Is VBScript a Programming Language?

Professional software developers who are masters of full-blown, stand-alone, compiled languages such as C++, Visual Basic, and Delphi often look down their noses at VBScript, and at scripting languages in general. 'Scripting is not real programming,' they'll say. This point of view is understandable, and in a sense correct, since a scripting generally does not provide the kind of flexibility, control, power, and speed that a 'real' programming language does. However, this point of view fails to account for the fact that a scripting language like VBScript exists in order to solve a different set of problems. Microsoft did not create VBScript to compete with languages such as VB and C++, but rather to supplement them, to solve problems that they are either not capable of handling, or for which they would overkill. VBScript is a worthy, and in some cases crucial, addition to any developer's toolbox.