twinBASIC roadmap

[VB6 Programming]

twinBASIC ROADMAP

A new roadmap for the twinBASIC programming language development has been released.

Dates given are tentative and subject to change. Only the major issues are listed here. Smaller feature requests will be implemented when most appropriate.


2024-Q3 (JUL-SEP)

• Complete the missing App object methods (VB6 App object not supported #143) [ in progress]
• Finalize UserContol / ActiveX support [ mostly done]
• Add MDI Forms support [ mostly done ]
• Finish all remaining basic controls (List of ALL missing / unimplemented intrinsic control properties and methods #1188) [ mostly done]
• Add the missing features to the new IDE, e.g. rename-refactoring and Test Explorer
• Finish LLVM support, for optimized builds (only available to paid subscribers)
• v1 Release Candidate builds available within this period

VERSION 1 RELEASE

• Tentative Release Date: 1st October 2024

2024-Q4 (OCT-DEC)

• Start Analysis Extension API (Analysis extension API #51)
• Support full inheritance (#73)
• Add full vbWatchdog support
• Add multi-threading syntax support
• Start cross-platform support for x86/x64 Linux/Mac (only available to paid Ultimate Edition subscribers)

2025-Q1 (JAN-MAR)

• Start cross-platform support for ARM Linux/Mac/Android (only available to paid Ultimate Edition subscribers)
• Start of reimplementation of all remaining VB6 shipped controls, such as Winsock, MAPI, Adodc, DataGrid, MSCOMM, etc
• Support ActiveX controls on tB forms with unmatched bitness, using a proxy-process (e.g. 64-bit app using a 32-bit ActiveX control)

[yereverluvinuncleber]

Release on my birthday, thankyou.

[VB6 Programming]

The latest version of the twinBASIC roadmap can be found here:

https://github.com/twinbasic/twinbasic/issues/335

[yereverluvinuncleber]

Still my birthday (please don't forget).

[VB6 Programming]

The latest version of the twinBASIC roadmap can be found here:

https://github.com/twinbasic/twinbasic/issues/335

[VB6 Programming]

twinBASIC ROADMAP

A new roadmap for the twinBASIC programming language development has been released.

Dates given are tentative and subject to change. Only the major issues are listed here. Smaller feature requests will be implemented when most appropriate (usually when we are already touching something in the same area of the codebase).

2024-Q4 (OCT-DEC)

• Complete the missing App object methods (VB6 App object not supported #143) [ in progress]
• Finalize UserControl / ActiveX support [ mostly done]
• Finish all remaining basic controls (List of ALL missing / unimplemented intrinsic control properties and methods #1188) [ mostly done]
• Finish LLVM support, for optimized builds (only available to paid subscribers)
• v1 Release Candidate builds available within this period

VERSION 1 RELEASE

• Tentative Release Date: 31st December 2024

2025-Q1 (JAN-MAR)

• Add the missing features to the new IDE, e.g. rename-refactoring and Test Explorer
• Start Analysis Extension API (Analysis extension API #51)
• Support full inheritance (#73)
• Add full vbWatchdog support
• Add multi-threading syntax support
• Start cross-platform support for x86/x64 Linux/Mac (only available to paid Ultimate Edition subscribers)

2025-Q2 (APR-JUN)

• Start cross-platform support for ARM Linux/Mac/Android (only available to paid Ultimate Edition subscribers)
• Start of reimplementation of all remaining VB6 shipped controls, such as Winsock, MAPI, Adodc, DataGrid, MSCOMM, etc
• Support ActiveX controls on tB forms with unmatched bitness, using a proxy-process (e.g. 64-bit app using a 32-bit ActiveX control)

https://github.com/twinbasic/twinbasic/issues/335

[VB6 Programming]

Latest twinBASIC ROADMAP

A new roadmap for the twinBASIC programming language development has been released.

