Visual Basic Comes to Windows Phone 7

[Jon Westfall]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_phone/b/wpdev/archive/2010/09/23/visual-basic-comes-to-windows-phone-7.aspx' target='_blank'>http://windowsteamblog.com/windows_...ws-phone-7.aspx</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"That wait is over. You can now download the Visual Basic CTP for Windows Phone Developer Tools. Provided in this download are all the templates, designer support, emulator (and phone!) support and IntelliSense for Visual Basic. We're not formally announcing the schedule for when Visual Basic will be fully supported. We're giving VB developers early access to the Windows Phone 7 platform so that they can start thinking about what amazing apps they want to build."</em></p><p>Most programming languages aren't super difficult to learn. Visual Basic is super difficult to remain ignorant in. While often the punchline of a joke regarding programmer's abilities, VB does provide a nice atmosphere to rapidly create apps, some aren't even that bad! And now it's coming to WP7. Not a bad thing for the smaller app writer looking to jump onto a platform.</p>

[Ed Hansberry]

http://cebeans.com/bean.gif (http://cebeans.com/)

'nuff said.

[Inventor]

Ed,

Visual Basic is a great tool for people to 'start on'.

The progress of a Visual Basic programmer:

1. Pure Visual Basic, so the programs will work but will be *very hard* to commercialize.

2. API calling. The programs will have much more functionality and will become - useful - but not really ready to become killer apps.

3. DLL calling - (to native code DLLs in C++ your create). The programs will do 'Anything a C++ program can do'. You get the FULL power and speed C++ and the simplicity of Visual Basic. The only downside is the 'dll hell' problem. But it works.

NOTE: I know W7 phone doesn't allow native code C++ but the C# and speedy processor might not require this.

Nuff said,

[ptyork]

I'm more surprised to learn that it wasn't supported from the start. VB.Net creates .Net bytecode just like C# and can already be used to create Silverlight apps. They are usually kept in parity. I guess this is kinda parity, though, since the phone isn't even out yet. :)

FWIW, we even stopped trying to teach beginning programmers in VB. It is simply too inconsistent in its syntax. It was never intended to be true OO--it's just kind of tacked on and very convoluted, especially for a beginner. BUT, I know a lot of potential WP7 app devs still use it religiously, so it's good to see support added.

[Flynn Arrowstarr]

While I gave up VB for C# a long ago, it's good to hear they are adding support for WP7 Silverlight development in VB. Too bad they haven't offered it on the Express edition though. Leaves my friend out since he doesn't have the means to get VS Pro.

Flynn