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I often share ABAP code via forums, github and so on, which is often intended to work on any ABAP-based system. Unfortunately, it often happens that some of the objects I use (database tables, types and so on) only exist in the solution I am working with (for instance C/4HANA which works on an ABAP system).
It's important to understand that there are several solutions developed by SAP, which are independent from other solutions, but are to be installed on an ABAP system, which includes the ABAP language itself and closely-linked external objects like those in the ABAP dictionary. Such SAP solutions are SAP R/3, SAP CRM, SAP SRM, SAP SCM, SAP BW, S/4HANA, C/4HANA, BW/4HANA, SAP Solution Manager, etc.
For instance, let's say I want to ask a question about the join in ABAP and I provide the following example (that I developed on a C/4HANA system, but the question doesn't concern C/4HANA):
REPORT.
DATA gt_partner TYPE TABLE OF crmd_order_index-partner_no.
SELECT DISTINCT a~partner_no
INTO TABLE gt_partner
FROM crmd_order_index AS a INNER JOIN crm_jest AS b
ON a~header = b~objnr
UP TO 10 ROWS.
cl_demo_output=>write( crmd_order_index ).
Many people have S/4HANA, not C/4HANA, so the code won't compile on their system because the database table crmd_order_index exists only in C/4HANA. Probably those people won't answer or they won't be able to verify their answer, so I think I could make an effort to improve the example and make it work on any ABAP system. This is of course a very simple example, but imagine that you have tens or hundreds of lines.
I know that one solution is to install an ABAP Developer Edition on our own laptop, because it contains the minimal ABAP configuration, and test the ABAP code on it. But it's relatively complex and long to install, occupies a lot of disk space, just to check a "simple thing".
Is there another way to check easily and quickly whether the ABAP code compiles in any ABAP-based system? Or any other idea?
I would also like that this solution applies to code as big as abapGit for instance.
For information:
One well-known ABAP tool which works in any ABAP-based system is abapGit.
The question is not about the versions (for instance for checking that ABAP code made on an ABAP 7.52 system compiles on ABAP 7.0 systems) because I think it's a much more complex problem.
In StackOverflow, an ABAP question whose code doesn't work on any ABAP system weakens the principle of Minimal, Reproducible Examples.
The cleanest way to share a piece of ABAP sample code seems to be this:
create a local package such as $MY_SAMPLE,
copy all sample code and dependencies in,
push it to a new, clean https://www.github.com repository with abapGit, and
add a README that provides the ABAP version the code was written for.
With these best practices:
Reduce the code and dependencies to the minimum required to make the sample work. Remove calls to other development objects not directly related to the problem. Restrict yourself as much as possible to the functions and APIs available from the ABAP platform.
If there are dependencies that form part of the problem, for example in "How do I use the CRM function module XYZ?", or that cannot be copied for size or copyright(!) reasons, identify the SAP software component they are a part of, and list it as dependency in the README.
Verify that the example compiles and works by executing it. This is not reliable, as it may accidentally still access un-copied dependencies you forgot to copy, but it will at least give you an idea.
ABAP is not really special here. Providing minimal working examples is always an effort, in any development language. It requires disentangling the affected code from unnecessary dependencies, and replacing the required ones with minimal working stubs. This is part of why asking good questions is hard work, and why StackOverflow appreciates good questions with reputation.
Sandra I dont think there is a good nor easy answer to this problem. We have been suffering for years with this problem. I got burnt so often with ABAP language across releases. Especially SQL and ABAP unit Tests. Even good old char02 burnt us last week. Yeah Char02 is an industry specific data element no longer supported in s/4 Hana. You need to have every possible release of sap abap be sure all is ok. There is a remote syntax check option, which sounded good at first. However it starts with 7.02 SP14 . So its no good for 7.0 And you need access to these releases in the first place. Who can afford that? Why cant 1 ABAP system be able to do downward compatible checks. :( No Big surprise to me ABAPGit has settled on a recent but not latest abap version as "current version". We have to support code for 7.0 to 7.5+ since we have customers from S/4 hana to 7.0 with 1 code base. We also have a common code base with a SolMan/ CRM and SAP gateway and ECC Business suite. Keeping that code base clean for all environments is easier said than done.
As far as examples go Sticking to strictly ABAP NW examples sounds easy, but unless you limit yourself SFLIGHT or tables like T002 / T006 it is harder than people realize.
