The Moth

Here are the reasons that VB6 devs move to C# and not to VB.NET. The following assumes you have read my previous post.

1. Some R&D departments do have a split of C++ and VB6 developers: the closer_to_the_metal crowd and the RAD crowd. .NET has something for both of these groups, so it is a good opportunity to unify the development teams. When doing that, why not standardize on a single language. As much as we know the answer, you will not get a typical C person to read/iterate VB code.

2. VB6 was almost forced upon them in the first place, so moving to C# is salvation. This is no joke, I know people in this category. Look at the pre-NET era. If you are going to do COM, VB is the easiest choice. If you are moving from Java to an MSFT environment, VB is easier than C++. If you program in C and only occasionally need to knock up a simple GUI, VB is a good choice. Today, moving to C# makes sense.

3. There is a rumour that VB.NET is so different to VB6, that learning C# is just as hard/easy so why not. Truth or not, this is a quoted reason.

4. C# devs earn more than VB.NET devs.

5. There is a stigma associated with VB devs in some circles. MSFT refers to the typical VB developer as "Mort". Some people don't want to be Mort so they switch to C#.

6. C# is a new cool language - the latest kid on the block. Why not add another skill to the resume/CV.

7. C# is the native .NET language. What leads to this claim is the fact that the framework libraries are written in C#. This is no surprise, as the devs that wrote them were previously coding in C++. Nevertheless, it does seem that C# gets the new .NET features first in the development cycle, and then other languages (inc. VB) decide whether they will adopt them or not.

So, after all of the above, if you are a VB6 dev still undecided, remember this: VB.NET is not a second class citizen and assuming you can do it the .NET way then go for it. My advice is that you try a bit of C# as well. I hope that we all build a simple small app when trying out a new language and we don't just dive into a contract. Well, build that small app in both languages and see which suits you best.

Just for a laugh, allow me a quick counter attack on the reasons above:
1. If you have existing VB6 projects, the easiest upgrade path is to VB.NET
2. Same as 1. Applies to VB6 code fragments, not just projects
3. No difference is greater than case sensitivity. In any case, VB2005 makes the transition even easier.
4. This may only be true because most of C# devs have a C++ background, and that background is worth more than the VB6 one; learning C# will not change your background.
5. Bill Gates loves Mort.
6. C# is a standardized language. Innovation is easier with a proprietary language such as VB.
7. So VB gets only features that are of real value, and not of academic interest.