Denaes

It's there to provide a wrapper to .Net functions for VB6 (ie non .Net) developers. I try not to use it, but I still use vbTab... I think there were a few other things that I can do in C# but I can't do in VB.net without using the VB Compatability. There might be a way but I could never find it.

I think that would be a HUGE help. Somewere where you can get into writing Macros/ VS Components, Errors, "How do I..." and other VS specific questions.

Maybe why this company is looking for VB developers to train?

I sent my resume to a company looking for VB (didn't say if they wanted 6 or .net) and Progress developers. I got a callback and they want me to come in for an interview for Progress. They had to explain to me what it was - as far as programming languages come I havn't really heard about it except in passing. Now they say its similar to VB and is a language geared towards databases for the PC. I found some docs on it, but I couldn't play around - the only IDE I found looked like the Microsoft of this language. You had to purchase a suite and support. Then again my Google Fu seems to be hampered by a name like "Progress" Anyone have any insights?

I think I'm missing something... I really hope I am. I spent a long time writing an application - I used Database Explorer to connect to the database and I used the quick DataAdaptors and Datasets and dataconnections to create my application. 6 months down the line I realized my fatal error - the database was a fixed path! "C:\ApplicationName\Data\Data.mdb" - eek! I understand the appeal of SQL Server as you don't have to worry about a location. To fix my problem I had to recreate all of the controls via code and use Application.StartupPath to get the path. But really, this is supposed to be a RAD for use with databases - what am I missing? How would you use the visual/quick controls and still have a professional application?

I understand all of that and how the Data namespaces only offer general/optimized classes for accessing/connecting to databases. My goal is to have a multi-platform application which accesses a database. I don't care what database it is, just that it's somewhat friendly to create the table structure/relationships (either directly or with an obvious 3rd party tool), its free (as my application is free) and it's not a pain in the heine for people to run the database on their computers. Installing a driver is one thing - end users shouldn't have to install a database server to run a freeware application. Which is why I'm looking for "just a database" that runs on OSX as well as PC. This isn't the right forum for this specific of a question about databases so I'll go ask in the database forum - not that I expect much luck involving OSX database knowledge on a .Net forum. Maybe a Java forum would know better? ;)

Perfect. Actually the .Net framework is ported over to Linux and OS X and I'm currently working on an application I want to work across the platforms. This would have certainly hit me when I tested it on another platform. Drinking and programming - while fun - can be hazardous to your health, but that looks like a good option. Thank you for explaining things and putting it into perspective. I question to gain perspective and insight, not to be annoying or a jerk. I'm going to use Path.Combine from now on. :D

A client to MS SQL on a Mac? What exactly is that? An alternative application which serves the same format/functions as SQL Server does?

Ok. I"m not doubting you - I just don't like it when people make a broad statement like "X is better than Y" without giving reasons. Using Application.StartupPath you *do* have to remember to put in the "\" which is a little annoying. So you're replacing "\" with Path.Combine( , )? I'm not sure that it's "Better". It certainly is a lot longer and I don't see any benifits to doing so unless you can't remember what identifier goes between the filename and the path. Now what would be more helpful is to overload it to take only one parameter - the filename and it will look like: Path.Combine("filename.ext") and that will be an improvement.

I've had no problems with Application.StartupPath. Why is Path.Combine better?

You would just do something like: string AppPath = Application.Startup+"\\<filename.ext>"[/Code] I hope I got the C# right - I havn't used it in a while. I've been more VB recently. From what I recall, the Open Dialog Box only lets people navigate around to find a path/file and then passes the Path back to your class. With Application.StartupPath and knowing the directory structure of your application and filenames you can do all this via code completely and automatically.

I don't have VS.Net open at the moment, but if memory serves: Application.StartupPath returns the string for the path from where your application was started. There is another one as well, but this is the one I use most often.

That looks hopeful, but how can you run SQLServer on a Mac? You need drivers in addition to namespaces. Unless does Mono actually serve/run these databases as well? .mdb may not be terribly professional or the most efficient, but it's a nice bundle. At least on a PC, it requires no user interaction and keeps all the information. Many people arn't going to want to install entire "Servers" on their machines for a business application. I can just imagine asking someone on OSX to install mySQL on their machine. Hmm... are there any more "stand alone" (not run by a server/service) fully fledged databases in a similar vein to Access that run on other platforms?

I think the thing I'm worried most about is the Data namespace and accessing databases. What database types are supported for OSX and Linux? I doubt you can use .MDB and I'm even less hopefull of MSSQL. I assume XML would be ok.

One thing Mono implies (I might have read/interpreted it wrong) was that it would just run any .Net applications. Meaning if I wrote an application in 1.1 (2003) and gave it to a friend with OSX or one of the specific Linux versions, they could just install Mono and double click (or whatever) on a .net application and it would run. I was thinking you had to build it targeting mono to get it to run on a mac/linux box. I'd prefer to not have to rebuild everything. I guess I have stop being so lazy and put mono on my wifes Mac and see how it works. Also the last I saw (really looked into it maybe a few months ago) it didn't look like Mono was fully functional - but probobly more than functional enough for any business/personal application. Most likely more than enough for what most of us do - but definately worth testing on other machines with only Mono installed.

