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Thread: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

  1. #41
    Super Moderator Shaggy Hiker's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by gaouser View Post
    they even leaked damn MSPaint code in literal MFC(my reverse engineering was correct, it was made in MFC). BUT NOT VB?
    Another reason I think they don't have it, or at least don't have it in a form that could be leaked.
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  2. #42
    Super Moderator Shaggy Hiker's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by SearchingDataOnly View Post
    While many people believe that the form subsystem must eventually die, HTML doesn't seem to be the best replacement for the form subsystem. It should also be around for a long time until the best replacement is found.
    Totally agree. XAML was a new format similar to HTML, and it does have some nice features, but a drag and drop forms designer is really nice...right up until it isn't, and I'm not quite certain it couldn't be improved to handle the edge cases, which often deal with how to adjust displays for different resolutions, dpi, screen sizes, etc.
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  3. #43
    Super Moderator Shaggy Hiker's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by zx81sp View Post
    where you have VS for free since M$ has many others way to get money.
    I don't think that was the major driver for VS being free. I'd say that MS recognized that Windows was not the ONLY platform, and that people will adopt the platform that runs the software they want to run. If more people are writing software for Windows, more people will use Windows to run that software. Therefore, make the tools free such that you will get more developers writing software for Windows.

    In other words, they calculated that they benefitted more from people using VS to write software than they benefitted from selling VS.
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  4. #44

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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by xiaoyao View Post
    Now the easiest thing to do is. For example, you use an existing compiler. Just like b4A developing Android apps, you can write VB code, then convert the code into Java code, and then use the existing javac compiler.

    You can also write VB6 code and run it directly using the VBA SDK, which encrypts the code. Or convert the code to run in VB. Net.

    In this way, you can also make Vb6 code have asynchronous, delegate extensions.The.net compiler comes with the system after installing the.net environment. It can also be used across platforms.

    Vbs codes can also be converted to. This kind of script can get high-performance operation, which is similar to the performance of compiled program.V8.dll JavaScript This engine can be JIT compiled very fast.

    You can also use scriptcontrol + VBS + JS to implement a simple script running tool. Implement code parsing and running. You can even implement virtual com objects in memory.
    Implement it in your script parser. Dynamically invoke standard DLL or com objects, OCX controls.You can also dynamically load thousands of.net class libraries. Dynamically create a thumbs-up form or winform control.
    Translating into another language does not solve the most fundamental problem and does not reflect the value of a new language.

  5. #45
    PowerPoster VanGoghGaming's Avatar
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    Talking Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by Shaggy Hiker View Post
    Another reason I think they don't have it, or at least don't have it in a form that could be leaked.
    Yeah, they went full Fahrenheit 451 on the VB6 source code!

  6. #46

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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by BenJones View Post
    It would be nice to see a new opensource vb6, as I do miss VB6 I used to tons of examples in it, but since support stopped that was the end of vb6 for me and moved onto other opensource compilers, I am currently using C and have started to get into compiler writing and VMS, But what I find it hard to ask questions as there not many forums that are dedicated to compiler topics. it would be cool if VB forums had a selection for compiler and interpreters’ development were people can ask questions and post projects that may help a lot of people, it also be cool as we chould all get together and maybe come to making a VB6 compiler. I do truly hope one day my good old VB6 will return I still miss using it and had so much enjoyment over the years. nothing comes even close to classic VB6
    Some of the VB6's great superiority is obscured by the dust of history. But gold will always shine, just wipe off its dust.

  7. #47

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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by xiaoyao View Post
    If Not FileExists(ls_WinPath + "odbcjt32.dll") Then
    MessageBox('alert','path:'+ls_WinPath+'can't find file!')
    Return False
    End if

    powerbuilder,The syntax of this programming language is also very close to Vb6.

    Freebasic, which is an open source compiler, has a very similar syntax to VB6. His shortcoming is that the parser is not mature. There is no independently exposed parsing engine

    FreeBASIC is a self-hosting compiler which makes use of the GNU binutils programming tools as backends and can produce console, graphical/GUI executables, dynamic and static libraries. FreeBASIC fully supports the use of C libraries and has partial C++ library support. This lets programmers use and create libraries for C and many other languages. It supports a C style preprocessor, capable of multiline macros, conditional compiling and file inclusion.

