This is something very discouraging. If anyone here is a C# expert, I would like some input here. Is there a faster way of doing the unsafe BitmapData stuff?
I've tried C#, excellent for developing GUIs but that's about it.
Bullshit. First C# as a language is insignificant, but the .NET Framework is what really leverages its capabilities above and beyond C/C++. Personally, I'm a Unix freak and have a distaste for Microsoft's proprietary languages and API's, but what they did here with C# and .NET is not negligible. In fact, it is leaps and bounds above the other obvious option: Crap^H^H^H^HJava. Java was originally designed as an embedded language for writing applications on toasters and cell phones. While Sun was busy cashing in on the dotcom craze and pushing Java to help sell SPARC boxes, they forgot that Microsoft still has the dominant desktop user base. As a result, the Java runtime was, and still is, crap. It runs like shit. About the only place Java runs acceptably is persistent server-side network/database applications. Back-end stuff. What's really funny is that while the Sun Java team has been trying to "keep the bad stuff from C/C++" from tainting their language, they are now returning back to C/C++ features! Java 1.5 just added enums, which have been in C/C++/C# since day one.
My point is that after using Java and C# in quite a few projects, I've come to the conclusion that C# is a "better Java." It runs with much lower runtime overhead and doesn't really try to stray away from C++ that much as Java tries to. I mean, C# still allows you to mess with pointers and shit (via the "unsafe" keyword), and the best part is, if you need to link with existing C/C++ code or libraries, you just recompile the C/C++ sources using CL with the /clr flag, and bingo, link that shit with C# and you're ready to go. The Java JNI route is a mess and still slow. Look at the POS project Eclipse that is going nowhere.
Anyway, C# is alright. C/C++/Java are not going to be gone anytime soon--they are certainly not going to be deprecated by C#, but C# has its niche and certainly will be a bigger role in future programmer's jobs than Java will ever be.
(Edited by kerb at 3:14 am on Dec. 4, 2004)
I think it still lacks the versatility of C++. Althoguht C# wasn't meant to be a replacement for C++.
Its developed by Microsoft. Of course it is slow. I'm not an expert at c++ but I certaintly never would learn C Sharp. Maybe Try Java...its going to exist longer, have more widescale uses, etc.
I think you may be a little closed minded to trying new programming languages. Here in wa state, .NET/C# is all the buzz, of course, we have MS sitting on our doorstep