What is the best route or place to get started with arcobjects if one is not a developer and not aiming to become one?
I've been using gis professionally for a long time, almost two decades, arcinfo/arcgis for most of that; I'm pretty good. I'm learning software development, and even have a modestly successful small python application used in a public project; I'm not good! I don't want to become a full fledged software developer but I keep running into things I just can't do without programming (example). In the arcgis world this puts me pretty squarely in the python camp, which is fine by me since I like python, however python does not have straightforward access to arcobjects.
Soooo, I need to get started, but where? Arcgis help says to get started with the ESRI Developer Network but $1500/yr is definitely not in my budget, and sounds like using a sledge hammer to swat mosquito. And which language .NET, Visual Basic, or Visual C++?
Thanks for your thoughts.
Assuming you have desktop, I'd just install the SDK from the desktop installation DVD's and download the free VS2010 60 day eval (which can be extended).
VS Express is supported, but I've never used it.
For language, I'd stay away from C++. There's more sample code available for C# than VB.NET. Except for the yield keyword, VB.NET and C# are equal.
Related
I'm trying to find a modern environment similar to what I found great about QBasic but making up for the flaws. The purpose of this is to code with my 6 year old son.
I'm looking for an IDE that uses a modern language, has the ability to draw graphics and play audio, and doesn't force the User to jump around much between coding and running their application.
In QBasic you had basically two modes: Edit and Run. There were no third party libraries required for creating graphics or generating Audio tones (that I remember). You never had more than one "window" opened at a time.
Is there a modern day equivalent IDE which uses a modern language that provides what I'm looking for?
I don't want him to have to jump around between various windows, try to wrap his mind around window toolkits, understand the command line, or use OOP just to get started. My end goal is to create simple graphical games with him -- not printing text out to the console.
(Preferably cross platform or useable on Mac OSX since that's what we have at the house. Preferably Python based since that's my language of choice.)
QBasic is a great option. You can purchase an old PC from a thrift store and run QBasic on it. There is the option of QB64 which can run on both Mac and Windows. Hope this is helpful.
I'd suggest QB64, almost 100% compatible with QBasic/QuickBasic but runs on Windows.
You could maybe try Small Basic, it aimed to recreate the ease-of-use and educational purposes of the old BASIC languages build into home computers from the 1980s
The Small Basic project was initiated following this article on Salon:
Why Johnny can’t code (David Brin, 2006)
I have a few questions that I hope clarity and facts can be fed all of us about this. First, the last release of ironpython had the feature of running on the mobile platform highlighting that on mono/android it runs best and not so much on the other platforms which are IOS and Windows phone. So does this mean one doesn't have to use the SL4A? Can i argue that monodroid hooks into the core of what android is capable of and so might give a more robust access/implementation/rendition of apps on android?
Next, I just want to be sure of this: As with python you can create full fledged desktop applications with ironpython right? Cos everywhere (almost) I see ironpython they refer to it as a scripting tool and how you can script aspects of excel etc which has prompted me ask such a question. some say that the speed of applications written using ironpython is not that great and I was arguing asking for why that opinion is held by those who were speaking and no one could say anything worthwhile.
Lastly, with the movement at novell and xamarin, I have not understood where mono stands in their release schemes. I have a mac and I installed a recent version of mono and when I typed ipy I saw something like mono 1.1.0 or something like that. Does anyone have a clue of what is going on with it.
I fell in love with python from learning ironpython and I think the ironpython concept is just sheer brilliance its a pity microsoft esteemed F# other it.
First off, for future reference, multiple questions should really be, well, multiple questions. :)
On IronPython for Android: it works slightly better than on other platforms (where it doesn't work at all right now) but it's still very, very early code. There are some limitations with what you'll be able to do (mainly, you cannot inherit from Java classes from dynamic code). It's very experimental.
On desktop apps: You can absolutely write full apps in IronPython. There are some samples that show how it can be done. In particular, PyWpfSample and PyGtkSample. Startup times are not great, but the actual runtime should be just fine for most GUI apps.
I know VB.NET, and I've been planning on creating a simple 2d game engine. I got no problems with creating such engine and running the actual game. However, I've been told that VB.NET might not be the best choice for "working too much with graphics". I'd like to know if that's true. Can VB.NET truly not manage efficiently loads of graphics simultaneously on the screen? If no, what kind of software am I supposed to use for creating this engine?
