Visual Basic vs. Visual C

What tool should you use for making functional prototypes or resource prototypes? As a Windows programmer, you are most likely using either Visual C++ or Visual Basic for your main programming tool, so I would recommend using these tools for prototyping as well. Many people immediately think of Visual Basic when they think of prototyping, since it has a reputation of being an effective prototyping tool. After all, Visual Basic programs are developed by creating the user interfaces first and then writing the code, so programming in Visual Basic forces you to put the user interface ahead of the underlying code. Visual Basic also frees you wasting time compiling and linking and will not let code be changed while the program is running.

However, I wouldn't automatically recommend using Visual Basic as a prototyping tool. Instead, I would recommend using the tool you are most familiar with. Using the most familiar tool has two advantages:

  • One of the keys to success in prototyping is to save time and effort. If you feel more comfortable using a certain tool, you will be more productive using that tool for prototyping.
  • Prototypes created with a tool tend to look like they were created using that tool. If you program using Visual C++, there is no point in jumping through hoops just to make the results look like a Visual Basic program. For this reason, I consider using HTML inappropriate for designing anything other than Web pages.

For my personal use, I believe using Visual C++ for prototyping has additional advantages over using Visual Basic. I usually make resource prototypes, so the ability to write code quickly isn't an advantage. In fact, I think it is a disadvantage, since it might give me the temptation to write code. If I do decide to write prototype code, it is usually only enough to glue the various resources together to show the program navigation—the Visual C++ AppWizard and ClassWizard tools help do this quickly.

Note that if you do create a resource prototype using Visual Basic and want to implement the program using Visual C++, you don't have to start completely over. Rather, you can import Visual Basic forms and icons into Visual C++ by using the Resource command from the Insert menu. In the Insert Resource dialog box, select the Import command, and then select a Visual Basic form or icon. Using this command to import Visual Basic resources can save a lot of time.



Developing User Interfaces for Microsoft Windows
Developing User Interfaces for Microsoft Windows
ISBN: 0735605866
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 334

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