REAL Linux

[Paul DiRezze]

Lennart Sorensen wrote:

>On Mon, Oct 03, 2005 at 04:38:45PM -0400, psema4 wrote:
>  
>
>>In addition to the standard GUI and database components, it includes
>>components for building games, internet applications, etc.
>>    
>>
>
>Tools to let non programmers think they can write programs are not that
>useful in my opinion because they don't make people good programers.
>  
>
I don't think this is the point of VB or RB (both of which I've used).  
Often it's about speeding up (macro-izing) some operation or mocking up 
a prototype or writing a one-screen wizard that will never be 
distributed.  Sometimes a crappy program done quickly is exactly what's 
needed.  IMO that's what these environments are best for.  But I'd have 
to agree that now that Python and its ilk exist and are mature,  
proprietary dev environments are more trouble than they are worth.  What 
VB and RB can do is easily done.  What they can't do is often near 
impossible or at least not worth the square peg in the round hole type 
of effort required.

>>The programmer in me definately agrees we don't need any more horrid
>>code.  On the other hand, my advocate side is thinking this is a good
>>thing for the desktop.
>>    
>>
>
>Because desktop users expect crappy applications?
>  
>
No, but often any application (even a crappy one) is better than no 
application.  For a good number of years VB was all there was that 
lessened the effort required to get a problem solved without bugging IT 
people at your company.  Having also struggled with Open Office Basic, I 
can say that the integration of VBA into MS Office is still by far the 
best development environment in an office suite that I have used.

Having said all that, I'm still moving to Linux, Open Office and Python 
because I want what I learn today to be useful 5+ years from now.  MS 
keeps changing the rules every 2-3 years to a degree that's excessively 
counter-productive, not to mention costly.

paul
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