Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!microsoft!kensy
From: kensy@microsoft.UUCP (Ken SYKES)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.ms
Subject: Re: Getting Started
Message-ID: <54432@microsoft.UUCP>
Date: 1 May 90 23:57:32 GMT
References: <292600002@trsvax>
Reply-To: kensy@microsoft.UUCP (Ken SYKES)
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA
Lines: 31

Here is one thing to consider when purchasing your development tools: For 
better or for worse, using the development tools that Microsoft itself uses
allows you to keep in step with changes in the operating system.  C is the
"official" language for Windows and almost all of the documentation assumes
that this is the language you are developing in.  While Microsoft tools are
a little more expensive than the other tools you can at least be sure that
as changes occur in the operating system that your tools will be updated to
support the changes.  I purchased Microsoft tools for this reason EVEN BEFORE
working at Microsoft and this philosophy has paid off.  Not to mention that
that our tools are pretty good.  The C compiler generates good code in most
cases (C 6.0 especially), we provide source-level debugging in both DOS and
Windows, and we have a very large support group available to answer your
questions.

As far as Actor goes it is an interesting alternative.  It seems like you
will be able to generate small to medium size applications faster than 
writing them in C and is ideal for "quick&dirty" apps.  To what extent
it applies to large scale programs or to more advanced features such as 
DLLs I can't say - haven't developed anything in it.  The ads look good
though.  Also if you are developing commercial apps you'll have to look
closely at the memory overhead, speed hit, run-time licensing, etc. if
you use actor.  My personal opinion is commercial apps should be written
in C.

Hope this helps.

--Ken Sykes

---------------------------------
I do not speak officially for Microsoft.  In fact, I don't speak officially
at all!