[Mono-list] RE: Platforms Mono will support?

[John Duncan]

On Saturday, September 14, 2002, at 04:35 PM, Chris Daly wrote:
> I usually lurk on this list and I haven't studied the Mono C# 
> implementation
> very closely, however having worked on language tools for both C# and 
> VB.Net
> I want to say that at first glance the two languages look almost 
> identical,
> but the more you look the more differences you will find. Here is a 
> partial
> list of the differences I've run into:

Hopefully this is useful. A quick google search turned up this white 
paper reference. One site that xref'd it said that it makes conversion 
straightforward but not necessarily automatic.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q308470

Nevertheless, VB.NET code should mostly work. The real conversion issue 
is VSA:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/vsip/vsa/indepth.asp

VSA is the glue Microsoft is using to stick the old developers (who we 
know can't learn new things :P ) to the .NET way of life. VSA will 
probably not become an issue in a really short time frame (two months), 
but it will soon (six months). This is because it'll be at least six 
months before ordinary adopters start showing up. VSA will require 
implementation of its language-specific class library.

For now, C# does everything Mono will be used for, and nobody is going 
to use Mono that can't handle C#. This, I conjecture, is a pretty 
obvious truth. People who are scared of C# are actually scared of VB.NET 
too. Have you seen the VB.NET language? (Yes, I know you have; 
rhetorical question. :) ) It scares _me_. VB6 programmers are not 
hitting the ground running when they start on VB.NET. Luckily, almost 
the entire runtime is compatible cross-languages. As XSP matures, 
JScript and VB compilers can and should be added.

So far as copyright issues are concerned: I'd go out on a limb here. The 
worst that could happen is an injunction. Inviting Microsoft lawyers 
adds good publicity, anyway. Instant slashdotting. The public 
free-information law groups would probably be interested in arguing 
about the right to copyright a language, so if it does invite scrutiny 
it may push the issue into the courts. In any event, it won't hurt Mono.

Meanwhile: if someone comes up with a language and environment for Mono 
that allows straightforward use of ghetto VBScript ASP pages, that would 
be a boon to .NET platform adopters and a good reason to use Mono/Apache 
instead of .NET/IIS or .NET/Apache (if those vapors ever coalesce). The 
big problem on IS managers' minds is that the CTO is talking about .NET 
and how it will change the world while the manager is thinking about his 
staff that is barely capable of writing a complete VB class module. 
These people are not interested in the clarity and safety added by 
.NET-style languages. They're interested in the _appearance_ of clarity 
and safety. This is my opinion, of course, I could be wrong. I'm just 
saying this because of my experience in consulting.

Wow, I said a lot more than I expected to. Anyhow, check out those 
articles.... It'd be nice if Microsoft released PDF versions. I guess 
I'll ask if that's not possible.

John