Borlands C# IDE

  • Thread starter Thread starter JJ
  • Start date Start date
J

JJ

Hi All,

Was just wondering if anybody here has used Borlands C#
IDE and if they like? What do you like about it and what
does it have that VS Net doesn't ?


Thanks,

JJ
 
...
Was just wondering if anybody here has
used Borlands C# IDE and if they like?
Click to expand...

The two alternatives I know of to compete with VS.NET are

Borlands C#Builder (free for personal use only)
http://bdn.borland.com/csharp/0,1419,13,00.html

and SharpDevelop (totally free, open source)
http://www.icsharpcode.net/OpenSource/SD/

I consider C#Builder a bit more stable than SharpDevelop, and a bit more
compatible with VS.NET than SharpDevelop, though SharpDevelop has the
advantage to be able to use for VB.NET as well as C#.

If I didn't already have VS.NET, I'd go for C#Builder even if it has some
bugs (freezes on occasions, don't always find all files when you try to open
an existing project)
What do you like about it and what
does it have that VS Net doesn't ?
Click to expand...

I don't think it had anything that VS.NET doesn't, but I can be wrong. I
only had it installed for a short time, so there could be options or
facilities I have missed.

What I liked about C#Builder as opposed to SharpDevelop was the
compatibility with VS.NET. If you created a Form in it, the code generated
was equal to what was generated in VS.NET, and could hence be lifted from
one of the IDEs to the other.

Just my 2c

// Bjorn A
 
Bjorn said:
I don't think it had anything that VS.NET doesn't, but I can be wrong. I
only had it installed for a short time, so there could be options or
facilities I have missed.
Click to expand...

Hmmm... doyou know if VS.NET have that feature to create UML
representation from code that C# Builder has?
 
Hmmm... do you know if VS.NET have that feature to create UML
representation from code that C# Builder has?
Click to expand...

In combination with MS Visio it does have that possibility to some degree,
but not by itself AFAIK.

// Bjorn A
 
As far as I'm aware, VS.NET does not have the built-in capability to create
UML diagrams from the source code.

I come to C# and .NET from the Java world, and in it I used Borland JBuilder
9 Enterprise. JBuilder has the best code (text) editor I've ever come
across. Discovering compilation errors prior to compiling was my favorite
feature. I virtually never had a compile error. However, JBuilder's GUI
editor was severely lacking when directly compared to VS.NET's, but that
might be attributable to the relative weirdness of the Swing framework.

I have not tried C#Builder yet, but I probably will when I have some time to
muck around with it. In stock form, VS.NET's code editor is inferior to
JBuilder's. However I have managed to make the IDE livable by purchasing a
VS.NET code-editing plugin called Visual Assist by Whole Tomato Software.
Using it along with VS.NET's built-in features brings the code editor to
about 90% of where JBuilder's is. The big missing piece is still the
consistent and reliable discovery of compile errors before compilation.

Check out Visual Assist here...it's a must-have little plugin with a free
trial period:
http://www.wholetomato.com/index.html

Enjoy,
Will.
 
JJ said:
Hi All,

Was just wondering if anybody here has used Borlands C#
IDE and if they like? What do you like about it and what
does it have that VS Net doesn't ?


Thanks,

JJ
Click to expand...

I like it. It's very much what I'm used to as I've been using Borland
IDEs for quite a while. Although I've never tried MS' C# IDE so I
can't make that comparison.
 
Will said:
I have not tried C#Builder yet, but I probably will when I have some time to
muck around with it. In stock form, VS.NET's code editor is inferior to
JBuilder's. However I have managed to make the IDE livable by purchasing a
VS.NET code-editing plugin called Visual Assist by Whole Tomato Software.
Using it along with VS.NET's built-in features brings the code editor to
about 90% of where JBuilder's is. The big missing piece is still the
consistent and reliable discovery of compile errors before compilation.
Click to expand...

