VB .NET Standard.... crippled - but....

[Kiweed]

I bought VB .NET standard and paid AU$215 for it which was good. I read up about it but found it hard to find what the differences between it and the professional version of VB .NET in the Visual Studio.

I just wanted VB .NET and did NOT want to pay AU$2500 for C# .NET and the other bit I did NOT want.

Guess what????

Typical of Microsoft - I'm sure they very carefully select what they put into (or rather what they take out) of the Standard Edition to pi$$ people off the most.

In this case it's the ability to create CLASS LIBRARIES. I had a small solution with 2 projects and needed to have a class in common.

Much to my dispair I could NOT share this source as it would always physically copy the code into each projects folder.

VERY FRUSTRATING!

After wasting time (half a day) decided it could not be done and verified this by finding a site which listed the differences.

Q) Why is there not a VB .NET professional which does not force me to get all the other 'crap' I do not want or can not afford?

In desperation I installed the .NEt Beta 2 again which accidentally overwrote my .NET Standard (crippled) installation. (whoops).

Needless to say I ended up with an installation in an undertermined state.

I could not remove the BETA version and thought I was up some reformatting.

I ended up by "fixing/repairing" with the .NEt Standard and after 1 hours of buzzing from the disk it was "Repaired".

BUT - When I started up VB it now thinks it's the PROFESSIONAL VERSION of VB.

I was sceptical but my prject now loaded where it would not when it was in a bad way. Also, I have the ability to create Class libraries and all the other components missing from the Standard Edition.

Needless to say I'm happy with the outcome!

I would be happy to pay extra for the professional version but 10 times as much just to get class libraries????

I'm also a bit cheesed off that the conversion Wizard is not in the Standard Edition. But given the lack of compatibility and huge changes I can live without this but are faced with a large write and salvage operation.

Thought this may be of interest to others suffering with the Standard Edition.

I think the more people that have access to the class libraies the better. This is what people will be sharing!
BUT - When I started up VB it now thinks it's the PROFESSIONAL VERSION of VB.

[marex]

That sounds great.
Is it also possible to open VB6 projects in your .net version,
because the standard version can't do it.

Any idea where I can get the .net beta2 version.

thanx
Ray

[Kiweed]

I could not open a VB6 project with this .NET "upgrade" but I would rather re-write and salvage code anyway. The changes are so large there are old hacks in the code I can now get rid of.

The wizard creates a hybrid .NET and legacy application.

The .NET beta is available on some magazine covers. It's on a DVD and you may be able to locate a copy somewhere.

You may be able to get the BETA through MS directly.


*** I just remembered the BETA did not have the upgrade wizard so would assume it's not in.

If you know someone with the full version, maybe it's okay just to zip up your projects and send to them. Ask them to run the wizard through them and give you back the results... I'm sure there is nothing which says you can't convert on behalf of someone else.

[marex]

Thanx for the reply, I will look for a beta somewhere.
About the price of the other .net versions I agree with you.
I have the standard version but can't upgrade all of my vb6 applications.
It is typical microsoft to let the upgrade wizard out of the standard version don't know why.
A pro version costs here in Belgium $1200 the standard version
$166. It is a very big difference and now I'm stuck with my standard version.
I think I'll use the .net for test purpose only and remain with the VB6 for developing until I saved enough money to buy the pro version.

cheers
Ray

[Cander]

regardless of what the IDE supports, you should learn the command line compiler which has no restriction on what you can compile...just write what you cant in VB .NET in notepad... unlike VB6 and below, you are not required to have the IDE at all.

It is alos not smart to depend on using the beta as your compiled projects will NOT run on the final framework.

[marex]

[Cander]

I know the beta won't run but I was just wondering on how
the upgrade wizard works vb6 appl => vb.net.

Don't wanna spend that much money if I can't test it in advance.

Ray

[Cander]

why upgrade your VB6 apps to .NET? you can have VB6 and .NET on the same computer and if it works in VB6, why upgrade?

[marex]

The only reason would be that I only have to remember one language
If I start with .net I don't see any reason to keep VB6.
My opinion of course.
.net is also more powerfull than vb6.

[Tygur]

I've upgraded several VB6 apps to VB.NET just for the .NET IDE.