If you could have your legacy vb6 code upgraded seamlessly to another language which would you choose and why?
+3
A:
C#, often same target group and purpose of the application (minimal effort porting requirements).
miccet
2009-03-26 10:16:42
The hypothetical point in the question was that porting wouldn't be a factor
kjack
2009-03-26 10:30:08
I don't see how upgrading code to another language (even VB.net) can happen without porting.
miccet
2009-03-26 10:48:24
I was trying to establish which language would be most attractive to vb6 developers all other things being equal
kjack
2009-03-26 10:52:34
Then you really just have one real choice and that is VB.net (as someone else answered).
miccet
2009-03-26 13:58:17
Actually a vb.net with an option to compile to native code would be just great
kjack
2009-03-26 19:26:50
+9
A:
Definitely not languages that have braces { } such as Java and C#. If you are accustomed to VB codes, switching to braces and semi-colon can be very painful.
IMHO, VB.NET will be the BEST! If you are using VS2008 and VS2005, you will find intellisense support for VB.NET much better than C#. VB .NET was designed to be a very good upgrade option with complete Object Oriented features for VB6 programmers. Also, a lot of old VB6 APIs and constructs have one-to-one mapping in VB .NET
Many people thought that VB6 and VB .NET are the same kind of animal and they prefer C#, but they are not. From an application programming (not system programming) perspective, whatever can be done in C# can be done easily in VB .NET. This is demonstrated by the fact that a lot of books on ASP .NET covers both C# and VB.NET. They are almost equivalent in the application development sense.
StartClass0830
2009-03-26 10:34:04
This is probably the most correct answer. Unrelated to the reason for the change I do see a problem in choosing a language because of it's syntax.
miccet
2009-03-26 10:51:35
+1... and by the way, Microsoft, WHY can't I have my VB6 code upgraded seamlessly to another language? Who thought it was a good idea to just junk *all* the code written in one of the most popular languages on the planet?
MarkJ
2009-03-26 17:49:10
+2
A:
I was going to say Swahili ;-)
I can only anwer in retrospect, because the port has already happened.
We chose VB.Net because:
- Our code-base was Windows-specific, so there was no need for Java.
- We wanted a high-level business-oriented programming environment, so no C++ for us.
- We were looking for a big-name vendor with a large user base, so niche languages were not considered.
- Delphi was already dead :-(.
- We wanted to leverage our existing VB skills, so chose against C#.
- We had hoped to use the Wizard (but decided not to as it did such a poor job).
For the most part, I am happy with this choice. However, Java might have offered us added value - on the CV for example. It isn't easy to be expert in any one mature programming language, so I have become a VB.Net programmer through-and-through.
Kramii
2009-03-26 10:35:32
You're right, but it isn't exactly full of life, either. As a result, I don't think it is wisest choice for a new business-critical applications. Believe me, I wish it were otherwise. I miss my Delphi days.
Kramii
2009-03-26 10:53:21
That's given me an idea for a question that always puzzled me, if everyone thought Delphi was great why has it declined?
kjack
2009-03-26 11:15:47
The better product is not always the popular product: Windows 95 vs OS/2; The IBM PC vs the BBC Micro. VHS vs Betamax (and V2000). In my view, the answer is always the same: appropriate marketing + low initial price result in market penetration and vendor lock-in.
Kramii
2009-03-26 11:26:09
A:
If you ask me, I'd definitely choose either VB.net or C#. The "porting" would be much easier. I'd also agree on the points stated by Sir Kramii above...
Godcode
2009-03-26 11:48:10
Indeed I have, many moons ago. Unlike some petitioners however, the last thing I want is a managed code VB syntax-compatible with VB6. I want an updated, evolved native code VB7 with an upgrade path from VB6.
Bob
2009-03-29 18:06:30
+1
A:
You mean, some fairy magically converts the whole code into a totally different language, complete with the use of the right idioms and language abstractions, and the target platform is not an issue?
Common Lisp.
Seriously, this is then just another of those "what language do you like most" polls.
Svante
2009-03-26 13:27:16
I did not read this as a question about language preference in general, but rather about career progression for a VB6 programmer.
Kramii
2009-03-26 14:12:26
I don't see any hint for a programmer's career in the question, only for some code's "career".
Svante
2009-03-26 16:10:58
I agree with Svante, the question as it is currently worded is just a language poll.
MarkJ
2009-03-26 17:50:19
+3
A:
Well, since this is not a realistic question, I will go with PHP. Then my VB6 app can be an online app, plus I can compile it using zend encoder, and also turn it into a cross-platform desktop app, and still access COM components natively. I can also get easy access to MySql databases (and a bunch of others). Wow!
In reality, I think closest language to VB6 is RealBasic.
OneNerd
2009-03-26 13:58:24
You've just described classic ASP, which PHP was a peer or imitation of. PHP's strongest point has been cheap hosting more than anything intrinsic.
Bob
2009-03-29 18:10:49
A:
I'd choose python.
Not because it's "better" than any other choice, but it's a langauge I'm enjoying messing around with lately, and being able to do the A-B comparison from working VB6 code to working python code would be very enlightening for me, I suspect.
John T
2009-04-01 10:46:40