A basic but not perfect solution is to check the development class of all objects in a transport before release. We have been doing that for some time. tracking what is a valid Basis object for what purpose is HARD. I have used basis objects that dont exist on 7.2 systems and Failed on import. You can then add a TADIR date to your checks.
At the end of the day I just import into the oldest (7.0) system as a smoke test.
Ill be watching to see if someone has a magic bullet solution :)
Good luck
Since the releases are downwards compatible you can set up a system with a very low release and develop your code on this.
ABAP OO was introduced with release 4.6C
Usually when I'm writing an example, for posting in my blog or somewhere online, I use the travel objects, tables like: sflight, spfli, scarr, etc, which usually are present in most systems, I don't know if they are present in C/4, solution manager or some other solutions, but I think that's probably the best objects to use.
Also another thing that's probably a good idea is to use classic ABAP, and by classic ABAP I mean not using sentences that are only compatible with ABAP >7.40, because in my experience there are still systems on SAP BASIS 7.31.
It's also probably a good idea to use classics reports, unless you are obviously writing about OOPs or the new ABAP 7.40 like sentences.
Your question in not simple as that seems. As you see, the abap code depends on customer repository so you need to have a knowledge of every system to get your code simple and fast.
For the select, you have to know all type of abap possible select.
Best ways is to declare your Types wich contains all of your table so you can select in database without a select distinct. If you have to use a Function or, a class or any kind of object that does not exist on that system, you can create it. Sometimes create is not a best way, so you can search and memorize the oldest functions/calss/object. For example, the function conv_exit_alpha_input you can use now a simple row wich do the same.
So if you want to implement an example abap code, you have to respect the KISS rule and declare as much as you can like readme or creating view or table ect.
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I have recently heard about Magic programming language from several sources and didn't recall ever hearing about it before. It was mentioned that it is a programming language from Israel.
I did some googling and couldn't find much information about it. I couldn't find any code examples, and wikipedia didn't have any information on it either.
I think this is the site for it http://www.magicsoftware.com/en/products/?catID=70 though I am not sure, as it mentions uniPaaS instead of magic. However other material on the site indicates that this is the new name for it.
I was interested in learning more about it from it's practitioners, rather than the company. I saw several claims on the internet that it provided really fast application development, similar to claims made by RoR proponents when it came out.
How does it compare to VB?
Is it still a better RAD tool than current .net or mvc frameworks like django, ror ...etc?
How hard is it to learn?
If you can post some sample code it would be most helpful as well.
Could this site be it? Though it links back to the page above.
You're right my friend, Magic is the original name of the "programming language", nowadays is called UniPaaS (Uni Platform as a Service), I use it to develop some business application. Maybe is the fastest way to create an applications(data manipulation), you can create apps in just a few days, but like everything in life has its own drawbacks:
it's very weird so that makes it
difficult to learn.
you do not have all the control of what's happening in the background
and you have to pay a lot for licensing (servers,clients, etc)
If you are interested in learning this, you can download a "free" version of the software that only works with sqlite databases called UniPaaS Jet.
Magic Language is as it’s called today uniPaaS, it used to be Magic than eDeveloper and now uniPaaS as PachinSV menchend before.
uniPaaS is an application platform enabling enterprises, independent software vendors (ISVs) and system integrators (SIs) to more successfully build and deploy business applications.
You can download the free version of uniPaaS Jet here: http://web.magicsoftware.com/unipaas-jet-download,
try it yourself and see how easy it is to use.
Magic technology as you descried is a Magic Software Enterprises tool (uniPaaS), you can find more information on:
official website: www.magicsoftware.com/en/products/?catID=70&pageID=55
uniPaaS Jet developer group on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/unipaasJet/
Magic developer zone: devnet.magicsoftware.com/en/unipaas
Let me know if you find the information helpful
Bob
As PachinSV explained, there is a RAD once called Magic, then eDeveloper, now UniPaaS. This RAD is dedicated for database applications. Programming in this RAD does not look like anything else I know, you mostly don't write code as with usual languages, but it is nearly impossible to explain just with words. The applications are interpreted, not compiled.
As PachinSV said, when developing, you must follow UniPaaS' way of doing things. This is probably why so many people never manage to use Magic properly: if you thought like Magic before learning about it, then you will adapt to it easily; but if you have a long and successful experience using other database development tools, then often the Magic paradigm will never become natural to you. The learning curve is quite steep, you must learn a lot of things before being able to write a little application.
