Why use C# for .NET development

Why we use C# for .NET development

In the company where we work, we have a policy of using Java for all major developments. The core reason behind this being that we have a long term aspiration to being vendor and platform independent.

Regards the .NET framework the policy is to use VB rather than C#. Having spent some time using both langauges I disagree with this decision. I am not one to ignore company policy but I will try to change it where I think it is incorrect.

So, I spent a little time putting a SOAP (summary on a page) together to present to our chief architect.

I expect there are many companies out there with a similar policy, so I thought I would post this so you could share my reasonings and perhaps change your own company policies.

I wouldn’t be appropriate to post the original but here is a public version:

SOAP – .NET Language Preference

Summary

Java is the preferred development platform within our company, but where close coupling with Microsoft technologies is required, development using the Microsoft .NET Framework may be required or preferred.

In an aim to reduce the number of languages supported by our company, a decision has been made to select a preferred language for the .NET platform.

Our company has selected VB .NET as the preferred language for .NET development. The reasoning behind this is that we already have live applications written using VB .NET (although there are also live C# applications within our company). The status of C# is that it may be used where an application is already developed using this language, but not for new projects.

This SOAP proposes switching the status of the VB. NET and C# languages so that C# is the preferred language and existing applications in VB .NET may still be maintained.

Operational Perspective

The reasoning behind this proposal is as follows:

• VB .NET is significantly different to Java in terms of syntax and structure. C# is based on the Java/C++ syntax. VB .NET developers will have a steeper learning curve when adopting Java than C# developers. For this reason C# lends itself better to being a secondary language in a Java based organisation.
• The .NET CLR (Common Language Infrastructure) has been submitted to ECMA and accepted. C# has the same status, http://msdn.microsoft.com/netframework/ecma/ . VB .NET has not. C# is better protected than VB .NET to changes in strategic direction.
• Both VB .NET and C# have been used within our company to develop live applications.
• Typically developers migrated from VB6 to VB .NET as this reduced the learning curve. However the .NET environment is significantly different from VB6, even though it looks superficially similar. The migration from VB6 to VB .NET can result in poorly designed VB6 style solutions running in the .NET framework.
• Visual Studio 2005 comes with JLCA (Java Language Conversion Assistant) allowing Java code to be ported to C#, http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/downloads/tools/jlca/ . There is no comparable tool for VB .NET.
• C# provides the ability to work with C/C++ style pointers. This is rarely required and should be avoided. The exception to this rule is some forms of interoperability with legacy Microsoft code. VB .NET does not have this capability.
• C# supports Java style code documentation – where definitions of properties and methods are commented in such a way as to make the component interfaces self documenting. VB .NET does not support this.
• Visual Studio .NET itself was written using C#. Community support for C# is wider than for VB both inside and outside Microsoft, http://blogs.msdn.com/categories , http://www.technorati.com/search/vb c.f.http://www.technorati.com/search/c# . Industry wide there is more demand for C# as shown by the following link: http://www.indeed.com/jobtrends?q=C%23%2C+VB.NET .

Financial Perspective

• In terms of the cost of multi-skilled developers, the “C# & Java” skillset should be cheaper than “VB & Java” due to the languages similarities. Not only does this relate to less training but also a higher quality of code/output as the developer is more likely to be highly competent in both languages.
• The lack of case sensitivity in VB means that there can be no common coding standards across Java/VB as there could be across Java/C#. This further increases the cost of cross training and maintaining those skills.
• The internet is the first stop when a development problem is encountered, and here the significantly larger online C# community reduces time required to resolve problems.
• The greater industry-wide take up of C# (compared to VB) means that more developers are available to recruit.
• Most C# developers were previously Java or C/C++ developers, and most VB developers come from a VB5/6 background. As a result the average C# developer will have more background in object oriented design (and is more likely to be to be competent in Java also).
• I don’t believe that there is much wrong per se with VB, it’s the peripheral aspects such as developer background, community support, and skills availability that make the difference.
• As a result I suggest that C# developers will, on average, be more productive than their VB counterparts, saving our company money and time.

Conclusion

The differences between VB. NET and C#, as standalone languages, are fairly minimal. C# can do very few things that VB .NET cannot, and VB .NET provides a slightly easier migration path for existing Microsoft VB developers.

However, in the context of Java being the primary language in the organisation, C# is a considerably better fit as a preferred .NET language.

Combined with C#’s status as a ratified standard this provides a strong argument to switch the statuses of VB .NET and C# within the organisation.

….

The argument is under review here still so I would appreciate any constructive commments…

source: http://www.geekzilla.co.uk/View026313AC-108F-4EA1-90A2-5E5BE0DEE0F2.htm