Dates given are tentative and subject to change. Only the major issues are listed here. Smaller feature requests will be implemented when most appropriate (usually when we are already touching something in the same area of the codebase).

2025-Q1 (JAN-MAR)

• Complete the missing App object methods (VB6 App object not supported #143) [ in progress]
• Finalize UserContol / ActiveX support [ mostly done]
• Finish all remaining basic controls (List of ALL missing / unimplemented intrinsic control properties and methods #1188) [ mostly done]
• Finish LLVM support, for optimized builds (only available to paid subscribers)
• v1 Release Candidate builds available within this period

VERSION 1 RELEASE

• Tentative Release Date: 1st April 2025

2025-Q2 (APR-JUN)

• Add the missing features to the new IDE, e.g. rename-refactoring and Test Explorer
• Start Analysis Extension API (Analysis extension API #51)
• Support full inheritance (#73)
• Add full vbWatchdog support
• Add multi-threading syntax support
• Start cross-platform support for x86/x64 Linux/Mac (only available to paid Ultimate Edition subscribers)

2025-Q3 (JUL-AUG)

• Start cross-platform support for ARM Linux/Mac/Android (only available to paid Ultimate Edition subscribers)
• Start of reimplementation of all remaining VB6 shipped controls, such as Winsock, MAPI, Adodc, DataGrid, MSCOMM, etc
• Support ActiveX controls on tB forms with unmatched bitness, using a proxy-process (e.g. 64-bit app using a 32-bit ActiveX control)

https://github.com/twinbasic/twinbasic/issues/335

[xiaoyao]

Why hasn't Wayne released the official version yet? It means that it is constantly adding new features to make it more compatible with VB6. It is like a child of all of us.If everyone could contribute to the cost, the development would be faster and Wayne would have enough money to recruit new employees.Without increasing the volume of the program as much as possible.Make up for some of the most important shortcomings of returning to vb6. Become a more advanced and convenient programming langua

Now a version is released every day, and we don't know which versions are more stable. If we can list some of the more stable versions with greater functional improvements separately, then we can download them according to our needs.
Like QBASIC, vb1, vb3, vb5, VB6
I once downloaded a quick version of vb2008 for 100 megabits.It was so small that Microsoft has not released a standalone VB version since.It's just that many of the new systems on windows are still difficult to install, and may conflict with the new vs development tools.

But we installed it in win7, and it should be able to run in the virtual machine, which is very good.

[xiaoyao]

adodc,mscomControl, I can provide similar source code for this control. Then he needs community members to expand some new functions on the Internet.

I hope the author can add it as soon as possible and take the function of plug-in development as the first element.
Like node. JS, Python, MPM. Exe, nuget. Exe.

We search through. Or the categories can be listed, and there are hundreds or thousands of plug-ins.
Only if the ecology is perfect enough, there are more other programming languages that can be developed for him, or use their dynamic DLLs.
The plug-in development of VB6 is still relatively difficult. The main reason is that there are not enough plug-in interfaces.

For example, the toolbox has 20 controls, and then refers to the OCX control of the third party.How can I select one of the controls in code? Then click on the mouse to the form, you can directly put a new control.
How to get all the menus, all the toolbars with the push basic development plugin.Code can be compiled automatically with plug-ins. Before compiling, you can write your own code to modify a text module in the source code, remove space on a form, or set properties.
How to get a list of all the project files with code? How many modules are there in several forms?How to read the source code of each module and each form? Gets a list of all controls and all properties.

Every programmer can participate in the development of plug-ins, just like adding more functions to the IDE for free can speed up the release of the IDE

[OptionBase1]

Latest twinBASIC ROADMAP

A new roadmap for the twinBASIC programming language development has been released.

Dates given are tentative and subject to change. Only the major issues are listed here. Smaller feature requests will be implemented when most appropriate (usually when we are already touching something in the same area of the codebase).