In my opinion, VS.NET is a great editor. I only think it's too big...
really huge! Well, i have space in my hard disk, but compared to C#
Builder for example that takes ~80mb.

VS.NET can check for compiler errors before compiling, much like msword
underlines in red words he don't know, and C# builder too.

The things i don't like in C# Builder is that it reminds me of delphi
=p. And when you type "this." and press the dot, the code completion
appears and there are no color icons to show what is a
property/member/method... but the word "method" or "property" instead.
although it's not a big deal.. =)

[]'s
 
JJ said:
Hi All,

Was just wondering if anybody here has used Borlands C#
IDE and if they like? What do you like about it and what
does it have that VS Net doesn't ?
Click to expand...


Hi JJ,

The best way to know is to consider what features of an IDE are important to
you. Then do a test drive on each. Fortunately, you can get trial versions
for both VS.NET and C#Builder.

VS.NET Trial
http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/productinfo/trial/default.aspx

C#Builder Trial
http://www.borland.com/products/downloads/download_csharpbuilder.html

Here's an article I wrote for C# Pro in November:
http://www.c-sharppro.com/features/2003/11/cs200311jm_f/cs200311jm_f.asp

Joe
 
I've used both. C# builder is good if you want to do data modeling. It has
built in support for it. VS doesn't, although you can use visio. That's not
built in support. Builder is awesome with live data. VS can't do that.
Builder will allow you to manipulate live data in design mode. Delphi
products always had that capability. MS never supported it. Builder offers
extra controls not available in studio.

MS is more mainstream. there are other minor differences, but basically the
main difference is modeling. builder is good if you want to model data with
the editor being able to generate code on the fly to establish object
relationships, keeping that data in sync in realtime.

they curiously have the same bugs as well. borland had help from microsoft
building their product hence the reason for the bugs. If modelling is not
your thing, there is practically no difference between the two. The target
audience for builder doesn't step on the toes of studio, builder being
targetted to the modelling/programming audience.
 
I've used both. C# builder is good if you want to do data modeling. It has
built in support for it. VS doesn't, although you can use visio. That's not
built in support. Builder is awesome with live data. VS can't do that.
Builder will allow you to manipulate live data in design mode. Delphi
products always had that capability. MS never supported it. Builder offers
extra controls not available in studio.

MS is more mainstream. there are other minor differences, but basically the
main difference is modeling. builder is good if you want to model data with
the editor being able to generate code on the fly to establish object
relationships, keeping that data in sync in realtime.

they curiously have the same bugs as well. borland had help from microsoft
building their product hence the reason for the bugs. If modelling is not
your thing, there is practically no difference between the two. The target
audience for builder doesn't step on the toes of studio, builder being
targetted to the modelling/programming audience.
 
As far as I'm aware, VS.NET does not have the built-in capability to
create UML diagrams from the source code.
Click to expand...

I believe the Enterprise Architect version of Visual Studio .NET has
connectivity with Visio for Enterprise Architects, and in fact there's a
book dedicated to the subject:

Professional UML with Visual Studio .NET
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764543768/

I was tempted to purchase it at some point, since I have just recently been
exposed to the wonders of UML...

Hope this helps!

Evan Stone | Petaluma, CA
 
Yes it may be wonderful but unless those tools are 100% integrated and
update as you code, or you have a rigours adhere to the design or dont code
approach, then what you finish and ship may end up different from the UML
model you started with :D
 
And that's the big problem with Visio -- no round-tripping. Without that
ability, it's not quite useless, but it's pretty close. We've been
evaluating Rational XDE for VS.Net. Very nice tool. Very expensive,
though.
 
We've been evaluating Rational XDE for VS.Net.
Very nice tool. Very expensive, though.
Click to expand...

Indeed.

....and if the round-tripping in Visio is iffy, that's a problem too. Good to
hear that Borland is giving attention to this important subject.

Evan Stone | Petaluma, CA
 
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