"Paul Hovnanian P.E." wrote in message
...
Any 'write once, run anywhere' apps have to target the lowest common
denominator API set. With something like Java, which has a JRE for a
wide range of platforms, it was worthwhile for developers to add the
hooks for underlying services.

The "hooks" for .Net come in the form of COM "objects." Pretty much every
major Windows application out there has a COM interface available (including
many of the fancier schematic capture/PCB layout tools, and even high-end RF
design packages such as Microwave Office). So there's really a philosophical
difference in design the Java tries to have a higher-level "base" API --
but you're left with a myriad of different protocols for interfacing to
anything not included in that API --, whereas .Net tries to have a purposely
lower-level API and Microsoft dictates than any extensions should come in the
form of COM objects. :-) (This is perhaps the main reason Microsoft Office
remains notably more powerful than OpenOffice, even though the VAST majority
of MSO users will probably *never* use those features.)

I do agree that how well these design philosophies work is largely a
significant function of program size and complexity, though.

So all
the developers asked themselves, "If I've already got my stuff running
on Windows (native .EXE), what does all that additional pain and
suffering buy me?".

The unfortunate answer to that is, "it meets some pointy-haired boss's
checklist for acceptable software purchases." :-( I have a friend who's a
programmer and he says they see this all the time -- they have a very nice
software package (it's very much COM-enabled -- .Net apps can interface with
it just as readily as Excel or Visual BASIC or Java can!) written in C++, and
yet they'll see some company's checklist for software purchases that requires
the software be written in some .Net language. Apparently PHBs attend some
Microsoft .Net infomercial seminar and buy into the hype that anything written
in .Net is good, anything else is junk... when in actuality, of course,
there's plenty of junk to be found regradless of the language chosen.

Said friend refers to "dot net" as "dot crap." :-)

---Joel