    FreeBASIC has been rated close in speed with mainstream tools, such as GCC.
    http://freebasic.net
    After 6 months, I'll take the time to learn the source code of the FreeBasic compiler.

  8. #48

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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by Shaggy Hiker View Post
    Totally agree. XAML was a new format similar to HTML, and it does have some nice features, but a drag and drop forms designer is really nice...right up until it isn't, and I'm not quite certain it couldn't be improved to handle the edge cases, which often deal with how to adjust displays for different resolutions, dpi, screen sizes, etc.
    Yes. MS is constantly releasing new UI engines and then throwing away old ones. But MS has never had a UI engine that has been around as long as HTML as a standard.

  9. #49
    PowerPoster yereverluvinuncleber's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Wayne focussed on a report designer as he knows where the potential future cash will be coming from and that's VBA. Wayne comes primarily from the VBA world and that will always be his focus, it makes commercial sense to give VBA users what they need.

    I don't really care how the positioning of forms controls is achieved, absolute or proportional using XAML or whatever, I just want it to be the same as VB6, natively on Windows. If that is achieved by bashing it back into position using hacks then I'd be happy with that. If it has to be bashed to achieve the same on other platforms, OK.
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  10. #50
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by zx81sp View Post
    And at the end if you should break compatibility (like TB does)
    How tB breaks (backward) compatibility?

  11. #51

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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Lately, I've been extremely anxious and irritable because of cross-platform issues. If I were to develop the compiler myself, it would be a painful and long process.

    I'm thinking about the fact that now that my scripting language can be successfully converted to TypeScript, does that mean I can use Node.js to compile my scripting language into cross-platform apps?

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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by yereverluvinuncleber View Post
    Wayne focussed on a report designer as he knows where the potential future cash will be coming from and that's VBA. Wayne comes primarily from the VBA world and that will always be his focus, it makes commercial sense to give VBA users what they need.

    I don't really care how the positioning of forms controls is achieved, absolute or proportional using XAML or whatever, I just want it to be the same as VB6, natively on Windows. If that is achieved by bashing it back into position using hacks then I'd be happy with that. If it has to be bashed to achieve the same on other platforms, OK.
    VBA sdk,Now the market is getting smaller and smaller.V8.js, node JS, it is not difficult to integrate such a development environment in third-party software, after all, they are all open source.
    The V8 JS engine runs at almost the same speed as the exe compiled

    China WPS instead of office. It uses JSA + VBA, and Python, an office software that directly supports three language scripts.
    Just like ie used to support JS, VBS

    A new generation of VBA, a source code can be compiled into a DLL or exe. This ensures the security of the source code and prevents decompilation.

  13. #53
    Hyperactive Member gaouser's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Here are rules to make something VB6:
    1. QBASIC syntax
    else its not from BASIC dialect,
    2. Connectivity to Win32 API:
    Private Declare and AddressOf should exist and be the keywords for them, and compiler has to be Legacy Win32 API based just like original,otherwise you built VB.NET
    3. Options have to be at code file
    like option explicit
    4. Form Files have to contain code
    It doesnt feel Classic VB to see a designer file, also forms have to use Win32 API like real VB6, not some random window system with .NET
    5. No EventArgs
    you got it, you'd built VB.NET if you added it
    6. Control events shouldnt be declared from form file, instead be run by the control name_event automatically
    7. Dim WithEvents shall exist
    8. COM/ActiveX have to exist
    I'M GAOUSEEEERRRRRRR

    Experimental Software and stuff made by me with some being efforts of up to 3 months of endless VB6 IDE

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    I love VB6 and NX 8.5 and CorelDRAW and C++ and HTML4.01 and obsolote stuff and retrocomputing!
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    Using Win32 API is easier in VB6 than VB.NET

  14. #54
    PowerPoster wqweto's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by gaouser View Post
    Here are rules to make something VB6:
    1. QBASIC syntax
    else its not from BASIC dialect,
    2. Connectivity to Win32 API:
    Private Declare and AddressOf should exist and be the keywords for them, and compiler has to be Legacy Win32 API based just like original,otherwise you built VB.NET
    3. Options have to be at code file
    like option explicit
    4. Form Files have to contain code
    It doesnt feel Classic VB to see a designer file, also forms have to use Win32 API like real VB6, not some random window system with .NET
    5. No EventArgs
    you got it, you'd built VB.NET if you added it
    6. Control events shouldnt be declared from form file, instead be run by the control name_event automatically
    7. Dim WithEvents shall exist
    8. COM/ActiveX have to exist
    Now let's come up with repo name under https://github.com/VBForumsCommunity

