[OT] PC programming language survey

[kender]

Colleagues,

Which language do you use for PC programs that work with PICs (calibration, factory software, GUI, monitoring, logging, etc.)?

Here’s a reason why I’m asking this questions.* One of my clients has an instrument that uses a Delphi program as a UI. There’s a chance that this software will be rewritten. One of the requirements is to make the software more maintainable. Even though Delphi is a relatively simple language, I haven’t met many Delphi programmers. If it comes to rewrite, it could as well be rewritten in a different language, and I need to choose the most common language.

Cheers,
- Nick

* I had this question in mind for a long time. Now I have an excuse to post it.
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[ckielstra]

Delphi is a great language and I've used it many years but we also had the problem that it is difficult to hire software consultants with Delphi knowledge. This combined with the unknown future of the compiler development, many owner changes (Borland/Inprise/Codegear) and a few bad releases made us change to another language.

We had the following requirements:

- Object oriented
- Wide spread (easy to hire people)
- Support for latest database technology

This left us with both Java and C#. Both are good and we did choose C# only because we had a team member already familiar with this language and because C# is designed by the architect who also designed Delphi (the 'look and feel' of C# are remarkably similar to Delphi).

[treitmey]

I haven't been on the forum much because I'm rewriting our application in C#. (( thus I am learning c#))
The original app. was in VB and spaghetti code. Now we hope that it will be much more maintainable. ((fixing 1 thing doesn't break 3 others))

[SET]

I wanted to tick Delphi and C#, we use both!
But now moving to C#.. by the way if you do have a lot of legacy check out Chrome, a good version of Delphi like language on .net

[Ttelmah]

Wanting to tick several boxes, is exactly my problem. Core 'logger' that runs in the background, and handles the I/O, in C++, Front end for quick demos, in VB, and recently in C#, usual main graphic stuff in Delphi. Some libraries also done in C++.
Problem with C#, is that it is quite slow (down in the same sort of area as VB).

Best Wishes

[SET]

[John P]

So far I'm the one and only for plain old C, but what the hell, it works for me.

But I'm primarily a hardware guy, and if I have to do code, I just want the quickest and simplest (also cheapest) thing.

[Bcox]

Here at my new place of work, I use LabView for all PC programming to communicate with the PIC. It is a quick and easy way to create controls and GUIs without needed knowledge of a programming language. It is a block diagram approach to programming. If I had an option though, I would be using Matlab/Simulink or C/C++ depending on what I needed for a PC application. I prefer programming in these languages over LabView.

[JoaoSantos]

Hello, we use codegear's C++ builder, is quite similar to Delphi with the advantages of using C++ (and is quite different, for the best from the Visual C++).
We had problems in the past due to Borland's indecision, but i think (hope) that has passed.
Regards

[arunb]

I use Visual Basic 6.0.

I plan to use FPC (Free Pascal) for I/O handling and other basic interfacing jobs.

[jma_1]

Greetings,

I've used java (javax.comm package) and LabView for communication with PICs.

LabView w/ the application builder and a bundled install package makes deployment a snap. GUI front ends are simple to build, but the graphical programming language (similar to a schematic capture package) makes some simple tasks cumbersome.

Languages also used (at the very least experimented with and found good results): Perl (add on package); QT (add on package); C#;

I am biased and try to avoid Microsoft products whenever possible.

Cheers,
JMA

[kender]

I've finally succumbed to Visual Studio 2008. Now the big question is: VB.NET or C#?... or VB.NET?.. or C#?..
This survey says that C# is winning. Bigger survey a year ago also shows that C# is winning 63% vs 34%. http://telerikwatch.com/2008/04/survey-says-c-more-popular-than-vb.html 34% is still a lot.

BTW, here's a talk on VB.NET and C# co-evolution: http://channel9.msdn.com/posts/Charles/Luca-Bolognese-C-and-VBNET-Co-Evolution-The-Twain-Shall-Meet/

- Nick
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[andyfraser]

I primarily use Delphi 2007 at work with a bit of C# when I get my way. At home, it is 100% C# all the way

I am a massive convert to C# and the .NET framework and that coming from someone who has been using C/C++ for 20+ years

Andy

[Guest]

Well old code tends to get filled with a whole bunch of IF statements because no one really wants to pay for proper maintenance - there is never any money to do things correctly - which in code means that many times a fair amount of rewrite must be done to properly maintain code.

What ends up is a situation where the code is so damaged that it must be redone from scratch.

Also as operating systems and the hardware change code needs to be maintained to keep up.

The big question is:

* Is this band aid approach to maintenance cheaper in the long run?

There is no clean answer for every program.

That being said - your new cleaned up code will probably be spaghetti in a few years too. That's just the way that maintenance gets paid for.

Visual Studio Magazine has an interesting article on languages called,

Where Did All The Developers Go?

By Dan Appleman

Personally I was a VB Classic programmer - recently I decided that it was time to change and I went to C#. I used Visual Basic since about 1993 (VB DOS). Hopefully I get the same leverage from C#.

My 2 cents worth - Steve H.

Oh yeah - I also many times maintain code with the 'Lets add a IF statement here' BUT I keep in mind what I am doing and I KNOW what the end result will be if I keep this mindset.

[bsturm]

I prefer C# to VB because of the C like syntax. If you are putting semicolons on the end of lines in your PIC programs, you may as well do the same in your PC program. That and numerous other similarities make switching from PIC to PC and back a bit easier.

VS.NET is a good choice for larger PC programs. If you want something smaller and simpler, look at Liberty Basic. It is not as structured as VB or C#, but is LB is nice and easy. It also has a dedicated user base and helpful forums.