I have found that people generally view VB.NET as a subpar language, and mostly associate it with Visual Basic 6.0 (or earlier).
In the .NET world, VB.NET is a first class citizen that simply has a verbose syntax. It's particularly because of the verbosity that I would probably choose C#, if not going with C++.
Still, you can use VB.NET to work with whatever drawing libraries that you want, and you can even use it with XNA and Managed DirectX. It can even be linked against unmanaged libraries as long as you are willing to do to the required interop.
As for managing the graphics on the screen efficiently, it really depends on how well you do it, and how much you want done. If someone can do it well in C#, then you can do it well in VB.NET with the exception of unsafe code. It's too general to say either way given the vague "simple 2D game engine" description, but chances are it is more than possible.
These days, managed code is quickly catching up to unmanaged code, and while it's not quite perfect, it is really impressively good.
It's not the language you need to consider as much as the Framework.
Suggest you look at XNA:
Your First Game - XNA Game Studio in 2D (step-by-step tutorial)
Also, DirectX:
DirectX Developer Center
Learn DirectX
VB.NET Already supports XNA including on Windows Phone 7. So if you are looking to develop games and if you language of choice is VB + XNA you are all set to go.
Take a look at the official announcement: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/lisa/archive/2011/03/28/xna-is-coming-to-visual-basic.aspx
Visual Basic's primary use is for Win 32 Apps with a standard GUI. If you are planning on building a game I definitely recommend C++. It has faster execution speed and better libraries for game development. Visual Basic will not deliver as good of performance of C++ would give you. IMO It would be better for you and the user.
I don't know much of the graphics issues in vb but as far as i have heard you can't create games for xbox using vb.net, it only supports PC.
XNA game studio can be used for game development. Although it is supposed for c#, you can find how to use it with vb in here...
http://www.alanphipps.com/VisualBasicdotNET-XNA.html
If you are still relatively new to programming then C++ is more than likely to make you quit early.
Don't aim at C++ until you have at learned C#.
C++ is a great and diverse language but definitely not friendly grounds for anyone who hasn't been programming for a long time. This is ESPECIALLY considering if your first language is one such a VB.
To Answer the Topic?
Yes vb.net can make a game, arcade,FPS,RPG,MMO or what ever you what within your ability to code. if you wanna learn some find playing with open source engines to get the feel helps. so try looking up some and give that a go.
my comment is at the person above's comment,
Visual Basic can do alot, and we find out new stuff all the time.
i seen vb6 game engines work well, graphical and feature wise.
wile visual basic is more down to earth for writing, C++ isnt ik its not, ive tried it.
but VB i can pick up easyr.
my experience ?? 2007 to present day, ive work with vb6 mmo game engine source codes,
Mirage,Elysium,Eclipse,EA,EFF
ive also tried using irrlect engine years back.
for a beginner should learn VB.net or C# .
C++ is to complex.
I would like to hear of the experiences of classic vb developers who migrated their applications to delphi rather than vb.net. How has it worked out? Are you glad or sorry that you didn't move to vb.net?
I am not really a vb developer but rather a Delphi developer who was forced to maintain some vb apps for a while. I tried to migrate one vb app to vb.net and after that experience I never tried it again. I successfully migrated several vb apps to Delphi. It wasn't easy and it became a pain in the lower back to find native Delphi replacements for some of the OCXes that had been used (I will never again rely on a third party library for which I do not have the source code.), but it worked out OK.
But as said above: I am an experienced Delphi developer, so I didn't have to learn Delphi at the same time as migrating a vb app. That certainly made it much easier.
I just spotted this on DelphiFeeds:
Delphi for Visual Basic developers
Help to migrate VB applications (knowledge and skills) to Delphi
I had a good friend who moved from Classic VB to Delphi a while ago (back before .NET). He was really happy with the move.
The company he worked for made applications in VB, and they put together a special team (2 developers) to create Active X controls in Delphi for the rest of the company to use. Additionally, when there was something that they couldn't do in VB then the Delphi team would do it. That was when he was introduced to Delphi.
