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What is Visual Basic (VB) ?

Visual Basic (VB) is a programming language and integrated development environment (IDE) first released by Microsoft in 1991. It was developed with the aim of simplifying software development, specifically for Windows applications.

VB features a simple syntax, a drag-and-drop interface for designing user interfaces and supports event-driven programming. Whilst it incorporates numerous object-oriented programming concepts, it is especially useful for creating windows applications and scripts for Microsoft Office through VBA. Over time, it has evolved into Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET) within the .NET framework, opening it up to cross-platform development capabilities.

Are VB.Net and .NET the same?

VB.NET is simply Visual Basic using the .NET framework. .NET describes the general framework and can be written in a choice of languages and Visual Basic is just one.

Is VB still a popular programming language?

Whilst certainly not as popular as it once was, VB and more specifically Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) and Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET) are still used today for certain use cases -

Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)

Microsoft Office Automation - VBA is widely used for automating tasks in Microsoft Office applications such as Excel, Word and Access. Businesses and professionals still rely on VBA to create macros, automate repetitive tasks and develop custom functionalities in their documentation.
Custom Solutions in Enterprise - Many enterprises use VBA to build custom solutions that integrate with their existing Microsoft Office workflows. These existing codebases are the output of significant investments and rewriting them in a new language may not be a plausible or cost effective option.

Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET)

Legacy Systems Maintenance - Businesses of all shapes and sizes still have legacy systems and applications written in VB.NET that continue to be maintained and updated.
Windows Desktop Applications - VB.NET is still used to develop Windows desktop applications, especially in scenarios where businesses have developers that are highly experienced in the language. This is particularly common in SMEs.

How has VB evolved over the years?

Transition to Object-Oriented Programming - With the introduction of VB.NET, Visual Basic transitioned to a fully object-oriented language.

Integration with .NET Framework - This integration provided access to the vast .NET libraries and a more powerful runtime environment.

Cross-Platform Development capabilities - VB.NET within .NET Core and later .NET 5+ allows for the development of applications that run on Windows, Linux and macOS.

Modern Programming Features - Over the years, VB has incorporated modern programming paradigms and features such as asynchronous programming, generics, and LINQ.

How Can We Help

It can be a challenge to find VB experts these days. Luckily for you, our very own MD knows VB like the back of his hand and has extensive experience with the classic, VB 6 and more recently, VB.NET. Get in touch for a chat today!

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