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From: Richard Katz <rdka0@juts.ccc.amdahl.com>
Subject: Re: Is Visual Basic Object Oriented?
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Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu comp.lang.smalltalk:48917 comp.object:59677

JC wrote:
> 
> I believe the new release of Visual Basic 5.0 will have Object Oriented
> features.  Of course their development tools will be nowhere as robust
> as Smalltalk.


Well, they won't be as pathworn.  If how robust they are depends on how
much milage is on them, that's certainly true.   

I'd guess there are two styles that you could call OO:

1) The static style (e.g. C++) - everything is declared ahead of time.

2) The dynamic style (e.g. Smalltalk) - classes are created, subclassed,
   and messaged dynamically.

The dynamic style usually includes a class browser, class library(ies), 
and there is a fluid transition between "design time" and "run time." 

It seems to me to be totally irrelavant question to ask whehter VB (as
it currently exists VB 3.0, VB 4.0) is object oriented.  Of course it's
not.  I've used C++, 
VFP (Visual Foxpro), and a little Delphi as well as VB. 

VFP is a serious dynamic object oriented environment where you get
enormous
value from subclassing, class libraries. In VB, you can't do either 
right now.  VFP has both visual and non-visual classes and custom
container 
classes.  VB on the other hand, has no clear distinction between data
objects 
and screen elements.

Why anyone would consider VB object oriented, I have no idea.

The feel and thinking process of object programming whether in C++ or in 
VFP are completely different from programming in VB.  Maybe I just
haven't
used VB the right way.  But the future of VB 5.0 is anything like VFP, 
then it will have some very robust dynamic aspects.  


Richard Katz                           San Francisco and the world...
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