2025-Q1 (JAN-MAR)

• Complete the missing App object methods (VB6 App object not supported #143) [ in progress]
• Finalize UserContol / ActiveX support [ mostly done]
• Finish all remaining basic controls (List of ALL missing / unimplemented intrinsic control properties and methods #1188) [ mostly done]
• Finish LLVM support, for optimized builds (only available to paid subscribers)
• v1 Release Candidate builds available within this period

VERSION 1 RELEASE

• Tentative Release Date: 1st April 2025

2025-Q2 (APR-JUN)

• Add the missing features to the new IDE, e.g. rename-refactoring and Test Explorer
• Start Analysis Extension API (Analysis extension API #51)
• Support full inheritance (#73)
• Add full vbWatchdog support
• Add multi-threading syntax support
• Start cross-platform support for x86/x64 Linux/Mac (only available to paid Ultimate Edition subscribers)

2025-Q3 (JUL-AUG)

• Start cross-platform support for ARM Linux/Mac/Android (only available to paid Ultimate Edition subscribers)
• Start of reimplementation of all remaining VB6 shipped controls, such as Winsock, MAPI, Adodc, DataGrid, MSCOMM, etc
• Support ActiveX controls on tB forms with unmatched bitness, using a proxy-process (e.g. 64-bit app using a 32-bit ActiveX control)

https://github.com/twinbasic/twinbasic/issues/335

Closing in on April 1st. I'm curious what the progress is for the January through March of 2025 items.

[wqweto]

Closing in on April 1st. I'm curious what the progress is for the January through March of 2025 items.

> 2025-Q1 (JAN-MAR)
> - . . .
> - v1 Release Candidate builds available within this period

Well, there are no RC builds yet, latest being BETA 729, so I wouldn't hold my breath a v1 is coming on exact date. Progress is good tough, considering there was a major rewrite at BETA 622.

cheers,
</wqw>

[OptionBase1]

> 2025-Q1 (JAN-MAR)
> - . . .
> - v1 Release Candidate builds available within this period

Well, there are no RC builds yet, latest being BETA 729, so I wouldn't hold my breath a v1 is coming on exact date. Progress is good tough, considering there was a major rewrite at BETA 622.

cheers,
</wqw>

I'm not expecting V1 on April 1st obviously. My question is about the items that were slated to be done in Q1. That list of "todo's" hasn't changed much in the last few times that the roadmap was refactored. I'm guessing that the next roadmap stays the same, just Quarter++.

[wqweto]

I'm not expecting V1 on April 1st obviously. My question is about the items that were slated to be done in Q1. That list of "todo's" hasn't changed much in the last few times that the roadmap was refactored. I'm guessing that the next roadmap stays the same, just Quarter++.

Frankly some of these are not that important (anyone in dire need of LLVM support?).

Getting rid of bugs, improving stability and making more real world VBx projects running on first load (without import getting stuck) i.e. last 10% (incl. some IDE/debugger polish) will probably take up 90% of the time.

cheers,
</wqw>

[OptionBase1]

Frankly some of these are not that important (anyone in dire need of LLVM support?).

Getting rid of bugs, improving stability and making more real world VBx projects running on first load (without import getting stuck) i.e. last 10% (incl. some IDE/debugger polish) will probably take up 90% of the time.

cheers,
</wqw>

With all due respect, that roadmap came from Wayne. So clearly *he* deems them as important enough to get them completed before V1 is released. Or at least, he did the last time the roadmap was updated.

[wqweto]

With all due respect, that roadmap came from Wayne. So clearly *he* deems them as important enough to get them completed before V1 is released. Or at least, he did the last time the roadmap was updated.

Sure, but roadmap changed significantly during past years so it's not unheard of for features to be moved in and out of release milestones. LLVM dropping out of v1 is something I wouldn't be surprised to see, considering the amount of effort it is to complete 100%.

cheers,
</wqw>

[fafalone]

I think it's important for V1...