    OpenVB6? VB.COM?

    cheers,
    </wqw>

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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    What hurt me was the removal of Flash, I have not yet seen anything that equals it, for example, this is basically made with Flash, an evolution of Flash, but at its core it is Flash, what could have been done with another language?:

    https://www.solarsystemscope.com/

    Flash also had a great feature for a programmer - several in reality - but one was highly important:

    With MDM Zinc a Flash could do everything - because external DLL's could be added -, and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT WAS COMPATIBLE WITH ANY WINDOWS OR MAC!!!
    That is, you had a program made with Flash, and you didn't have to look at compatibility, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO LOOK AT COMPATIBILITY, IT WORKED ON WINDOWS ME, XP, VISTA, 7, 8, 8.1, 10 AND IT WORKS WITH 11...

    I don't know how they did it so that it always worked no matter what Windows it was - and it also worked on Mac, that is, you could make a program for the 2 main platforms without changing almost anything -...

    The security problems they mentioned, I think it was more Microsoft's security and so on, because Microsoft changes things every time it releases a Windows, it informs the big companies, and the small developers, to look for what has changed, to waste their time and to make their programs give errors... Something that didn't happen with Flash...

    Another of the excellent features was That, especially the AS2 Version 8 Pro, was very easy to program and make programs with an impressive aesthetic... Slower than AS3, and with some fewer features - they should have made a hybrid - but easier to program...

    That it consumed resources? For mobiles, ok, but for a PC today, with 16 GB of RAM almost all, what does it matter...

    I also consider that VB6 can do everything, and it is easy to program, and a programming language must be simple to be good, I was once at Microsoft, at the beginning of the 2000s, because there were some positions for Latin America that paid very well, very well, and it bothered me to tell them that I programmed well in VB6, although also in C, but I didn't know whether to say VB6, and I said it, and they told me that it was excellent, that they preferred Visual Basic, because in Visual Basic someone takes X time, in C it was 10X for the same program, VB6 was more profitable for them...

    For me, Microsoft and the Big Software Companies play very dirty, they don't create converters when they release a new language, and when they get the hang of it, they eliminate what they want without giving explanations, in Flash there would be several tens of millions of programmers, I think. all their effort, down the drain, and that's not right...

    I think, I don't know, but I think that perhaps the main reason for eliminating Flash WAS THAT IT WAS TOO GOOD AND TOO EASY TO PROGRAM, AND IT BOTHERED THEM, SINCE ANYONE COULD DO A GREAT THING... AND THAT MADE THEM COMPETITION...

    If twinBasic comes out, I'll pay for it!!!

  16. #56

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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by gaouser View Post
    Here are rules to make something VB6:
    1. QBASIC syntax
    else its not from BASIC dialect,
    2. Connectivity to Win32 API:
    Private Declare and AddressOf should exist and be the keywords for them, and compiler has to be Legacy Win32 API based just like original,otherwise you built VB.NET
    3. Options have to be at code file
    like option explicit
    4. Form Files have to contain code
    It doesnt feel Classic VB to see a designer file, also forms have to use Win32 API like real VB6, not some random window system with .NET
    5. No EventArgs
    you got it, you'd built VB.NET if you added it
    6. Control events shouldnt be declared from form file, instead be run by the control name_event automatically
    7. Dim WithEvents shall exist
    8. COM/ActiveX have to exist
    Totally agree. For Article 8, if cross-platform is required, then COM/ActiveX becomes a tricky issue.

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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by wqweto View Post
    Now let's come up with repo name under https://github.com/VBForumsCommunity
    I took a look at VBFourmsCommunity. I saw VbCairo. Now that you've done Cairo Graphics bindings for VB6, why don't you encapsulate Cairo's graphic-functions like RC5/RC6?

