VBScript or VB.Net?

Hi All,

I need to write a program/script that gathers some data from Windows
systems, compare it with SQL Database and update if it's changed.

My question is what should i use? VBScript or VB.Net?

Here is my background..
I am a systems administrator.
I have experience with: C, C++, Visual C++, VBScript
I know little bit about: VB 6.0, Java
I don't know anything about: dotNet (but would like
to learn :) )

I am sure that i can do my task with VBScript.
But since this is not going to be a small script/program, should i go with
more powerful language like VB.Net even though i don't know much about it?
Based on my experience, do you think i should go with VB.Net? or just stick
to VBScript?


Thank you all for your help.

Bob
Thu Jan 25 10:28:37 CST 2007

Systems Admin wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I need to write a program/script that gathers some data from Windows
> systems, compare it with SQL Database and update if it's changed.
>
> My question is what should i use? VBScript or VB.Net?
>
> Here is my background..
> I am a systems administrator.
> I have experience with: C, C++, Visual C++, VBScript
> I know little bit about: VB 6.0, Java
> I don't know anything about: dotNet (but would
> like to learn :) )
>
> I am sure that i can do my task with VBScript.

Sure it can. Why not? VBScript can use WMI to get Windows information
and ADO to speak to the database.

> But since this is not going to be a small script/program, should i go
> with more powerful language like VB.Net even though i don't know much
> about it? Based on my experience, do you think i should go with
> VB.Net? or just stick to VBScript?
>
I would stick with vbscript.

--
Microsoft MVP -- ASP/ASP.NET
Please reply to the newsgroup. The email account listed in my From
header is my spam trap, so I don't check it very often. You will get a
quicker response by posting to the newsgroup.

E
Thu Jan 25 10:47:30 CST 2007

I would suggest staying in your comfort zone as well. Otherwise you are learning two things at once.
On a side note, if your interested in .net, check out Visual Studio 2005 Express (Free). The
bummer part is that you pick only one language (VB, ASP, etc). I would also download the SQL stuff
(which is an option). But again I would pick one of your completed VB6 projects and convert it. I
dont know VB6, but when I tried to covert some small projects it seemed a little lacking. But you
can enable help for VB6 users.

Bob Barrows [MVP] wrote:
> Systems Admin wrote:
>> Hi All,
>>
>> I need to write a program/script that gathers some data from Windows
>> systems, compare it with SQL Database and update if it's changed.
<SNIP>
>> I don't know anything about: dotNet (but would
>> like to learn :) )
>>
>> I am sure that i can do my task with VBScript.
>
> Sure it can. Why not? VBScript can use WMI to get Windows information
> and ADO to speak to the database.
>
>> But since this is not going to be a small script/program, should i go
>> with more powerful language like VB.Net even though i don't know much
>> about it? Based on my experience, do you think i should go with
>> VB.Net? or just stick to VBScript?
>>
> I would stick with vbscript.
>

SystemsAdmin
Thu Jan 25 12:15:01 CST 2007

Bob,

Thank you for your reply.
You are correct, i have used ADO and WMI in the past. But do you think it's
worth takeing a look at VB.Net, is it easier to do the same task in VB.Net?
I am not developer but i like to learn and do programming and it's part of
my sys admin job. I was thinking about future.... and not sure if VB.Net can
be helpful in System work.

Thanks again for your reply.




"Bob Barrows [MVP]" wrote:

> Systems Admin wrote:
> > Hi All,
> >
> > I need to write a program/script that gathers some data from Windows
> > systems, compare it with SQL Database and update if it's changed.
> >
> > My question is what should i use? VBScript or VB.Net?
> >
> > Here is my background..
> > I am a systems administrator.
> > I have experience with: C, C++, Visual C++, VBScript
> > I know little bit about: VB 6.0, Java
> > I don't know anything about: dotNet (but would
> > like to learn :) )
> >
> > I am sure that i can do my task with VBScript.
>
> Sure it can. Why not? VBScript can use WMI to get Windows information
> and ADO to speak to the database.
>
> > But since this is not going to be a small script/program, should i go
> > with more powerful language like VB.Net even though i don't know much
> > about it? Based on my experience, do you think i should go with
> > VB.Net? or just stick to VBScript?
> >
> I would stick with vbscript.
>
> --
> Microsoft MVP -- ASP/ASP.NET
> Please reply to the newsgroup. The email account listed in my From
> header is my spam trap, so I don't check it very often. You will get a
> quicker response by posting to the newsgroup.
>
>
>

