What programming language should I use?

[joydivision]

I need a free compiler (ideally with its own IDE) to make an automated virus removal tool. The program will need to be able to run automated install routines for MWABT AND SAST as well as other popular programs.

It will also need to be able to edit registry keys but I can just get that to run scrips I've made.

The reason for this are two fold:-

1) I want to get back into programming because I miss it.
2) It will automate my virus removal procedure some what.

It must use the Winsdows API.

My normal choice for making windows apps is C#.NET but not all my clients will have the .NET engine installed so that is not ideal.

C++ and DevC is another option, but I cannot be bothered typing in 20 lines of code just to make one button work.

I've looked at Freebasic but again to use the Windows API there is too much code involved.

I've looked at Justbasic which seems ideal but there are no functions to run external programs as far as I can tell.

There is RapidQ which I have used before, but support is now quite lacking.

Any other suggestions?

Not really too bothered what the language is but my background is BASIC and variants of C. It must produce executables which can run without a runtime engine (so it is truly portable) and must be free.

 

[iisjman07]

Looked at autoit?.........

 

[joydivision]

Never heard of it, but it looks like it was designed to make exactly the application I want to make

I will have a play with it and let you know how I get on I love the fact it will make direct API calls too, it will give me some extra flexibility.

 

[PCSupportGlasgow]

how about python which woul be a decent choice.

 

[joydivision]

Never used Python, but should play with it sometime, is it still popular?

Having a look at AutoIT now as it seems to do everything I need it to out of the box.

 

[PCSupportGlasgow]

probably not as popular as it used to be but then again every language has its little niche that it good at.

 

[joydivision]

Just been playing with AutoIT it seems you will be able to do things like automatically control programs with it. So for example with one click of the button I could install malwarebytes, update it, run full scan and out the results.

Not sure how easy that would be to achieve though.

 

[KompuKare]

Strange, everyone on here is into AutoIT. For any automation I've done, I've used AutoHotKeys. Same origin as AutoIT but open-source and GPL (I think the initial AutoIT was open-source but went closed-source partially due to AutoHotKeys).

I've only done simple things with AHK but it was worked well. The last thing was to make a Winbuilder script which launches my compiled AHK program so that when booting from my WinPE I have keyboard shortcuts I am used to and various other things. Totally portable too.

 

[MobileTechie]

One thing with python is that it's interpreted so you need the python interpreter installed. You can get some "compilers" for it which do produce a standalone executable but they are not 100% problem free.

It has to be the easiest language to program in.

It must be just me but I find Auto IT to be a bit flakey for anything complicated. but for automating the install of MBAM it's perfect. Having said that MBAM has a silent installer anyway doesn't it?

 

[K007]

I would say you use the language you are used to.
Did you look at Lazarus?
Windows API, registry, and a lot more.
You can even write device drivers with it.
Native machine code compiler, no interpreted output.
You can use in-line assembly code if you wish.
Object Oriented Programming
Dozens of free components.

 

[ATTech]

Real men program in ASM.

 

[dogskool]

Real men program in ASM.

+1 That way we can write 300 lines of code to make one button work.

 

[TLE]

If you know C# .NET I would go with that. Lets face it, how often do you find PC's without .NET installed, after all it native to Vista and Windows 7. The majority of XP machines at least have 1.1 installed these days.

 

[K007]

If you know C# .NET I would go with that. Lets face it, how often do you find PC's without .NET installed, after all it native to Vista and Windows 7. The majority of XP machines at least have 1.1 installed these days.

It really depends on what the programmer wants to achieve as in protecting the source-code.
For a malware remover, I suppose it will not be free (lots of work in there)
.NET is managed code, and can be decompiled to show the exact code you have written.
If you value your work and don't want the source code all over the place, use something else.

 

[TLE]

It really depends on what the programmer wants to achieve as in protecting the source-code.
For a malware remover, I suppose it will not be free (lots of work in there)
.NET is managed code, and can be decompiled to show the exact code you have written.
If you value your work and don't want the source code all over the place, use something else.

Very true and worth mentioning, I was just responding to the fact that most PC's these days have .NET installed.

 

[joydivision]

The lazy part in me is thinking C#.NET because I know the language but I really do like the idea of Auto IT. I might make a prototype in C# and see how it goes, if not so good I will learn AutoIT. In fact I will still learn Auto IT.

Just looking through the AutoIT source code samples made me realise why I hate BASIC.

 

[glricht]

For a language that is guaranteed to be available on whatever Windows you work with, you can do your programming in VBScript.

I have some scripts I wrote in VBScript that I use with Acronis and have never had a problem running them on customer PCs.

You can do just about anything you want in VBScript, but it ain't the easiest to become fluent in.

 

[joydivision]

After much playing about I am using AutoIT, just using it for very basic functions at the moment. E.g run Install Maleware bytes, if installed then run Malware bytes etc.

It will start very simple and I will make it more complex over the time. At the moment it simply runs programs automatically and does things like check the host file.

I just need to work out how to get it to output proxy settings etc. Should all be simple enough.

 

[Kitten Kong]

I'm in the process of learning auto it too. It is a awesome tool to use. Although does take some getting used to, thats for sure lol.

 

[joydivision]

What language do you know best Nige? My preference is C style so I find the lack of structure in BASIC hard to get used to, it is simple things I miss like

function whatever(){

do stuff;

}

Which is so much easier to read than the BASIC way

function whatever90
do stuff
end function

I just don't know why it has taken me so many years to develop this, but I suppose I lost interest in my business and its only financial problems which has forced me to make my business a lot stronger. Lack of motivation I guess caused it.