Categorization is for the weak minded people who need a reason to learn a lanaguage. Programming is an art and language are the tools for artists.

Of course if given a problem domain and the requirements, this question would have carried *some* validity but as such it stands its really a pointless question.

You are lucky you didn't ask this question on a newsgroup, otherwise you would have being ripped apart in no time...

It's not as clean cut as that. C++ is better sometimes and VB is better sometimes.

And you expect an unbiassed answer here?

VB isn't really a programming language at all, it's a rapid prototyping tool for user interfaces.
Anyone using it for more than that is asking for trouble.

That said, C++ isn't perfect. Nothing is.

> Whats better? C++ or VB?
What's better to a carpenter - a hammer or a screwdriver?

Like the proverb goes, "If the only tool in the toolbox is a hammer, pretty soon all the problems look like nails".

I definitely disagree with you. It's as much a language as any high-level language. Many robust systems can be created with ease.

Now if you had said it's a nonportable language and can be used effectively for fast and easy prototyping, I would have agreed with you. But it is much more than that.

Battle started -- mission accomplished.

Language wars are like doing your taxes: unavoidable and you always end up losing.

If you want to do something comercial, better learn C++.
Ross

Once again, it's not as clean cut as that.

If you're applying for a job in a fine french restaurant, they probably don't care if you can make a mean hamburger. Likewise, I don't imagine that the local sushi bar has crème brûlée on the list of recipes their chefs have to master.

Programming is very diverse. Different fields will focus on different languages, APIs and tools to fit their needs. In many of those fields, C++ is too general to be of value. In others, it might be the primary language. Still in others C++ might be one of a dozen niche languages that are rolled up to produce a single package.

These things are tools. Tools are made for a specific purpose. Using the right tool at the right time, and using it well is what makes you a pro.