[RESOLVED] Where to go from VB6

Hi

I hope this thread is in the right place. I am thinking about leaving VB6 - programs written in it will they run in one or two years time. or on the next version of Windows? I have been looking at Real Basic is that an option? Maybe I should go to VB.Net and then which version? In Real Basic when I compile I get a folder with dlls and an excutable file. Can I compile my programs in VB.Net - how do I distribute the programs wrtitten in it. Is VB.net a good option for a hobby programmer? I´m really fond of VB6 and would like to stay put - you must move on is it not.

Keli

PS Thanks for all the good help!!

Thread Moved from Classic VB 6 forum to Developer forum

This is a question that can not be answered with a single yes/no answer. no one will know if Windows 8 or the next one after that will support VB 6 applicaitons, sure at some point they will stop supporting it.

So since you state its a hobby then what is your goal here? to write applications for yourself or for sale? If for sale then you need to move on with the times and go over to .NET. If for hobby then you can always run Virtual PC and have XP installed in it to support running your appliucations inside of that.

VB6 programs run just fine on the Win8 Dev Preview, and most likely will when Win8 ships. Vista was the last OS that had Microsoft's nod of approval for VB6 development though, making it a better option than XP since it can bridge the past and present. Lots of new system components and APIs just weren't there in XP.

I just put two new commerical VB6 programs out in the market in the last two months and they're doing as well as most others. So writing VB6 programs "for sale" isn't an issue.

Getting a job writing VB6 programs for in-house use is probably anorther matter. Even shops moving to .Net would rather have their .Net people fumble, bumble, and post all over the forums all day than pay a real VB6 programmer a good salary. StackOverflow is chock full of the comical result ("Duh, what's this LSet thing do?").


But it never hurts to move on to new things, if only to gain perspective. .Net is far from the only answer. For example Java retains popularity, has good portability, is widespread on portable platforms, is gaining ground in embedded computing, etc. Decent employability as well.

For the most part there are a limited set of remaining serious players. You have .Net languages (including Delphi yet as far as I know), Java, and C & C++. Classic VB for the most part only lives on through Office VBA.

I would avoid RealBASIC myself. Tried it for a month and gave up on it. You can find a few of these smaller-market Basic languages out there as well as things like FreePascal. The free ones and trial versions might be worth a try for you though.

The greatest advantage to VB.NET would be these items:

1) The syntax is familiar to you.

2) It is current.

3) The Express version is a fairly full-featured program, and it's free.

The disadvantage is that there is a learning curve, and if you only get the Express edition, the deployment options may be reduced. I believe the Express edition only truly supports Click Once, though I have no idea whether you can build a 3rd party installer for an Express created app.

On the other hand, there is also a good reason to stick with VB6: You know it and you have it. While there will come a day when it won't be supported, there will also come a day when the sun explodes. Move forward because you want to learn new things or move forward because you are required to, but don't move forward just because, at some undefined point in the unforseeable future, you will have to.

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Originally Posted by Shaggy Hiker

The greatest advantage to VB.NET would be these items:

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Also, you would have already upgraded the framework so porting to other .NET languages such as C++, C#, etc won't be as difficult.

jump ship and write in E or eiffel (no they are not the same)

not a lot of people do

so you could be the next big thing

i just cant be bothered

too many languages too liitle time