Previous versions stored the "code" inside a database table. The last version, UniPaas stores the code in xml files. I could send you an example, if PachinSV does not answer you before. But the files are pretty big: the smallest xml file I have in a test app is 4000 bytes, and any application is made of at least 11 files, an empty application is 7600 bytes. You must also understand that developers never use those files (they are undocumented AFAIK), they are only the storage format used internally by UniPaaS. The only way to use them is to set them up as a UniPaaS application.
I'm still an active MAGIC Developer... This is the old name used and its a completely different paradigm like some of you mentioned. I've been developing it from Magic version 8.x to eDeveloper 9.x to 10.x then renamed to UniPAAS.
The newer version is much easier to use and it is still very RAD in the sense that there is little or no code you write... a lot of the common programming tasks like IO, SQL command...etc is handled by the tool and is transparent ( so even less code to write since we use it in almost all types of applications)... Its mostly an Enterprise tool... you wouldnt use it for small application...
You can download the free version to learn the paradigm... but the enterprise licenses are expensive.. you need both the development tool and the runtime license if you want to deploy... so it can be costly for small scale projects...
I enjoy it personally, especially when you have to do quick proof of concepts or a quick data migration or porting onto any db platform and bridging any existing system through a wide range of gateways they provide with the licensed version.. It is up to date with the commonly used web technology out there...like SOAP, RIA ...
It's more popular in Europe... The HQ in the States is in Irvine... we used to have 2 branches in Canada but it closed down in 2001 .... Visit the Magic User Group on Yahoo... Its a very active forum with lots of cool people who will help you out in your quest...
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/magicu-l/
I Programmed with Magic for 6 years and found it to be a amazingly fast tool, easy to understand if you are a competent database programmmer because all operations are really about data manipulation. It is certainly a niche area develop in and because of this jobs are few and far between. As it is interpreted there are really no bugs to make. It will work with many databases/connections simultaneously but there is a big memory and processing hit.
Drawbacks :
Little control over communications between machines and devices
No mobile API as yet
Niche area so few skilled practitioners or companies willing to invest.
Good Points :
You can say you are a Magician; you can impress people with uber fast apps development (really)
It is easy to understand if you don't have a PHD in Maths
zero programming "bugs" can creep in. What you do is what you get.
Developed in The original Magic PC referred to by several of the above folks.
It is exactly this: FAST, FAST, but expensive and rigid in what it will allow you to do. It works on a tick tack toe like matrix. Dropping in commands into the various sections determines when they are run. The middle column is run indefinitely until you break the cycle. It is like a do Until loop. If you have to do an item once you put it into this infinite loop and end it after one cycle.
The first column procedures are run first, ONCE, before the infinite middle column is run. The 3rd column of commands is run after the infinite cycle, once. It is very efficient and logical once you get over the idea of an infinite loop.
Types can be specified and an associated program to present the type. Then everywhere the type is used all the settings automatically kick in. I like especially that one can write the program and 5 months later change the name of a variable and it is carried throughout the program. In fact the program does not use your name for anything. The internal name of any and all variables is hidden to the end user, so of course it is not a problem to change a name. It takes a minute to write an input program for any table. It takes a minute to write an export/import program for all the data files in the database.
Attaching to a type of database like Btrieve or SQL independent of the program itself.
I stopped using the language because they demand more for the runtime engine than I could charge for the programs I wished to run with it. Bill Gates went the opposite direction. VB is superior in control and being able to drop `10 datagridviews onto the same screen, but development is 10 times slower.
It's niche then is PROOF of concept for a program in a big company or conversion, importing, exporting for a development company. It is good for $25k programs that are database heavy and not going mobile.
uniPaaS, Magic PC
I did some Magic work around 1993. It was a DOS based 4GL that came from Israel. Haven't seen it since.
How does it compare to VB?
It doesn't.
Is it still a better RAD tool than current .net or mvc frameworks like django, ror ...etc?
If you mean "is it more Rapid", then yes, otherwise no.
How hard is it to learn?
About as hard as learning MS Access.
Coincidentally, if you want to get an idea of what it is and how it works, I've found that comparing it to MS Access is handy. It works in much the same way from a user's or developer's perspective. Obviously what happens in the background is vastly different, but if you've ever developed a form in design view in Access, Magic will seem very familiar.
