Topic: Beginner wants to start .NET

[lamarn]

Beginner question.. what format should this .net code placed in what what software to use?
THX

http://www.theswamp.org/index.php?topic=31863.msg373637#msg373637
ReloadXrefs has my intrest.

[Kerry]

Lammerts
If you haven't programmed .NET before I'd recommend starting with C# Express or VB.net express
free from here http://www.microsoft.com/express/Downloads/#2008-Visual-CS

learn the .NET language ( it can be fun  ) first then start to learn the AutoCAD API (application programming interface )

What languages do you know ?

[Chuck Gabriel]

Here is the .NET solution for you to study

[lamarn]

Thank you
I talk lisp for some years now... some functions are hard to programm lispwise
 

[JCTER]

I'd downloaded Microsoft's Visual Studio Express, and walked my way through many of their tutorials, as well as had some help by beginning to thumb through Microsoft: Visual C# 2008 by John Sharp for other exercises.

Sadly, I'm disastrously out of practice and will likely start all over due to not sticking to it, but I found both of those sources to be very good at getting me up and running with the language, and how to use the Visual Studio Express software to manage and create my programs.

I had not gotten into even reading about the Autocad API though.

I'm relatively dense when it comes to LSP, and at best can be called a 'hack' who is capable of taking the genius of others, tweaking and hammering it into a crude tool that can be applied to my situations.  And copy / pasting chunks and trying to link them, heh. 

So with my meager experience in programming, I found these two methods were still quite sufficient in getting me going... now just to get BACK into it...

[hermanm]

Just my $0.02

If you are a LISPer, then, IMO, F# will seem more familiar, since it supports the functional programming style (as does LISP).

In addition, there is F# interactive, which, although compiled on the fly, is closer in "feel" to interpreted LISP.

I started learning this last spring and got very excited about it, then got distracted by other (unrelated) issues, and am just now getting back to it.

Search the web, you will find some amazing stuff.

Start here:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/fsharp/default.aspx

I can heartily recommend:

http://www.apress.com/book/view/1590598504

written by Don Syme, who invented F#

I am avidly working my way through it.

One thing that is truly amazing (at least to me) is how trivial it is to put up a Windows Forms dialog, then modify it interactively, using F# interactive.

[Kerry]

Yes, a valid option Herman.

At the moment though I think F# support in AutoCAD may be a little scarce.
I plan on taking Don Syme's book off the shelf again later in the year.

I see nothing amiss with learning Lisp and several of the .NET languages though. Each serves it's place.

[MickD]

...
I see nothing amiss with learning Lisp and several of the .NET languages though. Each serves it's place.

Yep, they all target the same runtime (compile to IL) and there is very little difference in performance between them although C#, being 'the' .net language has a slight edge in certain places but if you need that little more speed you probably need to go to ARX to see a real difference for 98% of your code.

Find a language that best suits your style and go for it

[hermanm]

Kerry-

At the moment though I think F# support in AutoCAD may be a little scarce.

AFAIK, the ACAD .NET interface should work equally well with any .NET language.
What you are saying makes sense if you intend "support from other experienced programmers."

C# seems to be the most popular, so behooves to learn it for survival value at least.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.NET_languages

What Mick said.

[MickD]

That's quite a list there at wikipedia!
I would imagine that list will grow too as people like to play and the IL is constant across all machines so it makes it easier and more attractive to develop a language that suits your goals.

Tim Riley pointed it out ages ago but I'm having a ball with Boo at the moment and can't see myself doing much code in anything else unless necessary.

If I go low level I like to go C, when I go high level I like to go as high as possible and use Python and Boo fits the bill well here for autocad.

[JCTER]

# LOLCode.NET - a CLI implementation of LOLCODE

Part of me really wants to...

[Bobby C. Jones]

I see nothing amiss with learning Lisp and several of the .NET languages though. Each serves it's place.

I'm starting to really like the dynamic languages, so far I've only looked at IronRuby, but I do have a date set with IronPython.  I would highly recommend one for a  beginner, or even for the experienced that just need to knock out a quick script where execution speed isn't so important.

[MickD]

...

I'm starting to really like the dynamic languages, so far I've only looked at IronRuby, but I do have a date set with IronPython.  I would highly recommend one for a  beginner, or even for the experienced that just need to knock out a quick script where execution speed isn't so important.

This is why I like Boo, I don't need to load the script engine and I achieve the same performance as C# with simple Python style scripts, it lets the compiler work out what type you are refering/using and when it's not obvious it asks you, saves a lot of typing

[cadabyss]

Just my $0.02

If you are a LISPer, then, IMO, F# will seem more familiar, since it supports the functional programming style (as does LISP).

In addition, there is F# interactive, which, although compiled on the fly, is closer in "feel" to interpreted LISP.

...

Thanks for posting your $0.02 Herman.  After reading your comments and watching "An Introduction to Microsoft F#", this seems the way to go for me.

Questions:

What files do I need to download to get started programming in F#?  Do I download MS Visual Studio 2008 or 2010?  Can I use the free "Express" version?

Thank you.

[MickD]

I'm pretty sure Sharpdevelop has F# shipped with it also, it's a lot more light weight and works quite well, might be worth a look.