aaron@jessica.Stanford.EDU (Aaron Wallace) (05/23/91)
Hi! I've just read some *very* good reviews of this package. Has anyone had a chance to toy with it yet? Is it as earth-shattering as Mr. "SpinRite" says in his InfoWorld blurb (5-21-91)? Is this going to be the "hypercard" of Windows, or is this more "hype." For the uninformed: from what I can glean it's an incrementally-compiled BASIC- based Windows scripting language that actually produces good, small code with minimal effort. Enquiring minds want to know if MS finally produced something that actually halfway resembles a usable compiler, or should I go back to reading my Turbo Pascal/Windows manual...? Aaron Wallace
Herbert_Woelffer@f204.n208.z1.fidonet.org (Herbert Woelffer) (05/30/91)
\From: aaron@jessica.Stanford.EDU (Aaron Wallace) \Reply-To: aaron@jessica.Stanford.EDU (Aaron Wallace) Wow, I talking to some one from Stanford. <Shiver> <GRIN> \Hi! Hello to you! \I've just read some *very* good reviews of this package. Has \anyone had a chance to toy with it yet? Yes I have, its everything he says and more! \Is it as earth-shattering as Mr. "SpinRite" says in his \InfoWorld blurb (5-21-91)? Yes it is. While it does have its faults, it should bring Windows programming into a new era. The speed of the programming is nice. I have writen very stable stuff in less than an hour. It is not weak by any means. It has what everything you need to stare at the screen for 24 hours straight like he did. \Is this going to be the "hypercard" of Windows, or is this more \"hype." I did not understand his reference here(I stay away from Macs, so have very little to go on). If he meant ease of programability then yes its going to be. I do not see a "hype" problem. \For the uninformed: from what I can glean it's an incrementally- \compiled BASIC-based Windows scripting language that actually \produces good, small code with minimal effort. Actualy they borrowed that threaded P-code stuff from the QB and PDS series, is the way I understand it. Yes the code is tight but their is a 200K DLL that you have to have somewhere in your path. There is no compile to a stand alone (yet). \Enquiring minds want to know if MS finally produced something \that actually halfway resembles a usable compiler, or should I \go back to reading my Turbo Pascal/Windows manual...? Sorry but this is subjective on your part. I belive it to be a very well thought out piece of work that will stand on its own. However others will fault the required DLL as a major draw back. Given what appears to be a bias against Microsoft, this may not be the proof you need. I on the other hand would not go near a Borland product <GRIN>.
jbudden@swbatl.sbc.com (Jim Buddenhagen 5-5183) (05/31/91)
Computerworld (5/27/91) had an article on Microsoft's new Windows Development
language: Visual Basic. This language is (if I understand correctly) an
extension of QuickBASIC and it is now in beta testing.
I would be interested in the comments/impressions/experiences of any
beta users.
--
Jim Buddenhagen - SWBT - Statistical Research
One Bell Center - Room 27X5 - St. Louis. MO. 63101.
UUCP: { pyramid, uunet, bellcore }...!swbatl!jbudden
INTERNET: jbudden@swbatl.sbc.com PHONE: 314-235-5183Jerry_Houston@f105.n343.z1.fidonet.org (Jerry Houston) (05/31/91)
In a 05-29-91 message to Aaron Wallace, Kevin Zelhart said: KZ**We saw this at COMDEX Spring last week. It looked like it would **be a good tool for prototyping or small programs... Steve Gibson has been falling all over himself to sing its praises for the last two weeks in InfoWorld. He's not usually much into HLLs, by his own admission.
