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Jan 22nd, 2021, 06:21 AM
#81
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Hi dz32, thank you for so many years of contribution. Even if you don't say this, I can guess that you have a lot of experience. You have recommended your tools and solutions to me many times, but I just put them in my favorites (code library). Why? Because I know very well that the task we have to accomplish is extremely difficult, and conventional solutions cannot achieve it, so I have been exploring new solutions, hoping that miracles will appear.
If one day, I go to study and learn your source code, I hope you don't think that I'm stealing your code.
Last edited by SearchingDataOnly; Jan 22nd, 2021 at 06:35 AM.
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Jan 22nd, 2021, 06:41 AM
#82
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by SearchingDataOnly
If one day, I go to study and learn your source code, I hope you don't think that I'm stealing your code.
I open source everything I can so that it can live, grow and help others.
I use as many open source things as I can for the same reason.
I actually try to only depend on open source things for stability, customization, and tight integration.
Many of my tools have long lists of credits. It is a valuable part of life and makes much more possible than any one of us can accomplish alone. Adoption, reuse, adaption, innovation is expected and encouraged.
Last edited by dz32; Jan 22nd, 2021 at 06:44 AM.
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Jan 22nd, 2021, 08:07 AM
#83
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by dz32
I open source everything I can so that it can live, grow and help others.
I use as many open source things as I can for the same reason.
I actually try to only depend on open source things for stability, customization, and tight integration.
Many of my tools have long lists of credits. It is a valuable part of life and makes much more possible than any one of us can accomplish alone. Adoption, reuse, adaption, innovation is expected and encouraged.
Much appreciated. The spirit of the Internet is sharing and innovation. I hope I can inherit and carry forward this spirit.
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Jan 22nd, 2021, 01:52 PM
#84
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by dz32
[...]but honestly it does everything I want.[...]
[...]is not recreating the wheel which still functions perfectly[...]
I totally disagree with that view.
I know that some developers got convinced about that by resignation, but as time time goes torpedoes are coming (not fired on purpose against VB6, but because the things evolve).
Theming of controls, Unicode support, DPI awareness (even per monitor), 64-bits binaries, and one that is going to crash is the TwipsPerPixel rounding problem.
So far all have solutions, but makes VB6 very far from being a RAD tool now.
Yep, to date everything has a solution, until there is one with no solution (well, 64-bits compilations already is one).
Sorry if I'm being negative, but as Niya said "that's the truth".
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Jan 22nd, 2021, 02:00 PM
#85
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by SearchingDataOnly
Reply to a private message:
Yes, I can tell you with certainty that it's completely feasible to rewrite Krool's Common Controls with RC6, and can 100% realize all the features and exactly the same interfaces of Krool's Common Controls.
I don't know who you are talking to but I'll answer anyway.
Feasible is feasible, but it would take more work than it took to Krool to make his Winn32 based controls.
Like it is feasible to make a replacement of VB6 and to go to the moon again.
But all depends also if you want to recreate all controls or only some, and with full features or just some, and bug free or buggy.
Originally Posted by SearchingDataOnly
I'm very busy this year. I don’t know if I can have free time to complete this work this year, but next year I may be able to schedule this task into my work plan.
Ok, but don't forget about the spread grid and the new IDE, those should be delieved before I think .
Last edited by Eduardo-; Jan 22nd, 2021 at 02:03 PM.
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Jan 22nd, 2021, 03:47 PM
#86
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by Eduardo-
Feasible is feasible, but it would take more work than it took to Krool to make his Winn32 based controls.
That's wrong.
It takes significantly less code (and time), to make functional identical (CommonControls-compatible)
RC6-Widgets.
The reason for that is, that there's no need:
- to "fight against comctl32.dll" (which is probably the lib with the worst API-interface I've ever encountered)
- and also no need to fight with the Ole-Siting interfaces (RC6-widgets can be implemented in a normal Class)
Besides, about 60-70% of the CommonControls-Types are already covered by the Widgets in vbWidgets.dll in a stable manner -
and most of those already have identically named Public Props and Methods (the most commonly used ones).
So, the problem of achieving 100% Interface-Completeness to the CommonControls does not have to be started from point Zero.
It's also a task which requires only average skills - and can be tackled in a "side-project" by those who are interested in that.
Olaf
Last edited by Schmidt; Jan 22nd, 2021 at 03:51 PM.
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Jan 22nd, 2021, 03:59 PM
#87
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by Eduardo-
Ok, but don't forget about the spread grid and the new IDE, those should be delieved before I think .
