Is VB.NET Dead?

Year 2012 has been a busy year for Microsoft developers. Too much to digest and too much to learn. Windows 8 will be available to public on this coming week. Microsoft just published a special MSDN Magazine issue focusing on just Windows 8 and Windows Store apps.

So what is different in this issue?

I remember a few years back, C# developers used to complain how MSDN magazine and early code samples used to be in VB.NET. The trend changed slowly and today, when I am reading this MSDN magazine, I do not see any sample in VB.NET.

All Oct month MSDN Magazine code samples are in C#.

What does that mean?

Is Microsoft is moving away from VB.NET? I can argue that why does it matter? Does it matter if it is C# or VB.NET? Not really. Not really for experienced developers but for students and beginners who can't learn two different languages, it does matter. I wrote a blog, C# vs. VB.NET in 2006 that shows C# developers always get paid more than VB.NET but Bashar Lulu also had his point of view that VB.NET was more popular than C#.

Here is an interesting article that shows C, Java, Objective-C, and C++ are most used programming language followed by C# at #5.

C : 19.822%
Java : 17.193%
Objective-C : 9.477%
C++ : 9.260%
C# : 6,530%

Based on these numbers, C# still has a long way to go and I suspect if it will ever become as popular as C, C++ and Java but surely, it is way ahead of VB.NET and some others.

C# Programmers make more than VB.NET Programmers.

I am not sure how correct this is but here is another good and detailed list of programming languages and their market share. http://langpop.com/

Today, I searched Monster for keywords C# and VB.NET. For C#, there were about 700 jobs but for VB.NET, less than 70. I know it is not an accurate measurement but it gives you an idea about the job market demand of C# vs VB.NET.

3 Comments

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Ravi Shekhar13y ago
right vithal sir
Vithal Wadje14y ago
yes sir its correct, i think Microsoft is not responsible for this just they changing according to the market demand. i see everywere starting from education Institutes provides the training on Asp.net using C# beacuse most of the students commimg from C,C++,Java backgroung because in most of the university syllabus uses C,C++ and Java,they not focusing on VB or VB.net and all compnies gives preference to C# for developing a new projects because of Market trend and most candidate only avalible in C#.According to my personal experiecne, i was selected in one company which works done on vb.net but they took my Interview on C# offer me 3.5 Lakh package double than my Perveious package later on they told me here we are workig on vb.net so you have no issue to migrate C# to VB.net ...? "I have replied them I am looking for future not for current job and background is diffrent than your work and I love Much to C# so i cant join" and most important thing is that these modern languages are very easy to understand than vb.net syntax which amke much lengthy and complicated also their is no grammaticle rule so most of the new candiadte prefer C#.Mahesh Sir I think after 3 or 4 year their no develpoer Available for vb.net ..
Shivanand Arur14y ago
Wow... Nice one Mahesh Sir!!! Thanks. Especially I liked the small conversation between u and Bashar!!!