    Quote Originally Posted by wqweto View Post
    OpenVB6? VB.COM?
    VB6Compiler

  18. #58
    PowerPoster techgnome's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by wqweto View Post
    Now let's come up with repo name under https://github.com/VBForumsCommunity

    OpenVB6? VB.COM?

    cheers,
    </wqw>
    Quote Originally Posted by SearchingDataOnly View Post
    I took a look at VBFourmsCommunity. I saw VbCairo. Now that you've done Cairo Graphics bindings for VB6, why don't you encapsulate Cairo's graphic-functions like RC5/RC6?



    VB6Compiler
    Drop the 6... it's only going to hold things back (pre-conceptions and all that, we're trying to move forward, right?).
    OpenVBCompiler (or OpenVBC for short, or OVBC for short short)

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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by wqweto View Post
    openvb6? Vb.com?
    b++? B#?
    Last edited by qvb6; Oct 10th, 2024 at 11:50 AM.

  20. #60
    Hyperactive Member gaouser's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by SearchingDataOnly View Post
    Totally agree. For Article 8, if cross-platform is required, then COM/ActiveX becomes a tricky issue.
    If needed Cross-compatibility. For Linux you can use Wine to emulate ActiveX. but ActiveX is too needed for VB6. So you NEED to sadly stay at Windows or Linux+Wine if you want to make your VB6 truly VB6
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  21. #61
    Hyperactive Member gaouser's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by qvb6 View Post
    b++? B#?
    No. Thats entire BASIC dialect. VB6 is diffrent from TinyBASIC yk. but ALOT... Maybe VB7? but thats already maded as VBA. Classic VB+?
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    Gaouser is a weird name choice
    I love VB6 and NX 8.5 and CorelDRAW and C++ and HTML4.01 and obsolote stuff and retrocomputing!
    I custom ROM my phones
    Using Win32 API is easier in VB6 than VB.NET

  22. #62
    Fanatic Member BenJones's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    what about
    VbStorm
    VbReloaded
    VbReborn
    VbExtream

  23. #63
    Hyperactive Member gaouser's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by BenJones View Post
    what about
    VbStorm
    VbReloaded
    VbReborn
    VbExtream
    You should include classic vb or vb6.
    VB6 Revived
    VB6 Reborn
    VB6 Recreated
    Classic VB Reimagined
    CVB+
    CVBR
    I'M GAOUSEEEERRRRRRR

    Experimental Software and stuff made by me with some being efforts of up to 3 months of endless VB6 IDE

    VBForums is made with VBulletin4, Fun Fact their first 2 letters are same.

    Gaouser is a weird name choice
    I love VB6 and NX 8.5 and CorelDRAW and C++ and HTML4.01 and obsolote stuff and retrocomputing!
    I custom ROM my phones
    Using Win32 API is easier in VB6 than VB.NET

  24. #64
    Hyperactive Member gaouser's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by wqweto View Post
    Now let's come up with repo name under https://github.com/VBForumsCommunity

    OpenVB6? VB.COM?

    cheers,
    </wqw>
    hey! OpenCVB or OpenVB6 or even OpenVBA7 are good ideas!!!!!!
    I'M GAOUSEEEERRRRRRR

    Experimental Software and stuff made by me with some being efforts of up to 3 months of endless VB6 IDE

    VBForums is made with VBulletin4, Fun Fact their first 2 letters are same.

    Gaouser is a weird name choice
    I love VB6 and NX 8.5 and CorelDRAW and C++ and HTML4.01 and obsolote stuff and retrocomputing!
    I custom ROM my phones
    Using Win32 API is easier in VB6 than VB.NET

  25. #65
    Fanatic Member BenJones's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    VB6 Reboot
    VB6 Builder
    VB6 Typhoon
    VB6 Aurora

    I can't think of anymore. what language is this compiler going to be written in C or C++
    I been recently been reading the Dragon book by Compilers - Principles, Techniques and Tools as I am quite interested in the subject as I have been for years and also Virtual Machines , that why I took up C I currently writing a small VM now a toy one like java, I also trying to get my head around ASM as I got a book a few weeks back two infact just not had chance to read them.

  26. #66
    PowerPoster wqweto's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    I find Classic VB Reborn or something in that vein appropriate.

    Will probably just use generic VBForumsCompiler for repo name once I have something. . . anything to commit :-))

    I was thinking of a tool, a methodology to prevent procrastination on this compiler effort: How about we just implement everything in the fastest way possible to code, with as few lines of code as possible?

