C# vs. ProIV

Question

Our company has had issues getting a new core app up and running twice now and we're looking to take another stab at this.
The developer we're in talks with right now is saying that he can create a program - start to finish - in ProIV faster than we could get someone to finish the existing C# .Net 4.0 app done even though it's more than half way complete.
Does this boast sound at all plausable? Is C# really that slow, or ProIV that fast, or is this guy full of it?
I appreciate your opinions!

Sam Hobbs · Answer

It might be true that he can create the program faster using ProIV but that does not mean that all programmers will be slower using C# than all programmers using ProIV. It depends on the problems (the issues). If the problems are that the system was not designed adequately then use of ProIV will also make a mess.

Mahesh Chand · Answer

BTW: C# is not slow. Visual Studio 2010 is problem one the fastest development tool.

Mahesh Chand · Answer

He may be right. Any RAD tool will build an application faster than probably using a development language but if your C# developer knows how to use tools in Visual Studio 2010 such as Entity Framework he could do it faster than ProIV. The problem and challange with RAD tools like ProIV is if you need anything change that does not come in the tool you are stuck. You can't do that or even if you do it will be a big mess. I remember one company was building an application in ASP.NET using Iron Speed (RAD tool) and once they needed any changes you just could not do it. They called me for help re-architect their application using Visual Studio. So I would be careful what a guy promises. Sometimes promise can be very alluring. You just need to have a backup plan .. thinking .. What if? What if this guy can't do it? What if the guy leaves you alone? Can you make those changes by yourself or have somebody come in fix it? Best Mahesh