COBOL and Visual Basic on .NET: A Guide for the Reformed Mainframe Programmer

This appendix s goals were as follows :

• To discuss compiler differences

• To understand vendor and platform competition

• To cover coding style preferences

In this appendix, the underlying point has been that differences in opinion can often lead to unproductive debates and ultimately distract us from getting our job done. I presented a few points of controversy dealing with .NET language dif ferences. I pointed out a few topics that often are argued as developers choose one language compiler over another. Then I spent time discussing the distractions surrounding vendor and platform competition. Additionally, I covered a few coding style topics. I pointed out how varying opinions on coding styles can get in the way and cause developers to lose sight of the most important part of their job: to create maintainable applications that meet the needs of users and customers.