Flaming syntax
29 Jun 2005 
around lunchtime 
Matt Winckler
Yesterday I picked up a minor task at work that was like a ray of sunshine piercing the dark clouds above. The job itself was simple (too simple–I’m already pretty much done) and was to write a .NET console app to do some data validation. The joy? They didn’t care what language it was written in for a change, and I got to use C# instead of VB.
A return to sane syntax was like rain on wilted lettuce. It was glorious. I had such a good time using a language that (mostly) made sense that I inadvertently stayed half an hour later at work (which later cost me dearly while racing daylight to finish painting and mowing the lawn). No “dim”! No “Me”! No “End blah”! Brackets! Semicolons! C# ain’t PHP (Microsoftisms are more cleverly hidden, but they’re still there if you look for them), but it’s a far sight better than the garbage heap that is VB.
I was, however, disturbed to find more than once that VB mannerisms had begun pervading my default coding style. I’m going to have to start spending time coding in sane languages in the evenings just to 
counteract the pernicious VB mindset. Still, between getting to use C# and getting to use a propane flamethrower to burn weeds in the dark (Matt “Firebat” Winckler–awww yeah) yesterday, I might have chalked the day up in the “definitely good” column if it hadn’t been for all the crazy painting and light fixturing and VB.NETting I had to do. More fire will help that. There is almost no problem that cannot be solved by using the appropriate amount of fire.
Current music: Sarah McLachlan, World on Fire
but it’s a far sight better than the garbage heap that is VB.
Haha! Amen! C# is pretty good stuff. It combined with the .NET framework, has actually made me rethink my animosity towards our favorite Redmond corporation. Especially if you’ve ever had to deal with a program written using Microsoft’s old MFC (which is about as easy to understand as Cobol punch cards covered in spaghetti sauce).