1) Why switch to tB now, when VB6 is still working fine? 64bit support is good, but I think another compelling reason is needed when it doesn't offer performance benefits in most cases (and it requires some changes). Right now tB performs faster than VB6 p-code, but slower than native code (unless the recent changes made a difference? But Wayne said probably not much). But the early tests of LLVM have shown that it absolutely crushes that. It's an important selling point for 'Worth getting now' instead of 'wait and see' that performance gains will be substantial, and the opposite to have to concede it would actually hurt performance.

2) It's not just a selling point for switching, it's a selling point for switching to a paid option. Is it a good idea to go to v1 with the absolute only benefit for subscribing being to get rid of the splash screen *if* you update to x64? I'm not sure how many would want to subscribe for basically the same reasons you'd already be subscribing if they applied.

3) This is especially important as it's already been decided some parts of basic compatibility are out of scope for V1, like project groups, report imports, and active-x exes.

[wqweto]

Btw, TB's biggest selling point is that it exists at all and v1's biggest selling point -- it being released.

If TB were one other project Wayne could make a poll with "Do you want v1 without LLVM support or its release getting delayed for 2026?" but replace LLVM with MsgBox and v1 with 0.9.0 for the other project :-))

cheers,
</wqw>

[fafalone]

For you and me? Yeah. But we're already enthusiastic supporters.

Substantially increasing the userbase is going to require marketing. There will be reviews from people who aren't on the 'hell yes I'll use it even in Beta' bandwagon like us. Interest will be piqued, or not, by the broad strokes, not by reading my 43-page long list of new language features in detail. Just think the extra hook of 'VB6-crushing performance' is worth waiting a little bit... I mean if it was going to be 6-8 months? Yeah that's a different story. But I doubt it.

[VB6 Programming]

I've previously suggested to Wayne that he leave the LLVM optimising compiler out of the first release to give him time to complete it without delaying the launch of twinBASIC.

But now I'm coming around to the view that LLVM should be in the first release. Even with end-users it is difficult to sell the idea of their apps being updated to a new version which is more modern, better looking, possibly 64-bit and only slightly slower than their existing VB6 apps.

Perhaps the compromise is that Wayne should provide a Release Candidate with all the expected release 1 features except LLVM. Then while we test the RC he can complete the LLVM integration and provide a further Release Candidate including LLVM.

Assuming Wayne is going to update the roadmap soon, we'll probably see what his intentions are then.

[wqweto]

Yes, this sounds like reasonable idea: getting RC1 when final work on LLVM backend starts (or more precisely continues).

cheers,
</wqw>

[jpbro]

FWIW, LLVM has probably been the main thing I've been waiting for since the beginning (with 64-bit in second place). If I can take my existing code base and immediately get an X% performance boost, that would be a huge benefit right out the gate with minimal effort. After that slow-ish migration to 64-bit would be a longer term goal. This of course matters most for large existing projects, for new stuff 64-bit would be day one and LLVM would be in second place.

[AAraya]

Frankly some of these are not that important (anyone in dire need of LLVM support?).

Getting rid of bugs, improving stability and making more real world VBx projects running on first load (without import getting stuck) i.e. last 10% (incl. some IDE/debugger polish) will probably take up 90% of the time.

cheers,
</wqw>

Yes! This is true for me as well

[yereverluvinuncleber]

It's a funny thing but my priorities are the things I don't necessarily need. The 64bit capability gives my programs a future - but I don't mind when it comes, a few months would be fine, if 64bit works now, all well and good. I really only need it when Microsoft dumps 32bit.

The speed increase? For me that'll be nice to have - but I have a gut feeling that it is important from the outset that TB operates at least as fast as VB6 or very close indeed. For me though, a speed increase is a nice-to-have but then again I am not a business user. I am already very impressed by the speed boost in compilation times.

Compatibility and stability are the main ones for me. The mere fact that it works!

