Visual Basic has been the most important programming language for Microsoft and Windows developers, starting from the introduction of Version 1.0 in 1991 all the way through to today’s Visual Basic .NET. Microsoft wants to celebrate Visual Basic’s 25th birthday, which is today, by kicking off a marathon celebration.
That’s right. A Celebratiathon (a perfectly cromulent word). A celebration so extensive it’s also a marathon. What does it really mean, though?
It means that the party don’t stop here. In anticipation of this magnificent milestone we’ve been reaching out to members of the Visual Basic team stretching all the way back to the beginning to get a retrospective on the juggernaut that is VB across every era, from VB 1.0 to VB6 to the early days of VB.NET to Roslyn and I’m going to be your tour guide as we look behind the scenes at history from the perspective of the programming pioneers who lived it. Whatever your first or favorite version we’re going to be talking to the women and men who built it. The trials, the triumphs, the passion, THE FUN! Visual Basic has always been more than just “a language”. It’s a legacy of generation after generation of people pouring themselves into making an experience with the goal of empowering people and touching lives. So to really celebrate 25 years of VB is to celebrate over 25 years of individuals, within Microsoft and in the community, contributing with love to the VB story every step along the way.
But, don’t worry, it won’t all be backward looking. In the midst of all the “deleted scenes” and “director’s commentary” I’ll also be opening up about the really cool features we’re looking at for VB “15” and beyond. And of course I’ve got some surprises planned too. So you’ll want to keep checking back here on the blog starting next week to geek out on language design on features like tuples and pattern matching and other features (*mischievous grin*), and video interviews with industry legends, and other VB themed stuff (*shifty eyes*). It’s going to be great!
Microsoft wants to involve the developer community and anyone else who wants to be involved in the celebration. Keep your eye on the .NET blog for more information and we, at WinBeta will let you know about anything particularly fun and interesting.
