Using Visual Basic in the CS curriculum

ABSTRACT

Visual Basic is currently the most popular programming language in the United States. And yet, it is rarely found in traditional Computer Science (and related) curriculums. Perhaps this is due to the fact that VB is not truly object-oriented, but object-based. Or perhaps because VB is not an open language, instead supported only by tools from Microsoft Corporation and available only on the Windows platform. Or perhaps it is simply Microsoft itself, with its monopolistic tendencies.This panel will argue that Visual Basic --- while it should not replace the use of more traditional languages such as C++, Java, or Scheme --- fulfills an important role in modern CS and related curriculums. The panelists will highlight a few of the cases in which they have found VB to be exceedingly useful, and discuss their rationale for choosing VB over other languages.