils.

"Robin Tucker" <no****@nomeans no.com> wrote in message
news:dk******** ***********@new s.demon.co.uk.. .

>
>> sorry to inject something you didn't ask for, but i felt it was
>> something you should read, given your thoughts on C# vs VB usage.
>
>
> No thats fine. I don't mind anecdotal evidence, it's just not too useful > when discussing which language to use for which project with a line
> manager. I'm using VB.NET myself at the moment but whenever I need to
> incorperate code from the outside world, the chances are it will be
> written using C#. So, actually, my project consists of my main application > and associated libraries, with a few other libraries in C#. I'm not sure > the mixture is too aesthetically pleasing - at least it won't be for
> the
> maintenance guy who comes after me.
>
>

[Robin Tucker]

Not really no. But when you are set to give a piece of software a 10 year
life span, you tend to take some of these things into consideration. As an
example, I have a Windows 95 system with some of our software on, written
with 16 bit Visual C++. It is still in widespread use in industry and so I
have to continue to maintain it, even though we have had a 32 bit product
out for some years now.

"Kevin Spencer" <ke***@DIESPAMM ERSDIEtakempis. com> wrote in message
news:%2******** *******@TK2MSFT NGP15.phx.gbl.. .

You mean your line manager makes decisions based upon the popularity of a
programming language?!

--
HTH,

Kevin Spencer
Microsoft MVP
.Net Developer
A watched clock never boils.

"Robin Tucker" <no****@nomeans no.com> wrote in message
news:dk******** ***********@new s.demon.co.uk.. .

sorry to inject something you didn't ask for, but i felt it was
something you should read, given your thoughts on C# vs VB usage.

No thats fine. I don't mind anecdotal evidence, it's just not too useful
when discussing which language to use for which project with a line
manager. I'm using VB.NET myself at the moment but whenever I need to
incorperate code from the outside world, the chances are it will be
written using C#. So, actually, my project consists of my main
application and associated libraries, with a few other libraries in C#.
I'm not sure the mixture is too aesthetically pleasing - at least it
won't be for the maintenance guy who comes after me.

[Cor Ligthert [MVP]]

Robin,

You do let me think about somebody who told that we should keep our
deployment procedures for 8" floppies. (it is a while ago).

After a little bit further investigation I found out that this cost
consuming procedures was used by one customer. Giving that customer a new
computer was less expensive.

Probably not a complete analogy, however sometimes it is good to think in
this way in this kind of situations.

I have seen those linemanager who would keep their old procedures because
those seemed less expensive. However that was mainly because their lack of
knowledge (it is mostly with those who will not admit that)..

In long terms those decisions cost often 100 times more as when it was done
in one time right.

The great term in that is, "don't repair what not is broken". However often
used where people can better say, "Don't lock the stable door before the
seed is stolen".

Just my thought,

Cor

[Kevin Spencer]

Hi Robn,

That's helpful information. While both languages are quite likely to stick
around for the foreseeable future, if I had to bet on which one would
outlast the other, I would pick C#. C# has often been termed the "native"
language of .Net, and is definitely preferred at Microsoft over VB.Net.

Now forgive me for going so soon,. but I must get a running start, as I'm
quite likely to be attacked by religious zealots!

--
HTH,

Kevin Spencer
Microsoft MVP
..Net Developer
A watched clock never boils.

"Robin Tucker" <no****@nomeans no.com> wrote in message
news:dk******** ***********@new s.demon.co.uk.. .

Not really no. But when you are set to give a piece of software a 10 year
life span, you tend to take some of these things into consideration. As
an example, I have a Windows 95 system with some of our software on,
written with 16 bit Visual C++. It is still in widespread use in industry
and so I have to continue to maintain it, even though we have had a 32 bit
product out for some years now.

"Kevin Spencer" <ke***@DIESPAMM ERSDIEtakempis. com> wrote in message
news:%2******** *******@TK2MSFT NGP15.phx.gbl.. .

You mean your line manager makes decisions based upon the popularity of a
programming language?!

--
HTH,

Kevin Spencer
Microsoft MVP
.Net Developer
A watched clock never boils.

"Robin Tucker" <no****@nomeans no.com> wrote in message
news:dk******** ***********@new s.demon.co.uk.. .

sorry to inject something you didn't ask for, but i felt it was
something you should read, given your thoughts on C# vs VB usage.
No thats fine. I don't mind anecdotal evidence, it's just not too
useful when discussing which language to use for which project with a
line manager. I'm using VB.NET myself at the moment but whenever I need
to incorperate code from the outside world, the chances are it will be
written using C#. So, actually, my project consists of my main
application and associated libraries, with a few other libraries in C#.
I'm not sure the mixture is too aesthetically pleasing - at least it
won't be for the maintenance guy who comes after me.

[Jon Skeet [C# MVP]]

James Curran <ja*********@mv ps.org> wrote:

I have absolutely no evidence to back this up, but I was once told that
VB (all versions combined, not just .Net), is the most popular computer
language in the world, to the point the all others are just statistical
noise (ie, by more that 99:1)

I'm sure that depends on how much it's measured. If you're counting
"people who've used VB" that may well be true, as it's often used by
people who *aren't* professional developers, who just need to scratch
an itch.

If you looked at how much time was spent per language, or how much code
was written per language, I think things would be very different.

(I suspect it also depends on whether you include HTML as a "computer
language :)

--
Jon Skeet - <sk***@pobox.co m>
http://www.pobox.com/~skeet Blog: http://www.msmvps.com/jon.skeet
If replying to the group, please do not mail me too

[James Curran]

> I'm sure that depends on how much it's measured. If you're counting

"people who've used VB" that may well be true, as it's often used by
people who *aren't* professional developers, who just need to scratch
an itch.

Absolutely, as I fairly sure that number counts everyone written a macro
in MSWord or Excel.

--
Truth,
James Curran
[erstwhile VC++ MVP]

Home: www.noveltheory.com Work: www.njtheater.com
Blog: www.honestillusion.com Day Job: www.partsearch.com