    Not the most performant, not the most correct, not the textbook approach but just using as few lines as possible. . . Hey, this is VB6, not carbon-lang we are reimplementing here! :-))

    The "Just write anything already" approach to mob development!

    cheers,
    </wqw>

    p.s. Will give anyone full access to the repo, just contact me on github.

  27. #67
    PowerPoster wqweto's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by BenJones View Post
    I can't think of anymore. what language is this compiler going to be written in C or C++
    I been recently been reading the Dragon book by Compilers - Principles, Techniques and Tools as I am quite interested in the subject as I have been for years and also Virtual Machines , that why I took up C I currently writing a small VM now a toy one like java, I also trying to get my head around ASM as I got a book a few weeks back two infact just not had chance to read them.
    I suppose we'll aim at self-hosting so first version has to be in a subset of VB6 but for any bytecode emulator/VM will probably need tight C implementation.

    cheers,
    </wqw>

  28. #68
    Hyperactive Member gaouser's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by wqweto View Post
    I find Classic VB Reborn or something in that vein appropriate.

    Will probably just use generic VBForumsCompiler for repo name once I have something. . . anything to commit :-))

    I was thinking of a tool, a methodology to prevent procrastination on this compiler effort: How about we just implement everything in the fastest way possible to code, with as few lines of code as possible?

    Not the most performant, not the most correct, not the textbook approach but just using as few lines as possible. . . Hey, this is VB6, not carbon-lang we are reimplementing here! :-))

    The "Just write anything already" approach to mob development!

    cheers,
    </wqw>

    p.s. Will give anyone full access to the repo, just contact me on github.
    smart. Compiler should be C++ but what if we made it in VB6. yk this is VBForums
    I'M GAOUSEEEERRRRRRR

    Experimental Software and stuff made by me with some being efforts of up to 3 months of endless VB6 IDE

    VBForums is made with VBulletin4, Fun Fact their first 2 letters are same.

    Gaouser is a weird name choice
    I love VB6 and NX 8.5 and CorelDRAW and C++ and HTML4.01 and obsolote stuff and retrocomputing!
    I custom ROM my phones
    Using Win32 API is easier in VB6 than VB.NET

  29. #69
    Hyperactive Member gaouser's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by BenJones View Post
    what about
    VbStorm
    VbReloaded
    VbReborn
    VbExtream
    VB4 is codenamed thunderstorm...
    I'M GAOUSEEEERRRRRRR

    Experimental Software and stuff made by me with some being efforts of up to 3 months of endless VB6 IDE

    VBForums is made with VBulletin4, Fun Fact their first 2 letters are same.

    Gaouser is a weird name choice
    I love VB6 and NX 8.5 and CorelDRAW and C++ and HTML4.01 and obsolote stuff and retrocomputing!
    I custom ROM my phones
    Using Win32 API is easier in VB6 than VB.NET

  30. #70
    Fanatic Member BenJones's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by gaouser View Post
    VB4 is codenamed thunderstorm...
    Never knew that, first VB I started with was VB3 I had a copy of a friend and then moved to VB6 I was lucky to find VB6 Pro in a computer fair for £99 all nice and sealed in a box compared to the retail price ms charged happy days gone by.

  31. #71
    Fanatic Member BenJones's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Are you thinking of writeing the Compiler from scratch as I aways guilty of when writeing projects, or are you going to use a compiler generator I think there was one years back for VB called Gold something. I know I have seen a compiler made in VB not VB syntex more like C++ but was written in VB6 he used to make a lot of decent stuff that compiled. I know there are a few good books on compiler design as I have brought quite a few from amazon I just never seem to find the time to read them. I guess I need to sit down with a coffie and have a read. A good read is Let's Build a Compiler, by Jack Crenshaw but he never finished it but it is a good read oeverwise and simple. it goes into makeing a pascal compiler and spits out an old asm code. but chould easy output any VM Code to send to an assembler.

  32. #72
    PowerPoster wqweto's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    I'm thinking about first implementing a p-code interpreter i.e. emitting bytecode to be interpreted/debugged in an IDE and later emitting C/C++ code to be compiled using gcc toolchain.

    Bytecode can be compiled to executable too by embedding the interpreter and apending the bytecode as a resource or similar.

