[AccessD] Witty

As in everything, there is a time and place for everything.  All the
languages are designed for specific jobs.  Unfortunately, tools are all too
often selected because of the familiarity of someone with the tool, not
because it was designed for the job at hand.  'C' was designed as a "step
up" from assembler, to provide the capabilities of assembler with the power
of higher language constructs.  It was designed to "program to the metal",
precisely for writing things like operating systems and compilers, where you
needed to get at the metal.  It was not designed to write database
applications, web sites, or a host of other things that the world now needs.
Unfortunately it is all too often used where it doesn't belong, simply
because someone is comfortable with the language.

I will take Access and write a small database application in a matter of
days.  A MASTER of 'C' programming will takes weeks or months (or years) to
write the same application, but if you hire a MASTER 'C' programmer to write
your database application, you will likely pay him for weeks or months (or
years) of his time.  Notice that you will not get a better product, in fact
it will probably be inferior, for the simple reason that there will be 100
or 1000 lines of code for every line I have to write.  More code, more bugs,
we all know that.

Is 'C' a "witty" language?  Of course, if you need to write a Windows (or
Linux etc), or Access (or dBase etc).  Certainly NOT if you need to write an
"Access APPLICATION", or likely if you need to write a "Windows
APPLICATION".  There are many "more suitable" languages for those jobs.
Even for writing database applications, Access isn't the best tool all of
the time as we all know.

To use 'C' you have to be smart and agile.  To use it correctly, you have to
be even smarter and more agile, in order to decide where it is appropriate
and where it isn't.  Wax poetic about 'C' all you will, but come down to
earth when it is time to select your tool.

John W. Colby
www.ColbyConsulting.com 

Contribute your unused CPU cycles to a good cause:
http://folding.stanford.edu/
-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Arthur Fuller
Sent: Friday, December 30, 2005 11:51 AM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: Memory Lane. IBM Key Punch

I am with you on this one, Shamil. You found the perfect word for it: witty.
To be witty you have to be very smart, and also verbally agile. That
describes the entrance requirements for C++, IMO.

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Shamil
Salakhetdinov
Sent: December 30, 2005 11:22 AM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
Subject: Re: [AccessD] OT: Memory Lane. IBM Key Punch

>   I just took C++ for a spin; man is it ugly.
Jim,

When I program on C++ (rarely these days) I have a feeling I'm writing real
SOFTware - so flexible and powerful this programming language is...

...when I use VBA/VB6 - I have a feeling I'm surrounded with "iron fences",
which make me safe but in the same time immensely limit what I can do...

...I like C# and VB.NET but C++ is still far superior and it will probably
always be...

...yes VBA and VB6 and VB.NET and C# are right "what doctor ordered" RAD
tools for many nowadays business applications but modern C++ with all the
free and "for money" development tools and libraries - is far superior and
for trained and experienced developer modern C++ programming is as RAD as C#
or VB.NET programming but has many advantages because (once again) with C++
your imagination isn't limited by anything - and then you're making real
SOFTware not because you're a "bits- and pointers- jongleur" but because the
code stuff you're making is SOFT and flexible and adaptable for many use
cases(application architectures), which are closed for you when you use
VBA/VB6 and even C# and VB.NET....

No, I'm not starting C++ vs. VBA/VB6/C#/VB.NET flame - just wanted to note
that IMO C++ is nice and witty not ugly :)

Shamil