Then it is the IDE (and its suitability for customisation so I can get it running exactly how I like). I want the TB IDE to be a familiar tool in my toolset rather than teaching me how to use my tools differently. I never made the jump from Photoshop to GIMP for the same reasons. VB6 IDE is my programming home and I've never found anywhere better, despite trying lots of alternatives.

The language improvements, they will be good too but only when I am fully weaned from VB6.

The real priority for me is the multi-platform capability that might arrive in three year's time (I'm guessing). That would transform my approach to the way I work, looking to dump Microsoft and Windows...and need to see the tunnelling proceeding in that direction.

[VB6 Programming]

twinBASIC ROADMAP

A new roadmap for twinBASIC programming language development has been released:-

Dates given are tentative and subject to change. Only the major issues are listed here. Smaller feature requests will be implemented when most appropriate (usually when we are already touching something in the same area of the codebase).


2025-Q2 (APR-JUN)

• Add support UserControl Property Pages
• Complete the missing App object methods (VB6 App object not supported #143) [ in progress]
• Finalize UserContol / ActiveX support [ mostly done]
• Finish all remaining basic controls (List of ALL missing / unimplemented intrinsic control properties and methods #1188) [ mostly done]
• Finish LLVM support, for optimized builds (only available to paid subscribers)
• v1 Release Candidate builds available within this period

VERSION 1 RELEASE

• Tentative Release Date: 1st July 2025

2025-Q3 (JUL-SEP)

• Add the missing features to the new IDE, e.g. rename-refactoring and Test Explorer
• Start Analysis Extension API (Analysis extension API #51)
• Support full inheritance (#73)
• Add full vbWatchdog support
• Add multi-threading syntax support
• Start cross-platform support for x86/x64 Linux/Mac (only available to paid Ultimate Edition subscribers)

2025-Q4 (OCT-DEC)

• Start cross-platform support for ARM Linux/Mac/Android (only available to paid Ultimate Edition subscribers)
• Start of reimplementation of all remaining VB6 shipped controls, such as Winsock, MAPI, Adodc, DataGrid, MSCOMM, etc
• Support ActiveX controls on tB forms with unmatched bitness, using a proxy-process (e.g. 64-bit app using a 32-bit ActiveX control)

The latest version of the twinBASIC roadmap can be found here: https://github.com/twinbasic/twinbasic/issues/335

[yereverluvinuncleber]

Rather exciting!

[Episcopal]

Rather exciting!

Now I can't believe it...

[xiaoyao]

I hope Twinbasic can one day release an official version and be used on Linux phones.
Perhaps the simplest approach is to directly use the Google V8 JS engine (because it is open source and the script running speed is similar to VC++), convert VB6 code into JS compiler, and WebAssembly is based on this principle
?
Avalonia Visual Basic 6 GITHUB, developed in C #, has an interface that is almost 100% the same as VB6, except that it does not have the functions of programming and running. If VB can be used Using NET or JS, VBS scripts to drive online execution is also an invention and innovation that can cause a sensation around the world, just like OPENAI, chatgpt, World class bank Bitcoin.
You can use JAVA, Python, Rust, and Go to write code on web pages, and AI will automatically convert it to JS to run. If you use Node.js JS? Then you can also call WINDOWS API and com object.

At present, I am only writing some small tools, and using VB6, VBA, vb.net, and C # is enough to complete all the work. Twinbasic is not a necessary development tool.
But it can replace VB6, compile it into a standard dynamic DLL, and generate 64 bit programs, which can make up for the shortcomings of VB6 in a small number of cases. For example, used for developing VBA vsto plugins.
If TWINBASIC can call the. net library, add WINFORM control to VB6 form, and use PYTHON's library plugin
Using Node JS components, or calling JAVA JAR libraries, or displaying GTK windows and controls on LINUX, calling ANDROID SDK on mobile phones, WEBVIEW?
Microsoft's positioning is no longer to focus on VB NET has developed as a programming language.
So the positioning of VB6 for developing small tools, scripting tools, and cross platform VBA integrated development may be a good profit direction.