    This is what VB6 is capable of too and this stems from its evolution. Starting with simple AST interpreter that later turned to a p-code interpreter. Last step they implemented was using VC backend for OBJ file generation and link.exe for final binary linking.

    We don't have C/C++ backend available so for each BAS/CLS file just generate a C/C++ source file to be compiled along with a humongous static runtime (headers and a LIB file written again in C/C++) and compile these with gcc with -O3 optimization level or whatever.

    cheers,
    </wqw>

  33. #73
    Fanatic Member BenJones's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    the p-code is a bit like my little toy VM, but mine assembles a kind op code that are similar to java and compiles to byte code then is sent to the VM for execution I not started with a compiler as such yet cos I not decided on a language syntax I like to use. you know the first pascal were p-code http://pascal.hansotten.com/niklaus-...scal-compiler/

    I can't wait for this new VB compiler I been reading the threads all day when it done I can finally get back to writing my old ActiveX controls I so much used to make.

    I have no idea why ms gave up on VB6 and made that nasty VB.NET there was such a large VB6 base I still miss the good old days of VB and also PSCode my fav site.

  34. #74
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by BenJones View Post

    I can't wait for this new VB compiler I been reading the threads all day when it done I can finally get back to writing my old ActiveX controls I so much used to make.
    tB certainly has the bugs of a beta product but especially if you're writing new code it's very much able to make ActiveX controls right now.. Krool's VBCCR and VBFlexGrid and my ucShellTree/ucShellBrowse all have 64bit compatible tB versions that can be compiled and used in VB6, VBA7 both 32 and 64bit, and even .NET. I've made a few new ActiveX controls starting from scratch in tB too like my ucAniGif and ucExplorer controls primarily for VBA.

    My GitHub gives a good view of what tB can do right now. https://github.com/fafalone?tab=repositories

  35. #75
    Fanatic Member BenJones's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    No offence to tb I am sure it is brilliant effort, but I am all opensource nowadays I not really got the money to buy expensive stuff and the fact of a new opensource compiler seems the way to go nowadays and can create a large community. I think also we need a selection on VB forums for Opensource VB6 Compiler as this thread is growing.

  36. #76
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Vb6+4 = vb64
    https://github.com/yereverluvinunclebert

    Skillset: VMS,DOS,Windows Sysadmin from 1985, fault-tolerance, VaxCluster, Alpha,Sparc. DCL,QB,VBDOS- VB6,.NET, PHP,NODE.JS, Graphic Design, Project Manager, CMS, Quad Electronics. classic cars & m'bikes. Artist in water & oils. Historian.

    By the power invested in me, all the threads I start are battle free zones - no arguing about the benefits of VB6 over .NET here please. Happiness must reign.

  37. #77
    Hyperactive Member gaouser's Avatar
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by james reynolds View Post
    what hurt me was the removal of flash, i have not yet seen anything that equals it, for example, this is basically made with flash, an evolution of flash, but at its core it is flash, what could have been done with another language?:

    https://www.solarsystemscope.com/

    flash also had a great feature for a programmer - several in reality - but one was highly important:



    That is, you had a program made with flash, and you didn't have to look at compatibility, you didn't have to look at compatibility, it worked on windows me, xp, vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10 and it works with 11...

    I don't know how they did it so that it always worked no matter what windows it was - and it also worked on mac, that is, you could make a program for the 2 main platforms without changing almost anything -...

    The security problems they mentioned, i think it was more microsoft's security and so on, because microsoft changes things every time it releases a windows, it informs the big companies, and the small developers, to look for what has changed, to waste their time and to make their programs give errors... Something that didn't happen with flash...

    Another of the excellent features was that, especially the as2 version 8 pro, was very easy to program and make programs with an impressive aesthetic... Slower than as3, and with some fewer features - they should have made a hybrid - but easier to program...

    That it consumed resources? For mobiles, ok, but for a pc today, with 16 gb of ram almost all, what does it matter...

    I also consider that vb6 can do everything, and it is easy to program, and a programming language must be simple to be good, i was once at microsoft, at the beginning of the 2000s, because there were some positions for latin america that paid very well, very well, and it bothered me to tell them that i programmed well in vb6, although also in c, but i didn't know whether to say vb6, and i said it, and they told me that it was excellent, that they preferred visual basic, because in visual basic someone takes x time, in c it was 10x for the same program, vb6 was more profitable for them...

