[plt-scheme] Re: Visual Studio .NET ...easier than PLT Scheme

FWIW, I've heard that most devs working on actual products (not one-offs and sample code) at Microsoft don't use Visual Studio, partly because VS doesn't handle large projects well, and partly because VS doesn't integrate nicely into any sort of automated build.  And partly because a lot of those guys already have a favorite editor and don't want to switch. 
  
I saw a presentation by the former head of the Visual Studio product line (back in Version 2.0) who readily admitted that MS' compiler was nowhere near as good as the competition, but the AppWizards were the hook that got a lot of people into C++.  Basically, you'd hit a button and have something sort of working in a minute or so.  I distinctly remember being impressed by that back in the day.  The Scribble tutorial was great as well, because it worked you through implementing a lot of common features (at least for editor apps) in a pretty painless way.  That's a lesson MS learned from VB, most programmers are in a hurry and given the good-fast-cheap triangle, they'll always pick the last two.  
  
-----Original Message from Alex Peake <alex.peake at comac.com>----- 
  
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I notice you asking Guenther. I too have come to a similar conclusion for *production* (although my 
code generator is in PLT Scheme). 

It is rather a shame since PLT Scheme is by far the *BEST* language out there. 

.NET facilitates excellent GUIs through Win Forms and the hundreds of .NET and COM "widgets" and 
"componenets" available (from powerful grids to diagramming components to reporting tools). PLT only 
gives a DHTML (AFAIK) "carrier" which is rather inelegant, or Mr. Ed which does not support the 
Widgets and the like. 

.NET interoperability is becoming what COM interop used to be, and without it PLT slowly loses 
ground on the ability to leverage thousands of othere's work. 

Still, as long as all you need is a simple GUI, and limmited interop then PLT Scheme is killer! 

Alex