Difference between ASP.Net, C#.Net and VB.Net?

Question

I just need clarification about something.

I am currently job hunting - I put my CV on Monster on Monday and have had about 8 agencies phone up about jobs they have available. One of them said that he notices VB.Net is on my CV but asked if I know ASP.Net. I replied that ASP.Net encompasses both VB.Net and C#.Net - as far as I know these are the two main sections of ASP.Net. Is this right? Was he talking nonsense or have I misunderstood the whole concept of .net for the last several years?

I think (or hope) I am right and he is wrong - I mean he is simply an agent working for a recruitment agency in the IT industry, so he is not necessarily an expert in the field and is simply trying to find me a job.

If both are wrong then please feel free to put me right.

Regards,

Richard

Solution 1

VB.Net and C# are programming languages.

ASP.Net is a Web Development SDK/Framework.

You write code in a programming language and you use a SDK to speed up development.

.Net is a framework which you use when programming in vb.net, C# or any other language which can be compiled into msil.

Solution 2

I replied that ASP.Net encompasses both VB.Net and C#.Net - as far as I know these are the two main sections of ASP.Net. Is this right? Was he talking nonsense or have I misunderstood the whole concept of .net for the last several years?

You talked nonsense. The interview would have been over there with me.

VB.Net and C#.Net are LANGUAGES, like C, Smalltalk etc.

ASP.NET is a framework for making web applications. It is part of the ,NET framework, but if you read the langauge specifications for VB.NET or C# then you find not a single reference to ASP.NET in them. Or any other part of the framework except low level things (IDisposable, IEnumerable used for using and foeach, for example).

There are other langauges you can use - ANY langauge that is compilable to .NET bytecode can use ASP.NET (or any other framework, like WInForms, WPF, the nice System.Data namespace for accessing databases).

To compare your answer with cars, you just said the main element of a car is the brand of the fuel station. No relation at all.

Solution 3

As Bill Murray Ernie Hudson once wisely said, "If someone asks you if you are a god, say YES!" Since this was a recruiter, they almost certainly have no idea what the distinction is. They are just checking boxes off a list.

Solution 4

The caller is partially correct. Even if you know VB.NET, it is not necessary that you know ASP.NET. You might be playing around with VB.NET console applications or using it for Windows based applications.

Even though VB.NET or C# or whatever are languages you can use to work on ASP.NET Framework, I would advice you to mention like this:

1 year experience on VB.NET (Windows-based Application)

and if you know ASP.NET

1 year experience on ASP.NET Framework (Language: VB.NET)

I may be wrong, but I do like this.

Solution 5

You can know VB.Net, but do WinForms development and know nothing about ASP.NET.

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Comments

[Joel Etherton]

If you can't answer this question, none of them should be on your CV.

[ClarkeyBoy]

Well I was 99% sure I was right - 100% before he asked me. He just made me unsure so I just wanted to ask to find out either way.

[Philippe]

Joel is a bit mean, but in the end he is right... :/

[dvhh]

Probably not the kind of answer he was expected, I think it was more in the line of exerience with asp.net controls, server handlers, and asp.net MVC framework. More high level stuff rather than low level dotNet framework.

[Joel Etherton]

@Philippe - my intent is not to be mean, merely honest. This question is about the fundamental purposes of these particular tools, and a basic understanding of them answers this question immediately.

[ClarkeyBoy]

@Philippe: Joel is right to say what he said. I did say to feel free to put me right - and sometimes the truth can be brutal. At least now I have some understanding of it, and can go away and do some more research in the area. I have just coded an entire website (with admin frontend and an object oriented architecture) in VB.Net, so I should still be able to keep that on there.

[Joel Etherton]

@ClarkeyBoy - I understand the sentiment. Questions posed to me by junior developers in my department frequently make me question what I "know" and so I end up looking up the answer just to reassure myself. However, I think if you can't answer this question (and be ready to argue/defend your point), then you may possibly be misrepresenting yourself on your CV. - I'm not saying you ARE (because I don't know)... I'm just saying it's something to consider.

[Philippe]

Ok, said like that then ok :) All apologies being nice :)

[ClarkeyBoy]

So was he right to ask me the question, or was he confused about the concept? I mean I know VB.Net - I have done that for 2 years now and just started on C#.

[jgauffin]

He was right. You don't know ASP.Net just because you can code in C# or Vb.Net. You have to learn it just as you have learned parts of .Net.

[Lazarus]

He's a recruitment consultant... they mostly work through keywords that they don't understand, they just regurgitate them. At least he made you think and clearly he's managed to correctly exclude you from the shortlist he'll take forward, so he's achieved his goal regardless.

[ClarkeyBoy]

Ok so I misunderstood it... I am only applying for a Junior Web Developer position anyway - obviously I am not going to know everything in 2 years.

[dvhh]

probably the best answer in the context

[Jamie Treworgy]

That wouldn't leave many options...

[TomTom]

Still. The difference between language and framework i epect to know from somone just starting a "how to learn programming in 21 days" course. It is VERY basic.

[Jamie Treworgy]

@TomTom I don't think that's quite fair. His CV says he can operate a car and a motorcycle, and the recruiter said, yes, but do you know how to use roads? His answer said, well, yes, using roads encompasses both operating motorcycles and cars. Not exactly right, sure, but probably anything more would make the recruiter glaze over anyway.

[ClarkeyBoy]

@jamietre: nice metaphor (if that is the right word)... @tomtom: When I went to work for a company during my placement year I was just sent right in there - learning VB.Net without really being trained on the basics, despite the fact that they knew I didnt know anything before hand. I just havent gone back to the basics since then.

[Jamie Treworgy]

That would be an analogy. Kind of like what you said before, not exactly right but close enough :)

[Jamie Treworgy]

That's a big twinkie....

[ClarkeyBoy]

@Lazarus: He is actually taking me forward in any case! They all are - about 8 - 10 companies in all. One even said he is only able to put 3 forward, out of 35, and said I am one of those 3 if the job is right for me. (To be honest he probably says that to everyone though...)

[Lazarus]

@ClarkeyBoy - Well, good luck regardless.

[ClarkeyBoy]

@jamietre: True, however I did have one call today that asked me how to create a form as one of the interview questions - I reacted quite surprised, but hope he didnt notice. Thankfully I had another call today requesting that I fill in a form and send it back then we can set up an interview with the manager of the development team for one company. Apparently the guy said to the recruiter that he had looked at all the CVs and mine looks most promising. I also have a tame ex-landlord near there who has had enough bad tenants and would do anything to have me back...

[DieVeenman]

For you, oh wait wrong forum

[Yusha]

First off, you shouldn't say things like "VB.Net" or "C#.Net". That doesn't make any sense

[jgauffin]

This answer was written 8 years ago when VB6 still was a thing. VB.NET was an accepted term to clarify which version one was talking about. In other words: It did make sense when the answer was written.