    For me, microsoft and the big software companies play very dirty, they don't create converters when they release a new language, and when they get the hang of it, they eliminate what they want without giving explanations, in flash there would be several tens of millions of programmers, i think. All their effort, down the drain, and that's not right...

    I think, i don't know, but i think that perhaps the main reason for eliminating flash was that it was too good and too easy to program, and it bothered them, since anyone could do a great thing... And that made them competition...

    If twinbasic comes out, i'll pay for it!!!
    dont mention the flash getting removed! I feel the pain in my nerves agaain
    I'M GAOUSEEEERRRRRRR

    Experimental Software and stuff made by me with some being efforts of up to 3 months of endless VB6 IDE

    VBForums is made with VBulletin4, Fun Fact their first 2 letters are same.

    Gaouser is a weird name choice
    I love VB6 and NX 8.5 and CorelDRAW and C++ and HTML4.01 and obsolote stuff and retrocomputing!
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    Using Win32 API is easier in VB6 than VB.NET

  38. #78
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Quote Originally Posted by BenJones View Post
    No offence to tb I am sure it is brilliant effort, but I am all opensource nowadays I not really got the money to buy expensive stuff and the fact of a new opensource compiler seems the way to go nowadays and can create a large community. I think also we need a selection on VB forums for Opensource VB6 Compiler as this thread is growing.
    I'd prefer open source too but you have a *far* better chance of tB succeeding enough that open source becomes viable as a business model, which Wayne is absolutely open to, than you do any other compiler with substantial compatibility being built now.

    And your post sums up the main reason... You're willing to let perfect be the enemy of good and aren't willing to compromise your vision.

    That's why there's a 20 year history of these cooperative "let's build a VB6 successor" crashing and burning or just being abandoned.

    You might as well not waste your time and just start learning whatever existing popular language best suits your needs There's *one* viable compiler with backwards compatibility... It's a miracle we got that and another one that checks every single box is just a fantasy at this point.

    You've got maybe 5 community members left even capable of writing a sophisticated compiler... None of whom are likely to make it their full time job so it's done in 5 years instead of 10-30.

    Don't let the pipe dream of the perfect open source compiler prevent supporting the only actual project to make progress towards modernizing the language.

  39. #79
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Com ActiveX technology is very convenient, and it is easy to implement com technology on Linux.Just like the net reflection principle. Can be late bound, can the dynamic program include a method name. callbyname

    The Java principle actually uses reflection as well.At the same time, it can list all classes, all methods, parameters and data types.
    Effectively equivalent to a TLB file. It's just that on cross-platform systems, we need one. More open and transparent method of element enumerationFor example, convert the TLB file to the JSON file format

    Freebasic, the open source compiler syntax closest to VB6
    In fact, we just need to make it a VB6 compatible conversion.
    So that he can directly open the VB6 project, that is successful.
    What we lack most now is an open source parsing tool for parsing VBS and VB6 code.

    What if twbasic could share VBS parsing components?

  40. #80
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    Re: Why developing a VB6 compiler is a difficult thing to do?

    Will Microsoft sue twbasic for implementing 80% of the interfaces in the VB6 IDE?
    Maybe it's been 20 years, so this is totally fine, even if you decompile it to get the final source code.

    Is it an infringement to use Wine under Linux? In the past, it was a gray area, and Microsoft only banned some components, such as WMP, from being installed on wine. But since oracle won its case against Google, wine has faced a real legal risk, because the implementation of the other party's API requires authorization. But with Microsoft's current mantra of embracing open source and wsl integration on Windows, wine is less of a problem.

    Previously, Microsoft felt that Lindows (wine) infringed the trademark of Windows, so in December 2001, it sued Lindows in the United States, Canada, Sweden, France, Belgium and other places. The European victory came very smoothly, but the lawsuit filed in the Washington court in the United States did not advance smoothly. In the meantime, Lindows did not give up the fight with the first software giant. They first allowed users to buy a lifetime license for Lindows for $100, and then spent all the money on the legal fight with Microsoft. Later, he changed his company name and domain name to lin--s, thus ensuring that he survived in Europe. Lindows's lawyers also resisted the jurisdiction of the Washington court on the grounds that it was registered in California.
    Last edited by xiaoyao; Oct 11th, 2024 at 12:46 AM.

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