Thread: .NET---worth buying?

  1. #1
    Software Developer jverkoey's Avatar
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    .NET---worth buying?

    I was at the store today and saw VC++ .net for sale for $129.99 and was about to buy it, but then I decided to see if it was worth the investment or not, which is why I'm posting this.

    I currently have VC++ 6.0 Professional edition and it's what I've been using for the past 2 and a half years and it's always worked perfectly fine for me. However, I can't help but feel that I'm falling behind in the times with my 'old' compiler. So, is it worth spending the $129.99 to get .net, or should I just wait till I actually really need it (IE: for a job or something).

  2. #2
    Registered User Sake's Avatar
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    If you are doing C++ then it is definitely worth it. But I got VC++.NET Standard for $99 for my personal copy. What edition was the one you looked at?
    Kampai!

  3. #3
    train spotter
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    I have used both. I would recommend you at least try .NET.

    Is it worth $130..........maybe..

    .NET has better 'intelli sense'. The compiler shows you function params or struct/class members (as you type or highlight). I find this a useful reminder.

    .NET has better GDI object management and lost GDI objects will be cleaned up (as they are now 'temp' objects).

    The linker / project options are harder to find in .NET.

    I also like the tabbed display of open files in .NET.
    "Man alone suffers so excruciatingly in the world that he was compelled to invent laughter."
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    "I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds and fast cars......the rest I squandered."
    George Best

    "If you are going through hell....keep going."
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  4. #4
    Slave MadCow257's Avatar
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    .NET has better 'intelli sense'. The compiler shows you function params or struct/class members (as you type or highlight). I find this a useful reminder.
    As a note, MSVS 6 already had that feature.
    Oddly enough, I was just thinking about posting the same question.
    However, I can't help but feel that I'm falling behind in the times with my 'old' compiler
    That's what they want you to feel...don't succomb....

  5. #5
    Software Developer jverkoey's Avatar
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    I'm in Canada, which would explain the price difference. The version that was in the stores was the Standard one, and I couldn't find the price for the professional level one. I don't really think just "better intelli-sense" is enough to make me want to go buy a new compiler. And also, I have tried .net before and kind of liked it...I was just wondering standard and code-wise if .net was definitely worth getting even though at this point in time I'm just a hobbiest programmer.

  6. #6
    train spotter
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    I have a trial disc I got with a MS cert course. Must be some of these lying around so you could try .NET.

    >>I was just wondering standard and code-wise if .net was definitely worth getting

    I might be tempted to wait until managed C++ is released in MSVC 2005 .NET. (true C++ supported within the CRL)

    >>I don't really think just "better intelli-sense"

    Its one feature I could pin-point. v6 has it but it got very much better in .NET including items that the programmer defined (not just standard stuff).
    "Man alone suffers so excruciatingly in the world that he was compelled to invent laughter."
    Friedrich Nietzsche

    "I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds and fast cars......the rest I squandered."
    George Best

    "If you are going through hell....keep going."
    Winston Churchill

  7. #7
    Banned nickname_changed's Avatar
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    It is worth it, but wait a few months until the .NET Framework 2.0 is released. You'll be able to get Visual C++ .NET 2005 Express Edition for a lot cheaper and with all the new 2.0 features.

  8. #8
    Just one more wrong move. -KEN-'s Avatar
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    Isn't VC.NET more standards-compliant than VC6?

  9. #9
    Registered User Sake's Avatar
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    Yes, a great deal. That was the primary reason that I replaced 6.0 with .NET.
    Kampai!

  10. #10
    Bob Dole for '08 B0bDole's Avatar
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    I got .NET through my MSDN Acedmic lincense thing for $12 +s&h
    Hmm

  11. #11
    Banned nickname_changed's Avatar
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    If you'd like to see Visual C++ 2005 Express, you might like to look at the beta thats avaliable free from Microsoft's site. http://lab.msdn.microsoft.com/express/visualc/

  12. #12
    the hat of redundancy hat nvoigt's Avatar
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    I'm not sure what the standard edition features, but VC7 enterprise compared to VC6 enterprise is so worth it, it isn't even funny anymore. Get 7. Better yet, save the money and get 2005 Beta. It works fine. I programmed half a year using VC7 Beta and never had any problems.

    Go download Beta2005, it's free
    hth
    -nv

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  13. #13
    Banned nickname_changed's Avatar
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    Yeah 2005 is pretty stable, we use Visual Studio .NET 2005 beta at work for production purposes. It easily manages 20+ C# projects and database connections all under source control (over 250,000 LOC at the moment, only 3 months old though). The forms designer does have its quirks but if you're careful (close all documents before compiling) it's usually OK, but since you're using C++ I believe you can't use the forms designer anyway so that won't be a problem.

  14. #14
    Cat without Hat CornedBee's Avatar
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    .Net 2002 is no more standards compliant than VC6, it only has an updated standard library (which is more compliant). .Net 2003 is the one that's really compliant.
    All the buzzt!
    CornedBee

    "There is not now, nor has there ever been, nor will there ever be, any programming language in which it is the least bit difficult to write bad code."
    - Flon's Law

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