...and new scripting language, and WebBuilder, and probably other "forthcoming" projects I've forgotten about. Sad.
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Jan 22nd, 2021, 04:15 PM
#88
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by Schmidt
That's wrong.
It takes significantly less code (and time), to make functional identical (CommonControls-compatible)
RC6-Widgets.
The reason for that is, that there's no need:
- to "fight against comctl32.dll" (which is probably the lib with the worst API-interface I've ever encountered)
- and also no need to fight with the Ole-Siting interfaces (RC6-widgets can be implemented in a normal Class)
Besides, about 60-70% of the CommonControls-Types are already covered by the Widgets in vbWidgets.dll in a stable manner -
and most of those already have identically named Public Props and Methods (the most commonly used ones).
So, the problem of achieving 100% Interface-Completeness to the CommonControls does not have to be started from point Zero.
It's also a task which requires only average skills - and can be tackled in a "side-project" by those who are interested in that.
Olaf
OK, I said that based on that Win32 is easing it by doing the controls itself, but I also know that the interface to Win32 is hard so the "help" comes at a price (that you won't need to pay in your case).
You know your component so i can't discuss about if less or more code will be required.
But one thing: you'll have to do everything by yourself and Krool controls won't help you much.
If you have already part done, then the better, there is less to do.
Also note to mention, that a client program made with that, won't have the look and feel of normal programs, but something else.
I remember I downloaded a set of controls replacement (I think it was from PSC) that had done many of the common controls. That probably could help you better than Krool controls because they were programmed as you intend: doing everything instead of basing it on Win32.
If you want I can try to find the project.
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Jan 22nd, 2021, 04:36 PM
#89
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by OptionBase1
...and new scripting language, and WebBuilder, and probably other "forthcoming" projects I've forgotten about. Sad.
Normally the people that do things do not announce that they will do something.
The only time that I remember Dreammanor did something he didn't announce it. It is a color picker.
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Jan 23rd, 2021, 12:30 AM
#90
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by dz32
Specialties where developers could spend an entire career:
- IDE code editor components, drag and drop form creation, debugger integration etc
- syntax code parsing and compiler technologies, including edit and continue
- debugger design which bridges the two above
- pe file format and construction is probably another group outside of the core compiler
- all the code for runtime classes and ocx type components.
Ultimately I got old and gave up. You can only be full of piss and vinegar for so long before it exhausts you and wears you out. I ended up with tendonitis in both arms and had to slow down no choice.
I still love vb6 and use it literally everyday, but honestly it does everything I want. If there is something it cant do, I just write or rip a library for it. Like x64 math: https://github.com/dzzie/libs/tree/master/vb6_utypes
For me, the best use of my time is not recreating the wheel which still functions perfectly, but to expand on what I can do with it. Learn C and asm and how to integrate with it. Expand your library base. Learn how to integrate with other languages like python, Java, .NET, Delphi, GO. Learn what vb6 truly is deep down and how to play with it like an orchestra. Know its strengths and weaknesses and stay within its strengths. Extend the IDE through Add-ins: or even hack in new features through reversing:
what about owerbasic,PureBasic,spiderbasic,b4a
https://www.b4x.com/b4a.html
https://www.freebasic.net/
FreeBASIC IDEs/Editors - freebasic.net
https://www.freebasic.net/forum/view...p?f=17&t=28347
Products
B4A (Android)
B4i (iOS)
B4J (Desktop)
B4R (Arduino)
the best way is:
write code by vb6,Using freebasic compiler to generate 64 bit program, control system and standard DLL
fbc.exe,gcc.exe
we can make addin for VB6,or change FBC.EXE CODE SOURCES
OR Use VFB(Visual Freebasic),This is the most basic ide with the ability of vb7 extension
http://www.yfvb.com/soft-48.htm
Last edited by xiaoyao; Jan 23rd, 2021 at 12:58 AM.
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Jan 23rd, 2021, 01:10 AM
#91
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by xiaoyao
the best way is:
write code by vb6,Using freebasic compiler to generate 64 bit program, control system and standard DLL
fbc.exe,gcc.exe
What you mean is probably, to use VB6 for parsing/tokenizing + AST-building -
and then you willl have to produce:
- FreeBasic intermediate-code from the parsed AST
- which you will have to compile with fbc in a first step
- and fbc in turn will produce C-Code in an additional intermediate step
- which in turn will be finally compiled by the gcc (to produce a binary)
Problem:
FreeBasic does not support Classes directly (and neither does it provide an Event-concept for its UDT-based Class-approach).