I'm looking into NAnt now. It builds and targets frameworks. I assume it's easier than using the command line for the framework compiler. I know in VS 2003 you can target the 1.0 & 1.1 Framework - but no notice of Mono. Frankly I feel that MS would be smart to make use of Mono as it makes .Net multi-platform - an honest compeditor to Java. Strangely, what I saw from Mono it also compiles/runs Java as well.

I have not installed Visual Studio 2005 B2 yet and I had a question. Can you target a framework other than 2.0? Such as 1.1? Or how about Mono? I'm running Visual Studio 2003 Enterprise at the moment and would like to use 2005 - but I'm going to be distributing the application for OSX as well, so I need to target Mono - but I'll also target 1.1 since thats about the equivilent to give PC users the option to use the normal framework.

I've seen the last one - it just links to sites where you can pay to take a practice test. What I took before hand was a practice MCAD test on a microsoft page. It wasn't 3rd party. It really humbled me as to how little I actually knew about XML Web Services and ASP.Net as far as the test went. I just finished the win development book and want to study up and take the cert for it so I can move onto ASP.Net and then XML & SQL Server

I recall there being some online tests at Microsoft for Microsoft certifications. Just practice tests to show you were you need to work on in terms of skills. I cannot find it now to save my life. Anyone know where it is? I'm a MSDN Universal subscriber if that helps. I'd prefer a Microsoft sample test as I've done those before - but I'm not terribly picky. I just finished up the Microsoft book for .net windows desktop development and I want to take a few practice tests before I plunk down the money for the official certification test.

Thats what I thought. Maybe this company is using a bug as a feature or something :D

I hadn't heard word one about this until I was on an interview the other day. They were looking for someone with a little 2005 experience because they have this huge project and will want to migrate to 2005. They said it would be a terribly complicated upgrade - which I didn't quite follow. There are newer namespaces and nicer functions, but I thought this was backwards compatable. They were saying that they would have someone fixing all the breaks in the application because 2005/Net2.0 has code breaking changes. Is this true? I thought 2.0 was new methods (like to/fromXML for a datatable), not changing the existing framework so current applications wouldn't run.

I love it because it's me solving a problem in a useful way. I can see the results myself. It's also potentially a career or a good skill to have in a related career. I'm never satisfied, especially with the appearance.

Thats what it will look like if you do it in notepad or some other text editor. Applications like Borland and Visual Studio fill in the crap for you. You can always delete that and start over, but that information is still required. In borland JBuilder you start a new project, add a new class called Welcome and delete all of the text. Then type what you have in the book. The most important part to understand is that "Public Class Welcome" is your class and will become an object at runtime (similar as how a blueprint for a house becomes a house when built). You need to be able to identify all the parts you're typing or you're not learning anything. "Public Static Void Main" is the constructor. Public means its accessable to anything, I believe Static means it doesn't have to be instantiated (using the new keyword) and void is the return type of data. Void is nothing. So when you look at it, you know that this is a procedure that will run when the class is built and will return nothing. If you don't know basic things like this and what I typed above, you're stuck where you were - which was being confused because you didn't understand what the skeleton code was there for, how to modify it and how you can use it. I'd say that any IDE worth it's salt will give you that information when you create a new class. It's just useless typing otherwise. Nomatter what, if you want to create a class called Welcome, it will have this code: Public Class Welcome { public static void main(String args[]) { } } so there isn't any reason for a developer to have to type it. Sure you might change Public to Private or something... but this is all standard code for a class. I think thats a poor book you're learning from (for a newbie to programming) or you're not using it properly by skipping the required reading and just typing code in or they assume you already know more about programming.

To answer my answer, I think I need to have the Game Class be the main class which launches a form. EVERYTHING that needs to be requested or given goes through the Main class. This lets information hang out wherever, but so long as main knows how to get it, then anyone in the application can ask for it.

What you need at this point is to understand how to get around in the basic syntax of Java before trying to get ahead. In Jbuilder you start a new project with nothing and have to add a class to do anything. This is what you get when you add a class: /** * <p>Title: </p> * * <p>Description: </p> * * <p>Copyright: Copyright (c) 2005</p> * * <p>Company: </p> * * @author not attributable * @version 1.0 */ public class Test { public Test() { } public static void main(String[] args) { Test test = new Test(); } } The top portion with the astericks are just comments. You can delete them. After that is the class test. This is the clase you want to type your code into. After that is a public procedure Test and main, I'm a bit fuzzy (it's been a year since I've REALLY used Java) , but I believe main runs when your application starts and initializes your class - the Test procedure is run when the class is initialized. You need to create procedures to place your code or place your code within these lines of code you say you do not need. You won't find a way to do that in any language that I know of short of BASIC maybe... VB6 has very little code in the window because it's all hidden from you. The code generated above is pretty much standard requirements to run for Java, C#, J# and VB.net. If you're learning Java, you shouldn't be touching the keyboard until you know what these things are: Class Constructor Method Comments Basic variable types (String, char, int, double, etc) Basic Java I/O methods. If you don't understand what these things mean and how they appear in code, you won't understand what is happening and like now you'll get confused and angry when something doesn't work 100% and you get lost. Java isn't an "empty code box" language and if someone did create an IDE with an option like that, they would be doing you (and their customers) a disscervice and it would hinder you much more than it would help in the long run. Oh, PS, this is a .Net forum, not a Java forum. A Java forum will be best equipped to help you learn Java. You want to learn .Net (C#, J# or VB.Net) stick around here :D