Google tells me there's also MAGIC/L. All I could find about it was this blurb:
A procedural language written in
Forth. Originally ran on Z80's under
CP/M and later available for IBM-PCs
and Sun 3s.
The only Magic programming language that I know about is one used by a company called Meditech. It's a proprietary language derived from MUMPS.
The language is truly miserable - here's a sample.
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I never worked with SAP solutions. I have a reasonable understanding of business, but no accounting background. How to learn ABAP on examples that will simultaneously enlighten me with the "way of SAP"?
It doesn't have to be a deep knowledge, just something to start for somebody who was in the world of Python and C# but needs understand how SAP world works.
(this is not a duplicate of "Learning SAP-ABAP")
Learning ABAP is not particularly difficult if you know other programming languages.
Let's first distinguish between ABAP and ABAP OO. ABAP is the old, procedural language and ABAP OO is its extension with classes.
ABAP has the usual control structures, like if-then-else or loops. Its syntax takes a bit of getting used to (I found especially annoying the part about putting or not putting spaces before parentheses), but is definitely doable.
There are some structures you don't find in C++ and C#, for example the grouping of functions in function groups, which have their own local variables, so if you call something that is in a different function group, things can get messy.
But generally, if you understand scope and namespaces, it shouldn't be a problem.
I found ABAP OO pretty straightforward compared to ABAP, because it basically only added the classes / packages that I knew from C++ / C# before.
How to learn them, I would propose the following for someone who is new to ABAP and wants a DEEP knowledge of it (see later the more functional aspects):
-buy yourself a proper ABAP book, e.g. something from SAP Press
-don't read it just yet
-start with a web course or a simple book, along the lines of "learn ABAP in 24 hours"
-start coding
-as you are coding, you will inevitably ask yourself: "how does this and that work? is the PERFORM using pass-by-reference or pass-by-value for passing the arguments?" Look those questions up in your proper ABAP book
-probably after a few months, you will be familiar enough with the language that you can read through the book without falling asleep
Just a caveat: It IS a useful skill to know ABAP programming, but even if you don't consider the other technologies SAP consists of (like workflow or PDF Forms, that don't have anything to do with ABAP), there are still a lot of frameworks that differ in their logic. So just like even though you know C++, knowing the Win32 framework does not mean you can start banging out code that runs under UNIX, knowing ABAP does not mean that you can work productively in a specific module right away. Unfortunately, SAP modules tend to use different frameworks, some of them more reused than others.
If you do not want a deep knowledge of ABAP, but want to understand the SAP modules functionally, you should consider using the products themselves in addition to programming and learning about the functional aspects.
I'm afraid there is really no quick way to learn how the "SAP World" functions; you need to have a bit of technical, functional and also architectural knowledge for that and since the modules are so vastly different from all those aspects, it takes a lot of time until you can have a vast overview of everything. But even with technical and some functional knowledge you would be well on your way; as they say, "in SAP, nobody expects you to know everything".
There are at least two different sets of issues you should be looking for:
Knowledge of ABAP as a programming language
Knowledge of the "Business Domain" that your writing your software for and its implementation in SAP - tables, forms, programs, reports etc, (and each of the modules such as FI HR etc. is more than a normal person can usually be proficient in)
(1) gives you general knowledge on how to write a program, read and update the database, and maybe write a GUI. But the programs that you write will almost always be in the context of (2), so you will need to know that as well.
If you want to get started, it is best to have some general knowledge of the ABAP language, the business domain can't really be learned from a book. Actual project work is much more helpful.
Start by downloading one of the netweaver trial systems from sdn.sap.com (choose one of the ABAP trial systems).
For reference you have the ABAP manuals online here (the reference documents also have a lot of small example programs). For more example code you can enter transaction SE38 (report editor) and search for programs starting with BC or starting with DEMO (put BC* in the name box and press F4).
since you asked me to respond to this question as well. I was hired as a sap-java-developer because there are very very few on the market, even though I didn't know anything about sap java before I entered. I got advice from my co-workers and learned as fast as possible to become productive. It wasnt such a big deal in the end.
I'm one year into the business now but I'm still in a newbie-state. The sap technology environment is huge. SDN (Sap Developer Network) is my best friend whenever I'm stuck.
