Classic VB

[abhijit]

What will make a strong case for retiring classic vb applications? I am about to present a paper with some ideas.

[RhinoBull]

I'm afraid this may turn into another VB.Classic vs VB.Net thread but it shouldn't really.

Anyway, migration (if that's what you mean) is justify if you have a whiole bunch of new functioonality to be added - and that's about it.
If application performs well and shows no signs of slowing down, requires very little maintenance, makes your users very happy then there is no point of retiring it.
There is no point in re-writing it just because you want to have it written in some latest and greatest products.

[abhijit]

I'm afraid this may turn into another VB.Classic vs VB.Net thread but it shouldn't really.

Anyway, migration (if that's what you mean) is justify if you have a whiole bunch of new functioonality to be added - and that's about it.
If application performs well and shows no signs of slowing down, requires very little maintenance, makes your users very happy then there is no point of retiring it.
There is no point in re-writing it just because you want to have it written in some latest and greatest products.

The application does what its supposed to do, but this is the flag ship application for the corporation. They keep on suggesting enhancements and new features, which is the main reason for the upgrade I suppose.

[Paul M]

Since it seems they already want more features, that is one reason that supports the move to .NET, you could also go to them with some of the following points.

1) Windows is the only operating system that will run VB6 applications without problems (majority of the time)
2) Microsoft wish to phase out VB6 in future operating systems.

[RhinoBull]

2) Microsoft wish to phase out VB6 in future operating systems.

Something that won't happen in the next 10-20 years I'm sure.
20 years later you can still write perfectly well in qbasic (don't know if you'd want to develop in it) but dos is long gone...

[Paul M]

There are already quite few necessary changes that have had to be made with Vista and i am sure the new SP1 will add to those. I give it a possible 5 - 10 years not 20. But it doesn't matter how long really, if features are necessary then the change might as well be done now.

[bgmacaw]

I wrote a couple of articles about this a few months ago:

A Look at When to Rewrite Your VB6 apps in VB.NET

3 Reasons Why VB6 is Dead

[RhinoBull]

...But it doesn't matter how long really, if features are necessary then the change might as well be done now.

That's not how you should look at this [problem in my opinion].
The thing is that I am yet to see major corps upgrading to Vista thus (besides the cost obviously) support for legacy apps is essential.
Without it they will be no major upgrades - no one is going to dump tens (if not hundreds) of millions of dollars just because Vista is more secured.

[Hack]

My company markets several commerical applications. We have not retired VB6 as we still have a demand for it.

However, we also have .NET versions of our applications so the customer can elect what they wish.

This might be an approach worthy of examination.

[abhijit]

I wrote a couple of articles about this a few months ago:

A Look at When to Rewrite Your VB6 apps in VB.NET

3 Reasons Why VB6 is Dead

The third reason you mentioned is not something that business would buy in, but its a good start.

[bgmacaw]

The third reason you mentioned is not something that business would buy in, but its a good start.

True. They aren't interested in your career, even though they ought to be.

[abhijit]

True. They aren't interested in your career, even though they ought to be.

I am going to say soon renting a vb developer would be more expensive than renting a .net developer.

that might clue them in.

[Hack]

I am going to say soon renting a vb developer would be more expensive than renting a .net developer.

that might clue them in.

And these days, harder to find. About the only ones left that are any good at VB6 are us old duffers and have been around for a while. Even with that, however, most of us are leaving VB6 and going to .NET. Even the folks that are good at VB6 are probably not going to take a job writing in VB6 if a job writing in VB.NET is available.

[SeanK]

And these days, harder to find. About the only ones left that are any good at VB6 are us old duffers and have been around for a while. Even with that, however, most of us are leaving VB6 and going to .NET. Even the folks that are good at VB6 are probably not going to take a job writing in VB6 if a job writing in VB.NET is available.

So very, very true!

[RhinoBull]

And these days, harder to find. About the only ones left that are any good at VB6 are us old duffers and have been around for a while. Even with that, however, most of us are leaving VB6 and going to .NET. Even the folks that are good at VB6 are probably not going to take a job writing in VB6 if a job writing in VB.NET is available.

Funny to say that I mostly support VB.Classic forum but actually work with C# and VB.Net on a daily basis since about 4-5 years ago (but of course I have to support the legacy apps as well).