[Frank]

I am in process of learning some programming -- starting with VBA to get feel for object oriented programming and then thinking about moving on. I have settled on going with Microsoft technologies but trying to understand C#'s role in the world. Is C# a good place to focus or should I try to continue by extending VBA into Visual Basic? I am uneducated on this but it seems to me that C# may be the future general programming language and perhaps I should just learn that. (Microsoft positioned C# as less complex C++ and as better structured than Java).

FWIW, I am an Open Ecry user and they are offering support for Easylanguage and C#. I already know some decent level of Easylanguage so I am covered for indicators etc... but long-term, I may want to dabble also with web applications and if C# works for both -- hey, why not just go that direction??

comments?

[Tams]

There are hundreds and thousands of FREE tutorial pages on the web on C#. Give them a try and you will soon find your place.

[gooni]

Hi Frank,

In all honesty, a move away from VB/VBA will server you well in the long term. It is a simple language of terms of getting something done quickly, but is highly procedural in it's general approach, and tends to not promote separate of data/visuals/logic through its design. It is also somewhat less powerful than C#.

The question about which language to learn is of course dependent on what you want to do. It is hard to go wrong with C# and .NET, especially if you want move into the web space later. If it's primarily file processing or scripting frameworks, Python or Ruby might be better bets (especially if you want to do something with R).

As always, consider the right tool for the right job. My general rule of thumb is that if I can do it in a non-compiled fast-development language (like Python or Ruby), then I will - they are just so easy to work with. With IronPython and IronRuby (I believe that's the names), you can even use those languages in .NET. And of course, with Django and Ruby on Rails, they allow very fast web development.

But in general, people who prefer UNIX environments for real work (as opposed to a desktop) will like Python or Ruby, and people who prefer Windows environments and point-and-click drag-and-drop visual programming will be better suited to VB or (preferably) C#.

Hope this helps..
Cheers

[gooni]

Of course, I just read that you've settled on Microsoft technologies. If you'd prefer to be pure in that sense, then C# is much more powerful than VB for most intents and purposes. Of course, IronRuby or IronPython are still good lighter-weight options.

[Frank]

so both of you guys would not discourage me from C# ?

[gooni]

It will have a long lifespan, similar to what Java is enjoying and C++ has enjoyed for a long time. And compared with VB/VBA, it actually has a good reputation amongst industry and a huge community. So really, can't go wrong with C#.

[Tams]

Originally Posted by Frank »

so both of you guys would not discourage me from C# ?

hell no, let the sucker suffer.
he will soon learn...LOL

[Tams]

In all seriousness, C# is a powerful language, with lots of "accessories", bells and whistles.
There are lots of free resources on the web, and a large and supportive community.

Most importantly, C# is supported by more trading/charting software than any other languages, your investment in learning this language will not go unused.

If you feel you are at the limit of EasyLanguage, I think C# is the obvious choice for the next level of trading programming.