Moving to .NET
One of my clients has decided that they're going to give .NET development a try. They're not planning to migrate existing applications, which makes sense in my opinion. There's no need to convert something that's already in production. However, a new system being built will be done using the .NET Framework. Surprisingly, the push to use .NET didn't come from the developers. Instead, the decision came from a group involved in keeping their eye on the "big picture". And because it came from non-developers, there was next to no resistance from upper management.
So the first question I was asked was whether to use VB.NET or C#. Some people say that the decision should be based on personal preference since both languages are first class citizens within the .NET Framework. Since moving to .NET, I've been searching for a definitive comparison of the two languages without much luck. However, the bits and pieces I have found indicate that the languages provide pretty much the same functionality. And from my work with the two languages, I can say that they are largely the same.
What concerns me is will both languages be functionally equivalent a year from now? How about 2 years? Are experimental features going to make their way in to C# first or in to VB.NET first? I'm inclined to believe that C# is always going to be ahead of VB.NET. The lead may at times be insignificant, but at other times knowing one language over the other could make or break a consulting deal.
And so I've made my recommendation and I believe the decision will be to go with C#.
This is a good book about this subject:
Interestingly, I heard the same question was raised between Cold Fusion and ASP. In the end, a CF guru made the critical point; "The question is answered not in the technology itself but the skill set of the adopter." My own bias points to C# (even though I'm a VB.Net programmer. Simply put, of those programmers picking up either language, the super-experienced C/C++ programmers are more likely to adopt C#. That experience creates better applications which many will attribute to the language rather than the underlying skills and experience of the programmer.
Hey, it's another opinion...take it for what you paid!