Bob
Thu Jan 25 13:03:47 CST 2007

Systems Admin wrote:
> Bob,
>
> Thank you for your reply.
> You are correct, i have used ADO and WMI in the past. But do you
> think it's worth takeing a look at VB.Net, is it easier to do the
> same task in VB.Net? I am not developer but i like to learn and do
> programming and it's part of my sys admin job. I was thinking about
> future.... and not sure if VB.Net can be helpful in System work.
>

I cannot say it is any easier. It's a fairly simple task in either
language. The only impediment is the learning curve you will definitely
encounter with .Net. Can whatever you need this program for wait for you
to overcome that learning curve?

--
Microsoft MVP -- ASP/ASP.NET
Please reply to the newsgroup. The email account listed in my From
header is my spam trap, so I don't check it very often. You will get a
quicker response by posting to the newsgroup.

OldDog
Thu Jan 25 16:02:06 CST 2007

I would stick with VBScript for systems work.
If you want to learn another way to do the same stuff, I would look at
PowerShell.
I predict, it's going to be huge.



On Jan 25, 12:15 pm, Systems Admin
<SystemsAd...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> Bob,
>
> Thank you for your reply.
> You are correct, i have used ADO and WMI in the past. But do you think it's
> worth takeing a look at VB.Net, is it easier to do the same task in VB.Net?
> I am not developer but i like to learn and do programming and it's part of
> my sys admin job. I was thinking about future.... and not sure if VB.Net can
> be helpful in System work.
>
> Thanks again for your reply.
>
>
>
> "Bob Barrows [MVP]" wrote:
> > Systems Admin wrote:
> > > Hi All,
>
> > > I need to write a program/script that gathers some data from Windows
> > > systems, compare it with SQL Database and update if it's changed.
>
> > > My question is what should i use?VBScriptor VB.Net?
>
> > > Here is my background..
> > > I am a systems administrator.
> > > I have experience with: C, C++, Visual C++,VBScript
> > > I know little bit about: VB 6.0, Java
> > > I don't know anything about: dotNet (but would
> > > like to learn :) )
>
> > > I am sure that i can do my task withVBScript.
>
> > Sure it can. Why not?VBScriptcan use WMI to get Windows information
> > and ADO to speak to the database.
>
> > > But since this is not going to be a small script/program, should i go
> > > with more powerful language like VB.Net even though i don't know much
> > > about it? Based on my experience, do you think i should go with
> > > VB.Net? or just stick toVBScript?
>
> > I would stick withvbscript.
>
> > --
> > Microsoft MVP -- ASP/ASP.NET
> > Please reply to the newsgroup. The email account listed in my From
> > header is my spam trap, so I don't check it very often. You will get a
> > quicker response by posting to the newsgroup.- Hide quoted text -- Show quoted text -

E
Thu Jan 25 17:21:22 CST 2007

I have no VB6 skills. But from my understanding VS/VB has many improvements. My buddy
specifically mentioned connecting to databases being much easier (data sources). I thing their is
some very cool features that have been added. I hope that more people with VB6/VB.NET-FU will speak
up. Again though, I would stick to the stuff you know for real world projects.
If you are interested, you can check out my first "real" project (it is released under an atleast
open source-ish license) at the below web address;

http://www.gotdotnet.com/Workspaces/Workspace.aspx?id=235f8ea1-f831-4ab0-9ede-02058ad35471

Systems Admin wrote:
> Bob,
>
> Thank you for your reply.
> You are correct, i have used ADO and WMI in the past. But do you think it's
> worth takeing a look at VB.Net, is it easier to do the same task in VB.Net?
> I am not developer but i like to learn and do programming and it's part of
> my sys admin job. I was thinking about future.... and not sure if VB.Net can
> be helpful in System work.
>
> Thanks again for your reply.
>
>
<SNIP>