It definitely helps when you end up in a company with sap-knowledge because you dont have to build up all systems from scratch and you have the licenses for the various sap products at hand. Most trial versions from sap just wont do the trick on the long run.
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I'm at a stage where I am forced to learn Lua, so do you have any suggestions on how I do this? I don't have a lot of experience with any other scripting languages than PHP.
So, some suggestions on "head start Lua"-pages?
EDIT
As an addition to the wonderful tutorial pages, could you please suggest any "programs" I could make that will help me learn Lua? Imagine I would want to learn Pointers in C++, I'd make a Linked List. I want to touch the basics in Lua but meanwhile be open to pretty advanced stuff.
First of all work your way through the Programming in Lua, it should take you a day or two to get the gist of Lua.
However I can tell you right away on your first time through ignore coroutines and metatables, they are very powerful, but take a while to grasp. First learn the syntax, scoping (same as PHP luckily for you) and the standard libraries.
After that go back to coroutines and metatables, read them try them and by the third time through you might get it. Unless you have a very good CS background these are complex topics
Edit: The book is free online == website. Besides it is the best tutorial out there on Lua, everyone learns Lua with it.
Also: If you're purpose is Lua for World of Warcraft (probably not but just in case) you can check out this tutorial
And: Here is a tips and tricks thread on StackOverflow, might help give you some ideas of what to expect from Lua
Suggested Programs/Exercises:
Since you're initially looking at Lua for web development try to understand and improve the Data Description example in PIL. It'll give you a few good ideas and a nice feel for the power or Lua.
Then you might want to try out playing with the Data Structures chapter, although Lua has a single complex data-type, the Table, that chapter will show you Lua-like ways to make a table do anything you need.
Finally once you begin to grok metatables you should design a class system (yes with Lua you decide how your class system works). I'm sure everyone that knows Lua has made a dozen class systems, a good chapter to get you started on a class system is Object-Oriented Programming
And if you got time and know C or something like that (C# and Java included) try extending an application with Lua, but that'll take a week or two to do
Funny to see all these elaborate lists (though they are certainly correct). Back in 2002, I read about the first 20+ pages of the Lua reference manual, and started using it. It really is that simple. Lua (and ANSI C) are of the few languages that really fit in one's mind all at once - and stay there. For the others, at least I need to constantly do some relearning.
Be aware that getting to think in Lua will take time. I think mine was 6 months or so. When coming from C/C++, we tend to solve problems in certain ways. Lua might offer better means (i.e. via use of tables) but it takes a while to start seeing those. This transition to a higher abstraction level is similar to the Assembler->C shift in the 1980's. Many people still coded a while in C as if it only were a portable assembler.
There is also a large body of projects related to Lua at LuaForge.
If you happen to use Windows as your day-to-day platform, then I would recommend getting the Lua for Windows package as a nice starting point. It includes a wide array of useful modules all prebuilt and installed together with the Lua interpreter.
After your first pass through PiL and the reference manual, you will want to read Lua Programming Gems which is currently only available in a paper edition.
<plug> Do consider buying the books through the associate links at Lua's books page or LuaForge to support the projects. </plug>
Edit: As for ideas for programming projects where Lua is suited, look for problems where the table provides leverage. Tables are central to Lua, since even the global variables are just fields in a table. Tables can be indexed by values of any data type except nil, but have an especially efficient implementation if used as arrays.
One quirk that trips up people coming from a C-like background is that all things in Lua are naturally indexed starting from 1. Strings are indexed from 1, arrays start at 1, etc. Don't worry about it too much, there is nothing wrong with using a[0], but the length of the array given by #a is defined assuming that the array began with a[1].
Another quirk is that functions don't really have names. They are first class values that are usually stored in some variable that has a name. Syntax sugar makes it look like they have names, but that is just a convenience.
Metatables are a particularly Lua-ish feature of tables (and other types, but that is a really advanced topic) that are the basis for most of the schemes for doing object-oriented things in Lua.
Closures and true tail calls are other features of Lua that aren't often found in small scripting languages that can really make some idioms easy to implement.
In addition to the suggestions above, there's also the Lua wiki which is well worth a browse. There are a tremendous number of code snippets and small recipes there which can be useful.
I wrote a short quick-start guide to Lua for people using it on a project I was working on.
If you are familiar with other scripting languages it may get you up and running quickly.
