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Alex AngusFlag for South Africa

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Delphi future and .NET

As a newbie to programming I have  been doing a course in Delphi 7. My student pack includes Delphi 8 but I have not loaded it yet.
On other projects I ahve been using VB and VBA and have a book on VB.NET.
I started another training course this year and they use C++ (not Visual C++) as a starting point and Visual C++ will be covered next year.
The comments I have found here are at least a year old and much has changed since then.

My issues are the following.
1. I am forced to use VB 6 and C++ for work related programming and that is not about to change in 2 years when it is estimated that .NET will take over.
2. The thing is I quite like Delphi. I cannot try to be master of all these languages. But I just get the feeling that Delphi is not a good choice to stick with for future development.
3. I am not in to all the latest on languages, so feel a bit lost.
4. Should I concentrate on C++ and VB and drop Delphi.
5. Should I look at c# for the future rather than Delphi.
6. I know C++ is used in Linux, but will Delphi/Kylex be a serious future solution?
7. My future interests are in developement along database related application. I am not into games and such like.

Any suggestions would be welcome in clearing the confusion and doubs about Delphi.
I am allocating 500 points because the correct choice right now is so important to me and my future.
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InteractiveMind
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> in 2 years when it is estimated that .NET will take over
I think that this is more Microsoft hype than the opinion of the programming community.


Delphi will be applicable for a very long time to come, and if you're very much into that, then I say "stick with it".
You find that once you get good at one language, you can quite easily pick up others — so perhaps you'll learn enough of the other languages to be able to use them if necessary.

But which one you go for should depend on whether programming is just a spair time hobby, or if you're looking for a career in it...   ?
Or maybe use delphi with .NET, so you're getting the best of both worlds  ;-)
http://sourceforge.net/projects/delphinet
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ASKER

Hi, thanks for your comments.
> in 2 years when it is estimated that .NET will take over.
Sorry, by this I meant .NET in the application I support, not Microsoft. There is some .NET stuff in the app already but not enough to "take over".

I get the vibe from 3 or 4 other programmers ( in my community) that I am wasting my time with Delphi. Also, in my student forum they frown at anyone attempting Delphi. So I feel a bit like I have something bordering on a serious illness. But then again, they are as wet behind the ears as I am or possibly worse. That is why I am asking experienced people in the "real world".

It would not be a serious thing for me to drop Delphi at this beginners stage. It is just that I enjoy it more than the other 2 languages, but I do not want to waste a future on it.
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everlaast

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