[AccessD] .NET

Over 2 gigs and multiple development languages?  What with countries like 
Germany mandating the use of open source software because they can't really 
allow ET to phone Microsoft home and disclose potentially sensitive 
information through the updating and registration processes (curiously 
enough, a number of US federal departments have taken this stance as well), 
plus with Microsoft being ordered, awaiting appeal, to include Java support 
and of course, the comparative maturity and robust capability of Java, I 
would have to wonder why anyone would want to start learning .NET.

As I had mentioned several weeks ago, Java already has ADO capability.  It 
also has and has had true object oriented capability, is becoming a college 
and university standard for teaching OOD, has seen several generations of 
RAD IDEs and is free with tons of free available code.  It runs on virtually 
any existing OS including Microsoft, Mac, Linux and Unix.  If Access is 
coming out with a .NET version real soon, it may be a reason to learn some 
.NET.  Microsoft had better let the cat out of the bag real quick and they 
had better be telling me that Access will have inheritance while they're at 
it before I spend any time learning any .NET.  I had looked at the .NET 
stuff over a year ago and had spoken with several people who were asked for 
input by Microsoft over earlier pre beta releases as well as downloaded 
several hundreds of megabytes of Microsoft AV files promoting the technology 
and have seen little that is compelling.  Local developers have provided a 
very mixed opinion on .NET and much has been said about bugs.  On the other 
hand, Java seems to be making inroads not only with governments and 
universities, but also in business.

I expect to continue developing in Access 97 and 2000 but have not yet seen 
any demand for XP.  I believe it will practically be a miracle if Microsoft 
endows an Access.NET with the speed and convenience of its desktop guise and 
will require drastic changes like those in VB.  Will it still be an 
affordable handy single or few user database?  As long as Microsoft keeps 
the wraps on where it's going and when a reasonably bug free version is 
realistically anticipated to be released, I'll be learning Java, which 
already does everything .NET is supposed to, very well at that, for free, 
independent of operating system, and governed by very consistent and stable 
standards.

Hen


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