That "thin wrapper" was completely missing from Borland's tools and one ended up continually writing low-level SDK code to get anything done. The logical first step to any framework is wrap the API, then add more specialized code on top of that. Casual programmers or the manager who never actually did any coding would not realize just how important that "thin wrapper" was to extending the APIs with your own classes.
Where MFC fails is where OWL failed: the high-level classes, but that's all OWL had. Still, MFC has more and better high-level classes than OWL ever had. I really get tired of people arguing that the market place doesn't get it. Borland was spotted a HUGE lead when the prevaling opinion was that Microsoft tools were inferior. Borland dropped the ball, big time, and Microsoft ran with it. Even Borland's lame attempt to copy Microsoft's MSDN failed. Borland just gave up on what was probably the single most important tool in Microsoft's arsenal. Here is Borland in the information industry and they don't know how to leverage information themselves.
As for VB, it's a great scripting tool and form pounder-outer. I use the new class features extensively and create applications that use a two-tiered structure: ADO database classes to encapsulate queries and isolate the data, forms that use those database classes. Binding your objects directly to the database using data binding features will only cause you problems and it's only easier or more efficient to those with no understanding of OOD -- probably most VB-only programmers.
JAVA
Java is simply the best general programming language ever developed and the Java environment is getting close to being top-notch as well. Of course, a lot of these guys swallowed the bogus Microsoft argument that Java was only an interesting programming language, not an actual evironment. They couldn't understand why MFST would say that. Let me suggest that anybody who thinks Java is just a language consider that there are several compilers available for the JVM from Ada to Rexx to Lisp. Java is a language, a language-independent virtual machine and environment, and a rich set of APIs for everything from 3D graphics to SQL database management.
I predict that Microsoft will not continue its Frankenstein-basic. They already failed to add inheritence and it's really getting ugly. VB is a good scripter and DAF tool, as a general purpose language it is equivalent to McDonald's as a general purpose nutrition. Try and get a Big Mac on the Space Shuttle, in the Sahara. Try inviting your guests to dine out at Mickey Dees. Try feeding babies or those on a restricted diet with clown food. Try getting some golden arch fare at 3:00 a.m., on your boat. |
