Task to convert old Borland C App to VB6 ??

[comalco2000]

I have a strange request...... I have an old App that was written in Borland C++.
I have all the source files, but Borland is alien to me.
Does anyone know somewhere (a www site?) where I could get a quote to try and convert (or re-write) the Borland App to VB6?
A strange request but I would like to do some hobby changes to the App in VB6.

What is the App? Nothing exciting. Its a Windows App that uses Http Utils (I think) to access a microcontroller webserver in a small industrial product and uploads a new firmware version to it (or a fleet of them).

[yereverluvinuncleber]

I really wouldn't. The App is written in the correct language for the application. You have the source code and C programmers are available to do the work you want. The C application may well be portable to other machines and devices. That is the beauty of C. It is still supported.

VB6 is obsolete and compatibility, availability and support is poor now and will reduce further over time.

If you do have to rewrite it then perhaps learn C++ and get someone to migrate it to that.

If it is a hobbyist approach (somehow I doubt that) then by all means use the internet, use those VB6 skills you have to learn C and convert it yourself. For fun only, don't use it.

The fact is, paying someone to convert an industrial app to VB6 is a fundamental mistake. you may find someone in India willing to say otherwise but it IS a BIG MISTAKE.

If someone came to you and said:

"I have this old army saddle and I'd like to fit it to this old cow I once saw in a field, it is nothing difficult, just a small company needs to replace its delivery van, do you know anyone who can teach me to ride a cow?".

That is how your request will be viewed here.

[CreativeDreamer]

Here are some programs that might help with the conversion.

I have not used these but I came across them recently and thought you may want to try them out.

One is a Python Program
A Python program convert simple C / C++ code to Visual Basic 6 code

The other one is a VB6 program.
C2VB parses through C style declarations of functions, structures etc and creates the VB equivalent.

kimon-andreou-c2vb__1-12483-master.zip

c2vb6 uses Python.zip

[Niya]

Why convert it to VB6? I think a better idea would be to simply port the C++ code to a modern C++ compiler. Is there some kind of compelling reason to convert this to VB6?

[CreativeDreamer]

I think comalco2000 would like to convert it to VB6 so that he can play around with the code and develop his own features. Vb6 is a lot easier to use than C++.

In the past there have been quite a number of C++ programs that have been converted to Vb6 and FreeBasic to make the programming simpler. When speed does not matter and the basic functionality is achieved using different coding systems I don't see any disadvantage to doing it. In fact a lot of programs are now being converted to JavaScript. I used to bag scripting languages like JavaScript but now that it has a much improved API and nice graphics so I have been dabbling in it.

I would probably convert the C++ code to FreeBasic as it is similar to VB6 but can be compiled to 64 Bit and has multithreading and other great features. The only drawback is making the Graphic User Interface (GUI). Freebasic also has similar features to C++, like pointers and FreeBasic code can be quite similar to VB6 code, with variables declared slightly differently.

[comalco2000]

Thanks to all for reading and responding. CreativeDreamer is correct in his guess.... yes, so I can play in VB6 because I know it well. Sorry if I dont play with the latest and greatest languages - but thats why I am a mere hobbyist ....

[Brenker]

By comalco2000

Thanks to all for reading and responding. CreativeDreamer is correct in his guess.... yes, so I can play in VB6 because I know it well. Sorry if I dont play with the latest and greatest languages - but thats why I am a mere hobbyist ....

@comalco2000 I guess I understand you, see Posting #27 at https://www.vbforums.com/showthread....ted-gif-frames. I got tons of fun each time on completing a job such as that coding for "Convert Animated GIF To Animated PNG" submenu under "Anim GIF" menu on the MDI (per screenshot there). And there had been many such jobs over the years, "pure VB" as said.

I sincerely wish you success in your endeavors.

[Xusinboy]

The only drawback is making the Graphic User Interface (GUI).

FreeBasic now has many GUI libraries, for Windows, cross-platform, and with GUI designers.

[yereverluvinuncleber]

Thanks to all for reading and responding. CreativeDreamer is correct in his guess.... yes, so I can play in VB6 because I know it well. Sorry if I dont play with the latest and greatest languages - but thats why I am a mere hobbyist ....

Still not a good idea. I don't understand the meaning of this 'play' that you refer to. You don't work on things like that for fun. You are talking about recreating an industrial product. If it is a potentially commercially usable app that you will be building, then with the approach you want to adopt, you are simply doing it incorrectly - and that comes from a dyed-in-the-wool VB6 hobbyist.

Just because some of us are hobbyists does not mean we are unskilled in sense and cannot see the correct way of doing things. As a living I help run industrial processes. What you propose to do is incorrect.