.NET framework for web development? Asp, c# or vb?

[dudeman]

I'm a PHP guy, but I was wanting to at least expose myself to .NET since a lot of jobs request it. But I have no idea about it, I've read about it on wikipedia, but its confusing. It sounds like there are 5 languages to write web development with.NET

asp.net, vb.net, c# and who knows what else. Its confusing because .NET is also used for application development, whereas PHP is strictly web.

Can someone explain some of this? What is used mostly and what the benefits of each are? I swear I've searched Google, but I've yet to find this explained well.

 

[Kate]

As the name implies .net is a framework.
asp.net is the .net release of asp, that is a scripting language for the web.
vb.net, C# etc are for the development of Windows (desktop) applications (mobile applications too).

 

[charlieangles]

First of all you must decide which Application you are making. Is the application web based or window based. Then think tools are best for building such application.

 

[Jim_]

I always write my asp.net in C#. It's the least ugly syntax available. Either way you do it, it'll all work the same and you'll have access to the same classes, so it doesn't really matter too much. If you're already familiar with a certain syntax, stick with it in .NET. Most example code online is in C# or VB.NET, though.

 

[Ik]

I have converted from ColdFusion to ASP.NET, and then to PHP. I find PHP the best and most powerful among them.

ASP.NET is so complicated. I just HATE it.

If you know PHP, then use C# to write your ASP.NET applications; either web or desktop.

 

[coderoid]

.NET is the framework, i.e. a bunch of packages containing common classes. Languages such as C#, VB and others that run on the .NET Framework are just there to allow developers to code in their choice of language, but the code all compiles down to the same thing (MSIL - Microsoft Intermediary Language, almost like Java bytecodes) and is then further converted to machine instructions.

Choose whatever language you are comfortable with on the .NET Framework.

Source: I'm a developer, started out on .NET.