So, if you want to produce a proper COM-compatible VTable in FreeBasic,
you will have to produce your Classes based on "structs", manually in "C-Style".
Which in turn, makes the additional "intermediate fbc-compiling" basically pointless
(because you cannot save much code in your generator, which produces the intermediate fb-output).
IMO one will produce much more consistent results, when the VB6-parsed AST will produce intermediate C-Code directly
(leaving out the FreeBasic-compiler entirely).
HTH
Olaf
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Jan 23rd, 2021, 06:50 PM
#92
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by dz32
Ultimately I got old and gave up. You can only be full of piss and vinegar for so long before it exhausts you and wears you out. I ended up with tendonitis in both arms and had to slow down no choice..
I'll be 43 tomorrow. And I wanted to see a vb6 replacement running for me to play. As Lavolpe says, I am passionate and crazy about it.
There is a book that tells a story in which a certain young man knocked over a giant with a stone. In the middle of 30 years later, a young man aged and, in a certain war, the giant's relative probed the elderly young man. Tired of the battle, the elderly young man withdrew from the battle and the giant followed him to kill him. Someone noticed the giant's strategy, followed him and then killed him, and freed the old man ...
What do I mean by this. I mean what was said by friend dz32 ... time goes by and we get old and sick. Dz32 tried to make a new vb and as he said and tiring. That's why I support Eduardo's idea (although I can't contribute because I only know how to write Dim A as strings). Olaf is already well in advance .... I think we could mix ideas and work. Remember the story of the giant mentioned above? Well, the older and more experienced could start the job leaving the youngest in the rear ... so we would take the cargo with them.
Niya said he looked for another way (NET) due to the resources offered, I know there is faster to develop. But who knows, he may end up contributing something ... to the new VB. After all, it still helps in the responses of users who use vb6.
My God, you are the best, I left the vb forum in my country because they don't seem to love vb there ... and here I found a home, because here there are people who like what I like, do what I do. There's still time ...
I see people here talking about reinventing the wheel .... but everyone here even knowing that this is not necessary, but they did ....
Let's guys write a new story, another ending for our real life movie. Time is passing ... we are aging ... we will succeed ...
You who are older, more experienced, have more knowledge, let the debates go .... ignore those who don't want to participate ... and let's go ahead ...
Edit: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns? YES
Last edited by Episcopal; Jan 23rd, 2021 at 06:56 PM.
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Jan 23rd, 2021, 07:13 PM
#93
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
43? I'd love to be forty three! I was in my prime then. Plenty of time and the power to get started on a new VB6. I only married at 42 and I've had three children since. Get going and stop harking on about being old. You are young!
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Jan 23rd, 2021, 08:34 PM
#94
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by Episcopal
Edit: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns? YES
After 20+ years? I think the bull has gotten a bit further than you were thinking...those might not be the horns.
My usual boring signature: Nothing
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Jan 24th, 2021, 04:43 AM
#95
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by Shaggy Hiker
After 20+ years? I think the bull has gotten a bit further than you were thinking...those might not be the horns.
TROLOLOL :-))
cheers,
</wqw>
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Jan 24th, 2021, 09:28 AM
#96
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by Shaggy Hiker
After 20+ years? I think the bull has gotten a bit further than you were thinking...those might not be the horns.
That's why the proposal is to make a new one ... and not reform the old one.
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Jan 24th, 2021, 10:41 AM
#97
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
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Jan 24th, 2021, 12:45 PM
#98
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by yereverluvinuncleber
It is VB6???
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Jan 24th, 2021, 04:42 PM
#99
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
By the time that our new all singing and all-dancing VB6 is complete then the bull that has the horns may have mutated into that.
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Jan 24th, 2021, 06:59 PM
#100
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by Schmidt
What you mean is probably, to use VB6
IMO one will produce much more consistent results, when the VB6-parsed AST will produce intermediate C-Code directly
(leaving out the FreeBasic-compiler entirely).
HTH
Olaf
vb6 code to c,it'S hard
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Jan 25th, 2021, 04:03 AM
#101
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by xiaoyao
vb6 code to c,it'S hard
Not as hard as for example "feeding correct instructions via e.g. LLVM"...
For C (not C++) one has only a handful of "Keywords and Operators" to learn:
- much less (to become "fluent"), compared to e.g. the LLVM-IR -> https://llvm.org/docs/LangRef.html
- and much less Keywords than e.g. FreeBasic -> https://www.freebasic-portal.de/befe...lwortliste.txt
Emitted C-Code also has the advantage, that you can produce it in a "directly, human-readable" text-format
(which requires only String-Concat-Operations, allowing easy (comprehendable) visualizations, what each AST-Node produced).
