[insert language dajour here] vs VB

These types of articles should really bother me. However, I’ve been doing a bit of thinking of late about this subject and apparently I’m not the only one that’s been doing so.

Over the ages, one language or another has been compared against BASIC. There was C vs BASIC. C/C++ vs VB. Delphi vs VB. PowerBuilder vs VB. Java vs VB. And now, C# vs VB.NET. Anyone other than me seeing a pattern here?

A lot of languages have come along to challenge the position that VB holds. And none of them have yet to succeed to dethrone VB. It’s because BASIC has a special place in the language world. Some may argue that it fosters bad programming. Other’s may state that it’s just not as powerful or as capable with [insert technology here] as another language.

The fact is, VB.NET is the most powerful incarnation of BASIC to ever exist (even compared to non-Microsoft versions). The next release promises to add even more capabilities. However, VB.NET still holds true to it’s basic premise. Allowing anyone to have access to developing the ‘next’ killer application.

Also, after many discussions about one vs the others; many of the reasons why many developers favor VB.NET over others are the exactly opposite reasons why others choose non VB.NET languages. There is a place for multiple languages.

And furthermore, where are all the J# vs C#, J# vs Java, Java vs C#, C++ vs C#, Delphi vs C#, Delphi vs C++, S# vs C#, S# vs VB.NET, J# vs VB.NET wars? Hey, to even add more salt on the wounds… VB.NET is even in the versus wars with it’s predecessor. Yes, you guessed it, VB6 vs VB.NET.

But as Paul Vick states: You can’t keep a good language down… I completely agree. Long live BASIC… in whatever form it takes moving forward.