(visual?) c++ vs. visual basic

[YaRness]

(right off, i dunno if there's specifically a "visual c++": if that's just a MS term, or if it just refers to using C++ libraries for GUI stuff, but you get the idea i think)

so my head boss is now pushing for maybe visual c++ instead of visual basic.

whooo.... hoo?
i'd rather personally use c++ then basic (blech!), but i dunno if that'll make the project harder.

what i need however is some reviews/comparisons of VC and VB, and i'm having trouble finding some, so if anyone knows of a good resource to read, i'd appreciate it.

[jscott]

If you're proficient in C/C++, for the love of all that is good, don't go with VB. Although you can bang out, debug, get user feed back and have a product for management to play with in no time flat using VB -- You'll regret it as the project grows. Don't worry about building the GUI (in C++) it includes the same visual controls VB (but implemented in C++.

[bdg1983]

Doesn't doing windows programming in C++ involve learing <vomit> MFC </vomit>?

[kmj]

Originally posted by Bradmont:
<STRONG>Doesn't doing windows programming in C++ involve learing &lt;vomit&gt; MFC &lt;/vomit&gt;?</STRONG>

It doesn't have to, but that's the most widely used tool, and for good reason... Microsoft wants people to use it, and it does arguably give you the best hooks into the OS. But you don't have to; there are other toolkits out there which will get the job done just fine. Hell, you could just use windows.h if you wanted to.

[jscott]

Originally posted by kmj:
<STRONG>Hell, you could just use windows.h if you wanted to.</STRONG>

Are you sick? You don't even need C. this guy (http://grc.com/smgassembly.htm) is a wacko. A 32-bit Windows app in ASM!?! All you need is Microsoft's Macro Assembler, MASM, to build it. Oh yeah, the download (http://grc.com/files/sib.zip) is 20k. Sick! sick, sick in the head!

[Stuka]

Visual C++ = Microsoft IDE for C++. It includes the MFC, which are a useful tool for speeding up development of Windows apps using C++. It also includes the tools/libraries needed for developing COM/ActiveX components. I use Visual C++ at work (btw, gvim can be used as its editor :D), and it's not THAT awful. Actually, it provides quite a few handy features for Windows programming. Personally, I think if you must program GUI apps in Windows, use VC. That said...I still don't like M$! :eek:

[prince_kenshi]

Originally posted by jscott:
<STRONG>Are you sick? You don't even need C. this guy (http://grc.com/smgassembly.htm) is a wacko. A 32-bit Windows app in ASM!?! All you need is Microsoft's Macro Assembler, MASM, to build it. Oh yeah, the download (http://grc.com/files/sib.zip) is 20k. Sick! sick, sick in the head!</STRONG>

Man, I could've used that link about a year ago. Now I'm into Linux programming though. By the way, assembler is what you call a man's language.


assembler db "Assembler is for men."
mov eax,04h
mov ebx,01h
mov ecx,assembler
mov edx,015h
int 080h
mov eax,0
mov ebx,0
int 080h

[sans-hubris]

I have to agree with Stuka. I had to do some MFC programming in MSVC++ for a class project, and it really was not all that bad. In fact, it is not even difficult and actually makes some sense (except those weird CStrings that don't cooperate very well with STL strings.) It's not as bad as you think. I have a tendency to believe that the people who created the OS are not the same people who created the IDE. It's of much higher quality than the OS. Unfortunately, that's its problem.

[YaRness]

figured i'd just continue this thread instead of asking another question:

i need a vc++ book recommendation. so i can tell my project manager to return this crappy CD set he bought (made in 1997!) and buy me something useful.

or possibly a couple books, i need help learning how to do gui programming and mfc and all that wonderful stuff, but i could also use some reference material for c++ syntax.

[Faldar]

VB and VC++ is Microshaft specific.

Having programmed in both C++ and VB, I can say that I personally prefer C++ by a long shot. I find that it is easier to create a graphical interface with VB, but not much else. I find that VB is much less powerful than C++ and that C++ is much more flexible. Heck, it is not that easy (I found at least) to do any VB work not involving the use of a graphical interface (ie behind the scenes programming or a non-graphical program).

In short, don't use it. Convince your boss that C++ is better. For graphical interfaces (on linux at least) there is KDesigner.

[YaRness]

maybe i should start another thread, so my new question will get noticed :D

[TacKat]

MFC is bad. VB and VC++ are okay (VB is faster to develop with, VC++ makes better programs). Windows API (aka windows.h) is good (as far as windows programming goes). WinASM (http://win32asm.cjb.net) is good. Assembly is good!

:cool: Assembly! :cool: