.NET vs VB6 - differences?

[Duki]

Hey everyone,

I'm getting ready to take a summer class on VB6 and I was wondering how hard it would be for me to keep on track with the rest of the class while using 2005 express or something of the like? I would really like to go ahead and get my hands in a .NET environment instead of trying to learn the older version and then migrating to 2005.

[jbennet]

If myself had this dilema and got the book SAMS VB6 in 24 hours. Not that great a book but it came with VB6 Working Model Editon on CD. Working model is basically standard except you cant export to .exe (you can only run in debug mode from the ide). The book+software was very cheap (under $50 max)

[iamthwee]

vb dotnet is nothing like vb6. For one it is truly object orientated not like its counterpart. Learn it as a new language me thinks.

[Duki]

so will learning vb6 not screw me over is learning .net?

[jbennet]

not really

think of the difference between VB6 and .NET like the difference between C and C++
I leanrt VB6 first and it was just fine for me

[Duki]

Oh ok, but am I wasting my time learning VB6 if I know I will eventually be learning .net?

Should I not just go ahead and start with .net?

[iamthwee]

Personally I would forget learning vb6, Everything seems to be driven by dotnet this dotnet that. That is the direction it appears to be heading.

vb.net has made a lot of additions under the hood so that it is now considered to be truly object orientated - unlike vb6. That's why I think there is no point learning vb6.

Sure some of the things will be similar but elements, especially true OOP, will be rendered absolutely useless.

[jbennet]

yeah, basically all the big stuff (getting system details, processes, graphics, networking, databases) is totally different under .NET

[waynespangler]

It depends on the course. If it is a course on programing concepts rather than the language then the language is secondary. Don't let that stop you from taking the course. I see a lot of people trying to program with out a knowledge of programing concepts.
There is, in my opion, not a problem going from vb6 to vb net. I used vb6 for 5 years and was able to convert to vb net in a few days. People tell you it is hard to convert and if you believe them then it is hard.
Again, in my opion, if it is your only choice then take it.

[jbennet]

yeah, if you are just going to be learning forms, iterations, loops, functions etc... then VB6 is not all that different

[Duki]

well i just finished structured programming in c++ and i'm pretty confident in the material i learned. I have a really good concept on programming as far as c++ goes anyways... but how different is vb6?

It is infact my only option and it's a requirement. But they're being weird about the follow-up class (which is also a requirement). One class was taught last semester using 2005 (which i was in but dropped because the book was horrid and the teacher would ramble for 30 minutes about how much he hated Microsoft and other misc items) and the rest of the students taking vb were in the vb6 version. So now the follow-up is going to be a mix of both so the instructor said we could do the class in either/or.

This is why i was wondering how hard it would be for me to learn vb6 this summer and transition to .net before/during the fall term.

sry if that all sounds confusing.

[jbennet]

by the way duki, if you want an excellent VB.NET book get "Visual Basic 2005 Step By Step" (or smething along the lines of that) by Microsoft Press. Its got many good samples and tips for people migrating from VB6

[Duki]

hey, you recommended that book a while back. it's sitting on my shelf =)

I plan on using that for my conversion from vb6. thanks

[jbennet]

:)

[waynespangler]

I don't think you will have any problems. You sound like you have your feet pretty solidly on the ground. If the course is required then take it. If you need help converting from one to the other just post and we will help you.

[jamello]

I also think it would not be a bad idea if you learn vb6 before learning vb.net.