He said it didn't take long before the Delphi team could prototype applications in Delphi faster then the rest of the development group (he never said how large, but way more then two) could. The company never made the switch to Delphi from VB because someone was under the impression the VB was a better solution despite the evidence that Delphi was more powerful and faster.
A few years are I was working with another student on our placement year. We worked for a very large manufacturing company. One of his projects was to create a classic VB app to interface with multiple cameras on a production line and analyse the data in real time. In classic VB this was a shambles - it took on average 1.5 minutes to process a single frame from a single camera (7 cameras at 24 fps) there was no that he could optimise it.
He eventually took the plunge in to Delphi and re-written that app and works fantastically. I've recently been in contact with a few friends who still work there and his app is been running smoothly for 3 years now.
I've worked in both VB and Delphi, and Delphi is (IMO) much less frustrating/limiting. You should be able to use ActiveX / OCX controls as needed (though I agree w/other comments re: avoiding there where you can, and being sure ot have full source code). Apps we've migrated from VB to Delphi (two) have gone well.
I did try in two instance to migrate from VB to Delphi but unfortunately I had to abort midway in one app as it used a lot of third party ActiveX (most from ComponentOne and a few from CodeJoke). We had to abort midway as we could not find any VCL components having equivalent functionality to the ActiveX used in the project.
It was a nightmare for us. Thank god we aborted midway and switched to C#. It was unbelievable that we could get all the features in .NET component to the ditto!
The app we managed to convert, went well off but we had to get rid of a few features that we had implemented in the original software as they required more work in Delphi.
I'm looking at rewriting an eMbedded Visual Basic app I wrote years ago. I'm unsatisified with it because of various problems clients keep having with it now and then over the years, mostly along the lines of the app not loading anymore because a required dll/activex control has gone missing! This is so frustrating and naturally difficult to debug when a client is using it far away. In alot of cases reinstalling the app doesn't fix the problem.
My preference would be to rewrite it in C# since I'm comfortable with C# and DotNet, but I'm also open to other platforms like blackberry or iTouch/iPhone so long as the platform can support maps and GPS. I'd start rewriting it in C# now but I can't be sure that I won't have the same problems in .net.
Has anyone else had similar problems with eVB apps which have gone away/persisted when moving to CF DotNet? Or would you suggest a different platform again?
Edit: Note that I wish to move away from eVB anyway, but if I move to CF DotNet I want to make sure I won't have the same missing dll/control problems.
I recommend .NET CF strongly, especially if you already know C# and .NET. Mono has been ported to the iPhone, so it is possible to write apps that will run on Windows Mobile and the iPhone. No Mono for Blackberry (yet, if ever), so that's a definite limitation. I personally can't stand Blackberries (I have both a Blackberry and a WM smartphone and the Blackberry makes me want to hang myself), but they do have a huge user base.
You should have migrated away from eVB years ago, but that's water under the bridge. If you want to continue targeting Windows CE/ Windows Mobile I'd recommend going to the CF - language is irrelevant, use what you're comfortable with.
There's no way to guarantee that whatever your "missing DLL" problem is won't happen again, since we have no idea what DLL went missing. If it was a 3rd party control, then you're at the mercy of the market. If the provider survives, it's likely their control will.
If you want to target iPhone/Blackberry then Java is more likely to be your language of choice - the tools I'm not as familiar with. Eclipse for Blackberry - iPhone may have their own tool.
As for Silverlight, you might look at it, but so far it's just way too slow to be a viable platform, at least on any WinMo device I've ever seen. We've delevered many, many CF apps for all sorts of verticals and have never had any usability problems (though we've been doing it a long time and know every limitation and what we should and should not be trying).
I suggest you take it one step further and look at Silverlight. One of the premises is that it's a more long-term-stable, portable, lightweight download and install, and it hasn't gotten krufty yet.
I think it has the potential to be the next VB for embedded. One of the difficulties with CF is that I've found it to be an insufficient subset of the real thing.
Another option is NS Basic/CE. It's highly compatible with eVB, so you will be able to keep most if not all of your code. The product has been continually updated so it runs on current devices.
The installer that NS Basic/CE creates includes all the dll files your program requires, so they will be included on installation.