VB6 vs. VB2005 vs. C++ - Opinions?

[wayneh]

(Sorry if there is already a thread like this, but a lot of them are pretty old.)

I'm currently using VB6 (have been for several years) and I write commercial apps, some of which are fairly large. Many rely on the User Interface and include some of manipulating of the VB controls since they are inherently old and weak.
I do not do database programming - no Access, no Excel or Word, etc.

However, I do use a lot of XML (msxml 4).

I also use DLLs and OCX's from partner companies - they all support .Net and C++

I'm trying to decide if I should migrate to VB (.net) 2005 or possibly Visual C++ (I have some experience in C but it's been a long time).

I've been reading a lot about VB6 to VB2005 migration and have seen a lot of pro's and con's.

So, here's the question(s):
Should I migrate to VB 2005?
If the learning curve is steep, should I just go to C++ ?

Thanks for your opinions.

[Pasvorto]

How about C#.NET?

[Pasvorto]

I'm staying with VB6 for a while. My programs work and it will be a while before M$ forces me to upgrade. I don't have time for a new learning curve. I took an on-line course on beginning C# 2005. It was not too dissimiliar to VB. Maybe a flatter learning curve than C++. But...later.

[Hack]

Moved to General Developer

[mendhak]

You say you're using VB6, so I can assume that the nature of your work is one that doesn't require VC++. You should migrate to VB.NET, since you already have a VB6 background, and then once you get onto VB.NET, learn C# as well. Learning both languages isn't necessary but it benefits you greatly in future job searches and your current line of work as well.

There are others that will tell you to move to C# from VB6 instead of VB.NET from VB6, but it's a moot point. One .NET language is the same as all other .NET languages except for J# which is an abomination of Satan.

[Pasvorto]

Lol !!

[wayneh]

(Sorry for posting in the wrong place)

Did I touch a nerve here?

I'm not concerned about the job market - I run my own company, so I'm really only interested in the perceived future and capabilities of each language.

I'm also very concerned about whether or not my apps will make the transition. For example, I have one app which uses the Printer object a lot and requires the hDC - which I understand doesn't exist in VB2005.

C# looks an awful lot like Java to me (which I use a lot as well).

[Hack]

VB6 apps don't "translate" into .NET apps....they get rewritten into .NET apps.

You say you own your own company....are these applications things that you intend to sell, or applications that are used internally?

[mendhak]

You didn't touch a nerve. That was a joke!

Moving to .NET is something you would have to do eventually, considering that support for VB6 is going, going, gone. But for choosing C#/VB.NET or C++, you'll need to consider the type of applications you create. The .NET framework allows for rapid application development without the hassle that C++ gracefully provides. C++ allows you to go into 'deeper' applications if you get my meaning.

In addition, .NET allows for Interop, which means that you can talk to legacy class libraries (DLLs made in VB6 or C++ or VC++), so you have that kind of comfort too, the best of both worlds.

[Slaine]

You are going to have to move to .NET at somepoint (or at least away from VB6) that much is an innevitability. IMHO the sooner you do it the less stresfull the experience will be. As newer versions of the .NET platform are released you will find the distance between v6 and the latest .NET increasing - from a development stand point the sooner you do it the less code you will have to tweak.

Once you tap into the newer development platform you will find a much greater range of support tools available to you - something that can not be ignored.

[Al42]

You are going to have to move to .NET at somepoint

Unless, by the time you do, there's something even newer on the market. Whether you "have to" move away from VB6 now, or even in the near future, depends on the situation. If the company has millions of lines of VB6 code and no reason to upgrade to the OS that'll come out after Vista, it's not likely to spend the money (and we're talking about a lot of money) just to have its apps written in the "latest and greatest" language.

(And I'm looking at Delphi as a migration step, anyway, so if MS wants me to stop using VB, they'll lose me as a customer. We're not a strictly MS shop.)

[Slaine]

Well I did qualify that statement with "at least away from VB6"

But I was commenting in the context of the original posters question. Yes I agree that it may be an expensive operation for a large organisation to move from 6 to net but the thrust of my argument was that it WILL have to happen and the longer you delay it the greater the cost.

At this moment in time you may think that there is no impetus to move to Vista. But in 10 years time I assure you that none of your corporate machines will be running Win XP - and I very much doubt you will be using vb6 applications.

Now is the time to migrate, for the simple fact there are still people who are knowledgable in both the old and new tech.

[Hack]

Well I did qualify that statement with "at least away from VB6"

But I was commenting in the context of the original posters question. Yes I agree that it may be an expensive operation for a large organisation to move from 6 to net but the thrust of my argument was that it WILL have to happen and the longer you delay it the greater the cost.

At this moment in time you may think that there is no impetus to move to Vista. But in 10 years time I assure you that none of your corporate machines will be running Win XP - and I very much doubt you will be using vb6 applications.

Now is the time to migrate, for the simple fact there are still people who are knowledgable in both the old and new tech.

I know of, and have had contracts at, companies still running Win98. In fact, I know of a company in this area that is still running Win3.1 and the overwhelmingly majority of the companies for which I've done the bulk of my work are running Win2000 as their OS and have no plans on changing.

While I agree, in principle, with the need to move on, my experience has been that many corporations are not always the cutting edge of new technology. My current client, for example, is the largest Health Care Provider in my area of the country (the MidWest). They just (this year) moved to XP from Win98 and are still running Win2000, Office 2000 and SQL Server 2000 and have zero plans on changing any of that (I have more modern software on my home computers than this place has on their company computers )

[Slaine]

I know of, and have had contracts at, companies still running Win98. In fact, I know of a company in this area that is still running Win3.1 and the overwhelmingly majority of the companies for which I've done the bulk of my work are running Win2000 as their OS and have no plans on changing.

Windows 98 is currently 8 years old - in 10 years time XP will be 15 years old. Likewise 2000 is only 6 years old, and even Windows 3.1 is only 14 years old. I doubt the company running 3.1 has any support for applications it runs on them (unless they are in house apps - but this is a different case).

While I agree, in principle, with the need to move on, my experience has been that many corporations are not always the cutting edge of new technology. My current client, for example, is the largest Health Care Provider in my area of the country (the MidWest). They just (this year) moved to XP from Win98 and are still running Win2000, Office 2000 and SQL Server 2000 and have zero plans on changing any of that (I have more modern software on my home computers than this place has on their company computers )

This proves my point quite well - even companies reluctant to change generally do when products become 8 years old (W98 to W2000 in 2006)

But then we are just splitting hairs now

[Dnereb]

If you migrate to VB.Net I'll advice you to buy the book Programming VisualBasic 2003.Net or 2005.net from Francesco Balena.
First of all the e-book programming visual basic 6 is included and I wouldn't be surprised if you will learn new things about VB6 along the way(I've bought the 2003 version).
The advantage will be you can increase your knowledge of VB6 and .Net because it assumes you've got experience in VB6.
And it digs deep in the language.
I'm currently studying classes chapter in .Net..... and it is so diffrent.
I doubt you need to switch to any form of C if you can grasp the content of this book.

[wayneh]

VB6 apps don't "translate" into .NET apps....they get rewritten into .NET apps.

You say you own your own company....are these applications things that you intend to sell, or applications that are used internally?

Sorry about taking so long to reply...for some reason everytime I tried to reply I had to login again, etc...

These apps are commercial.