>Yes your argument is quite good. But I use MS products since Windows 3, and I see that current versions ot Office prods (even if there are bugs or limitations) share the same language. They are much more integrated than challenger products.

No argument there. That's been one of MS's goals for a long time - to have everything share the same "backbone". VBA is an obvious example, as is the interface that Visual Studio products share (except for VFP).

>To be in touch with several VB corporate users, I can say they do not want to leave it for Delphi or WinDev (which haven't the same deploying strength).
>
>Their reasons are the following : they are often non-developers (I mean they

I think that's a whole other issue - is VB designed for non-developers. With VB's simplicity, any Joe Blue can whip out a workable application and think they are a programmer. How many of these so called programmers even know who Donald Knuth is?

>MS maintains this illusion, that computing is for everyone. And VB is so simple to learn that, now, end-users suppose they are equal to us. It's not joking : I encounter the problem during my work.

I see where you're coming from - I encounter it all the time, too. However, MS's goal - that computing is for everyone - is a nice one, and anyone CAN pick up VB and create a program. But that doesn't make you a programmer.

>Some of my friends consider VB isn't a real professionnal Dev Tool. They use it to build simulations and factice screens.
>You haven't got the "problem" with C++. It allows MS to win onto the two sides.

But there are pseudo-programmers in C++ as well as in VB - MANY more in VB, I'm sure, but there ya go. And what's makes a "real" professional tool, then? I think VB is just as "professional" as VC++, VFP, etc. VB can do almost everything VC++ can do - not as well or easily, but it can be done.

I don't think we are arguing different sides here - we seem to thinking the same way.

Best,

jody