The docs on Lua.org are very good and should cover most everything else you need. Lua is a pretty small language and can be learned fairly quickly.
This is a pretty general recommendation, but if you want to get started in a new programming language as a software engineer, it's fun to start doing the problems found at Project Euler in your new programming language. I've been doing this with Python recently and found it to be inspiring and bring a lot of enthusiasm to the coding.
You could install World of Warcraft and make a mod for that (it uses Lua). Actually that's probably a bad idea.
Maybe try to integrate Lua into a .NET application (assuming you are a C# programmer) and do something 'fun' with it:
Using Lua with C#
Or just browse lua.org
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I've programmed in VB5 (and a little VB6) in the past, used MS Access at a 'writing code' level but this was all a few years ago and I've only used PHP more recently. I'd like to get back in to programming for the PC (Windows...) but not sure where to go with a choice of language. VB.Net? C#? ....any suggestions? Something easy to pick up, simple to use for creating 'small' desktop utilities, that sort of thing.
VB.NET is conceptually different enough from VB5/6 that you might almost be better off going with something completely new.
Plus, Jeff says he gave up on VB.NET because he had such a hard time finding decent code examples. C# is everywhere.
I use C# if I'm in .NET. I like it well enough, but then I got here via Java, without a whole lot of VB experience.
At the risk of getting downvoted to oblivion, I disagree with the many C# and VB.NET suggestions. Whilst I've played with C# (not VB.NET) and it's a very impressive and versatile language/toolkit, if I were you I'd attempt to broaden your horizons by going for something with decent cross-platform portability such as Python.
It's a fun language to play with, easy to learn, teaches good habits, and if you find yourself looking for a new job in a couple of years time, at least if it's a non-Windows development job, you've got a skill you can take to the party.
I think that if you have used VB6 and Access in the past, picking up VB.NET should be a breeze. In many ways VB.NET will let you do what you've done before, but with much more structure and a "real language" feel rather than a "scripting" feel compared to the past.
A .NET language - VB.NET or C# is a good idea. Lots of information available, and you can get the Express versions for free. VB.NET may be an easier transition, based upon your previous experience. Be warned though: C# is more popular, which means there are more tools and code samples available.
Check out related questions:
Which language should I pick up: vb.net or C# and
Usage Statistics: C# versus VB.NET
If you like to build 'small' desktop utilities, that sort of thing that does not require the .NET framework to run, you might want to check out BCX. It is free.
BCX is a small command line tool that inputs a BCX BASIC source code file and outputs a 'C' source code file which can be compiled with many C or C++ compilers.
Using BCX and a C compiler enables you to produce powerful 32-bit native code Windows console mode programs, windows GUI applications, and Dynamic Link Libraries (DLL's) without having to incur the costs of an expensive commercial BASIC compiler. The programs that you create will be among the smallest and fastest 32 bit executable programs around, requiring no additional distributed runtime modules.
URL: http://bcx-basic.sourceforge.net/
if your already familiar with vb5 and vb6 and your just building small desktop utilities then I would recommend vb.net
if you have used VB, VB.Net seems like the natural choice.
If you wanted something specifically for creating simple desktop applications you could look at a scripting language with Tk such as ruby or python which also might also give you a change to learn a new language with different features.
Most probably VB.NET would be best for you, although I prefer C# when write for Windows and C++ with Qt when application has to work on other platforms as well.
The conventional wisdom says that the programmer "upgrade path" from VB6 leads to VB.NET...I do not agree with the conventional wisdom. I used VB6 day in and day out for almost 10 years. Now I use C# very comfortably.
Compared to the conceptual differences between COM (VB6 is based on COM) and .NET, the syntax differences between VB.NET and C# are minor. On the other hand, there is much better support (from both MS and the community) for C#.
I heartily recommend that you give C# a try.
While it might be a little more difficult for you to pick up than VB.NET I think you'll appreciate the gains in the maintainability of the code you produce.
If you have used VB5/6 and VBA before, VB.NET should feel pretty familiar. However, VB has become object oriented after version 6, so there is some new things to learn.
If you want to broaden your knowledge a bit, C# is a good alternative.
I would recommend learning some C# even if you want to go on to VB.NET. They both use the .NET framework and compile into nearly identical IL code, so most of what you learn in C# is useful in VB.NET also. It's also quite useful to be able to translate between them, as you then can use coding examples in either language.