Angus.Fox@UK.Sun.COM (Angus Fox) (05/31/91)
In article <1991May30.200525.10375@swbatl.sbc.com> jbudden@swbatl.sbc.com (Jim Buddenhagen 5-5183) writes: > This language is (if I understand correctly) an extension of QuickBASIC ...........Cut for brevity.................. >Jim Buddenhagen - SWBT - Statistical Research > One Bell Center - Room 27X5 - St. Louis. MO. 63101. > UUCP: { pyramid, uunet, bellcore }...!swbatl!jbudden > INTERNET: jbudden@swbatl.sbc.com PHONE: 314-235-5183 Well I am amazed. I just got an invite from Microsoft to their UK launch............. (and I quote). "Now developing Windows Applications is almost as easy as using them! If you're sceptical, puzzled, or just curious about this claim, you need to try the new Microsoft Visual Basic. Visual Basic is an easy-to-use, Windows hosted development system for creating Microsoft Windows Applications. Draw the user interface with a mouse, add a few lines of Basic code, Choose Start and you've created a real, working Windows application. Choose Make EXE and your application is ready for distribution." ...End quoted article... Microsoft Visual Basic will be launched at the Software Tools show at Wembley Exhibition Centre on Wednesday June 12th 1991 List is 139 pounds sterling. Special on the day is 49 pounds sterling. (139 pounds is still more than 199 dollars in my language :-) but thats normal). Angus Fox Sun Microsystems Europe Inc - Sitka Internet:Angus.Fox@uk.Sun.com Janet:Angus.Fox@sun.co.uk AppleLink:SITKAEUROPE Phone: +44 276 51440
petergo@microsoft.UUCP (Peter GOLDE) (06/04/91)
In article <1991May30.200525.10375@swbatl.sbc.com> jbudden@swbatl.sbc.com (Jim Buddenhagen 5-5183) writes: >Computerworld (5/27/91) had an article on Microsoft's new Windows Development >language: Visual Basic. This language is (if I understand correctly) an >extension of QuickBASIC and it is now in beta testing. Visual Basic was announced at Comdex/Windows World two weeks ago. It is a shipping product. Both InfoWorld and PC Week have published columns or first-look reviews of the product. Yes, the language is based on the QuickBASIC language with extensions. The product is designed to allow very easy, very fast production of real Windows applications without having to know the Windows API or spend the long learning time necessary to learn it. For the advanced programmer, calling to any DLL routine (including the Win API) is supported so access to any system function and cross-language development is supported. Hope this doesn't sound too much like an advertisement; just trying to clear up some of the confusion. --Peter Golde (petergo%microsoft@uunet.uu.net)
ckh@vaxwaller.UUCP (Chuck Huston) (06/20/91)
I have just received an offer to "upgrade" to a new product called Visual Basic. Apparently, it is a graphical programming environment that allows you to build Windows applications. I would appreciate it if anyone who has experience or knowledge of this product would offer more information. Specifically, are there any reviews published (provide references), what are the prevailing opinions, etc. Thank you in advance.
hermit@cats.ucsc.edu (William R. Ward) (06/28/91)
Visual Basic is supposed to be really neato. I have a friend who works in San Jose (CA) desigining Windows applications (the firm he works for escapes me at the moment). He told me the entire company is switching from C++ to Visual BASIC for application development! Must be pretty powerful... certainly it's easy to use (BASIC's big strength -- sort of like Macintoshes: it's easy to use, and under some circumstances can actually be useful ;-) ). He has written an interface package for VB that gives you the ability to easily create some fancy buttons, with tricks like animation, etc. I won't plug it on the net, but if anyone is interested, you can mail me and I'll forward your messages to him. (he doesn't have net access) -- William R Ward <hermit@cats.ucsc.edu> I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning. -- Proverbs 7:17-18
moriarty@tc.fluke.COM (Jeff Meyer) (06/29/91)
I played around with VB for an evening the other day. The touchstone I'd
compare it to would be HyperCard, i.e., an application allowing you to
create GUI applications quickly, using a lot of point-and-click design
techniques, and having it's own underlying language. The major difference
(after five hours experience, so grain-of-salt time) between HyperCard and
VB is that VB intrinsically works harder at making your VB program look (and
act) like a standalone Windows application. HyperCard doesn't have quite
this amount of support for creating dialog boxes (let alone the code for
selecting files via the dialog boxes).
Generally, I like it quite a bit; it seemed pretty intuitive to me. I've
been programming in HyperCard and SuperCard on the Macintosh for about two
years, and as I was building a VB program, I generally assumed that if I
could do it in HC, I could do it in VB; as it turned out, a pretty good
assumption. The execution speed wasn't bad, either.
In short, a really nice system for getting a simple application up and
running in Windows, fast; but with enough options to extend it farther than
a "demo builder" application.
[Disclaimer: I'm a long-time Mac guy who's ended up, like all all who
challenge the authority of DOS, in an iron coffin, with spikes on the
inside!... Err, I mean, programming Windows applications in C.]
"Who are you, who are so wise in the ways of
Science?"
---
Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
INTERNET: moriarty@tc.fluke.COM
Manual UUCP: {uunet, uw-beaver, sun, microsoft, hplsla}!fluke!moriarty
CREDO: You gotta be Cruel to be Kind...
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