... and also, that you can use basically any C-Compiler in the end (TCC, BCC, VCC, GCC) to produce the final binaries.
Olaf
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Jan 25th, 2021, 07:35 AM
#102
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Is there a VB6 version of VB3?
Need a VB6 project source code syntax analysis conversion tool, and then you can convert VB source code into C language
The entire VB6 source code project parsing finished, the best is JSON format, so that we can use
If it is not open source, it is better to write the API of DLL, parse the VBP file of the whole project, parse a bas file, and parse the function and process as JSON
I always want to analyze the VB6 project clearly, including parsing a single function process into JSON, how many local variables and how many strings there are, etc
I mean how to translate VB6 project files, modules and window files into JSON database format. Parse Windows API into JSON data, want to do a code converter, or realize dynamic generation project, quickly parse a whole project, separate useful functions or modules.
For example, convert VB6 projects into VC + + or freebasic projects (using visual freebasic IDE)
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Jan 25th, 2021, 11:18 AM
#103
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
I think we need to stop talking and harness some of the passion we find in the recent VB6 threads. Olaf, How about telling the coders here that are compatible with your approach, what they need to provide in order to help complete your opus? Please give them some specs and the requirements and see if they can assist.
However, if you are one of the coders that want the old VB6, belt and braces, then perhaps you ought to start coding on a component or a spec. or some independent VB6 documentation. Its all going to be needed for a FOSS VB6 replacement.
If you like .NET then I suggest you go away and code with it and confine yourself to encouraging the coders that are doing something they enjoy.
Personally, I am going to contribute cash to RADBasic's kickstarter when it occurs and I'm going to continue coding my SteamyDock in VB6 (which I love doing) converting it to VB.FRED (which I hate) and in the process learning about Windows APIs, GDI+, collections, DirectX and how to migrate code to other dialects and how to test VB6 on other operating systems (ReactOS or Linux+wine).
When I have the skills, the time or the cash, I would like to contribute to Olaf's Opus Magnus in some way, I would also contribute toward a potential FOSS VB6 if it existed. I will harness my passions and try to turn them into some positive contribution toward VB6. I think it is a better approach than all this largely pointless argument.
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Jan 25th, 2021, 11:24 AM
#104
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by yereverluvinuncleber
I think we need to stop talking and harness some of the passion we find in the recent VB6 threads.
Why? The only passion we clearly share is talking...or arguing.
My usual boring signature: Nothing
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Jan 25th, 2021, 12:11 PM
#105
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by Shaggy Hiker
Why? The only passion we clearly share is talking...or arguing.
I concede your point. You are entirely correct.
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Jan 25th, 2021, 05:42 PM
#106
Hyperactive Member
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by yereverluvinuncleber
However, if you are one of the coders that want the old VB6, belt and braces, then perhaps you ought to start coding on a component or a spec. or some independent VB6 documentation. Its all going to be needed for a FOSS VB6 replacement.
If you like .NET then I suggest you go away and code with it and confine yourself to encouraging the coders that are doing something they enjoy.
This same thread appears on here every few months. VB7 cannot happen because most people already moved on and those that are left can't work together
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Jan 25th, 2021, 06:29 PM
#107
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by DllHell
This same thread appears on here every few months. VB7 cannot happen because most people already moved on and those that are left can't work together
I wanted to do my try.
It helped me (and may be others) to understand the situation a bit better.
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Jan 25th, 2021, 06:35 PM
#108
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
And the situation is that it is harder that it could seem at first sight.
But also it is that the community never tried to do this as a community.
My conclussion is that probably the only way would be with someone spending may be 1 or 2 millons dollars to fund a project like this. And for what in return since it would be a FOSS project? It seems difficult (I don't like to say impossible) from every angle.
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Jan 25th, 2021, 06:59 PM
#109
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
That's a telling point you make at the end, there. One of the issues I've had with any such alternative is: What is the business model around it?
There appear to be a couple ways that a new version might come forwards:
1) A labor of love by a talented and dedicated individual.
2) A project created by a small team.
If you have an existing project of any size, you'd be insane to go with anything created by the first. That project would have to be turned into something else, hopefully FOSS, or it would be doomed to die with the creator. As for the second option, or even the FOSS option, those have a disturbing track record. Some work GREAT, but the number that do not seem to outnumber the ones that do by a fair margin.
If you are going to do ANY work converting a project, then you certainly don't want to go to something with an even more dubious future than VB6. At least MS has committed to keeping those programs running for the forseeable future.
If you find an alternative that requires not a bit of conversion, then what is the future of that project? Will it remain like that? Will they evolve it in such a way that it can no longer run under the VB6 IDE? If it does evolve away from the VB6 IDE, have you exchanged feet of clay for feet of water?
We all want to build on a stable foundation. We all are also aware that there currently is no such thing...except maybe ANSI C/C++, if you are willing to go that route. While some languages seem like they have staying power (Java, .NET) there are others that seemed like they had staying power just a few years ago that are now showing a few cracks (JavaScript).
When I look at the future...I have no idea where it is going. Some people feel confident reading the tea leaves. I do not. On the other hand, I feel that my world won't shift all that much before I retire...largely because that time is not all that far off.
Anybody thinking about where to take an existing VB6 project has a pretty terrible decision to make.
My usual boring signature: Nothing
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Jan 25th, 2021, 07:19 PM
#110
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
I think the best bet is to go to cloud based apps, making web apps that run in a browser or apps consuming web-apis with some front-end for every specific device.
Is the fist option the best one? Or the second?
If it is the first, what technologies to use. You say JavaScript is declining. Then what?
I would not choose any more a propietary technology that could be discontinued by the maker company.
PS: of course, it has turned off-topic already, but interesting (while we wait for the investor for the VB6+ FOSS project).
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Jan 25th, 2021, 07:51 PM
#111
Hyperactive Member
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Javascript isn't declining.
And if we could set aside our hate for .net, you would find an open source compiler (roslyn), an open language spec, and lots of exciting projects like blazor.
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Jan 25th, 2021, 08:03 PM
#112
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by DllHell
Javascript isn't declining.
And if we could set aside our hate for .net, you would find an open source compiler (roslyn), an open language spec, and lots of exciting projects like blazor.
I don't think I hate .NET. I don't want to invest years of studing and working again on something that is closed source from an enterprise any more. They (MS or whoever) could do what MS did to VB6 at any time.
When I have chosen VB6 I was too young to realize what I was doing.
And there weren't many others alternatives at the time. At a point I had to chose betwenn VB6 and Delphi. I liked VB better.
I think choosing VB6 was the apparent "wise" choice at the time. It was from a very large enterprise.
Who could have foreseen at that time that something like this would happen.
It is still not understandable if we thought that enterprises make decisions rationally.
Last edited by Eduardo-; Jan 25th, 2021 at 08:17 PM.
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Jan 25th, 2021, 08:16 PM
#113
Hyperactive Member
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
.net is open. The compiler and language spec receive updates form non-microsoft sources. The 90s are over. It's time to move on.
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Jan 25th, 2021, 08:19 PM
#114
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by DllHell
.net is open. The compiler and language spec receive updates form non-microsoft sources. The 90s are over. It's time to move on.
"Open"? It is all based on .NET framework. MS can me it not to work on Windows at any time if they wanted.
What I said stands. (Go web and OSS).
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Jan 25th, 2021, 08:27 PM
#115
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
I understand that some of you are more scripting guys and jump from one platform to another with no trouble. By others ones involve in large projects, spend many years learning something, like to go deep into the things.
Some are technicians , other ones are small projects developers, but other ones because of personalities, personal preferences or whatever don't like to jump from one thing to another all the time.
Sometimes I read resumes from people that say they know several different languages/platforms. Then I think they must be not experts in anything.
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Jan 25th, 2021, 08:37 PM
#116
Hyperactive Member
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
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Jan 25th, 2021, 08:46 PM
#117
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by DllHell
It doesn't matter for me any more. If I have the choice, I don't want MS.
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Jan 25th, 2021, 08:54 PM
#118
Hyperactive Member
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Are you using macOS or Linux?
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Jan 25th, 2021, 08:59 PM
#119
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Originally Posted by DllHell
Are you using macOS or Linux?
I don't have the choice of the OS for PC, end users have mainly Windows.
Also, since to date I have been developing in VB6, I didn't have the choice regarding that either.
Originally Posted by Eduardo-
If I have the choice, I don't want MS.
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Jan 25th, 2021, 09:02 PM
#120
Hyperactive Member
Re: Is the VB6 community capable to grab the bull by its horns?
Sounds like you need a webapp. Tons of choice there. Even something established like php+symfony would probably get you there.
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