Is VB6 dying? 1

[deek05]

Is VB6 still being used very much or is it dying? IT dept. is saying there is no use for it anymore and to embrace c#. The reason: one of our IT team doesn't use VB just c#. I use VB6, VB.NET and c# and I don't like c# one bit. There are another 5 to 6 people plus many, many apps that are built in VB. Also most if not all of our outside developers/contractors use VB. Retrain 1 to use VB or 5 to use c#? Doesn't make a whole sense. Any advice to stick up for VB?

Thanks

 

[strongm]

>I suspect it will run fine on Windows 7

Certainly seems to, from all reports (in line with how it runs on Vista, which is no real surprise since W7 is really just Vista in new clothes). Most importantly the VB6 runtime libraries are still included in the OS, which extends its* lifetime a little further, since it should now be supported for the full lifetime of W7, which (unless MS change their policies) is five years of mainstream support followed by five years of extended support from the point W7 is released.

* Though this does not refer to VB6, the product, just to the base libraries and execution engine used to run VB 6.0 applications (i.e. Visual Basic 6.0 Runtime) and should also cover the Runtime Extended Files – select ActiveX control OCX files, libraries, and tools that ship with the IDE)

 

[dilettante]

If you've addressed the new challenges Vista presented your VB6 programs should install and run fine on Windows 7. I've started testing on Win7 Beta and so far so good.

Note that most of those challenges apply whether writing in VB6, VB.Net, or C++.

So maybe in 2020 or so we can start worrying. ;-)

 

[tedsmith]

Yers
Would it be true to say that ousoonerjoe's school had a few shortcomings in History or Geography?

 

[ousoonerjoe]

Here's the actual quote: Maybe this will help you identify where the line comes from.

--------------------------------------------------
Bluto: What? Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? No!
Otter: Germans?
Boon: Forget it, he's rolling.
--------------------------------------------------

 

[BobRaney]

Old soldiers never die.

I still like Algol and its supersets.

Raney

 

[dilettante]

I wouldn't mind seeing a good Windows Algol, but I'd be picky.

I would want native code compilation, a RAD designer for forms like in VB6 or something, clean support for APIs and COM, etc. I've tried to accept Delphi as a close compromise but I have never succeeded. It just has too many eccentricities.


As far as volume here goes, I've noticed a lot more activity on some other forum sites lately. Of course the signal to noise ratio is worse. Half of the traffic seems to be "How can I use the WebBrowser control to scrape web site xxx?" and the other half is about using window messages to hijack another process.

 

[tedsmith]

Sorry we only did Greek literature at my school. Who were Bluto, Otter and Boon?

 

[ousoonerjoe]

Animal House. Arguably one of the Great American Classics.

You'll laugh till it hurts.

--------------------------------------------------
Bluto: What? Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? No!
Otter: Germans?
Boon: Forget it, he's rolling.
--------------------------------------------------

 

[BobRodes]

The immortal toga party...

 

[tedsmith]

>Arguably one of the Great American Classics.
Like rock & Roll or George Bush?

 

[ousoonerjoe]

Daddy Bush or W ?

HUGE difference between the two.

--------------------------------------------------
Bluto: What? Over? Did you say "over"? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? No!
Otter: Germans?
Boon: Forget it, he's rolling.
--------------------------------------------------

 

[thendrickson]

Just sticking my 2 cents woth in here.

VB6 will be around for a long time, but moce to C# if you can.
Perception rules.

All VB versions are pretty powerful if ued correctly and there are a lot of applications out here still running.

Too bad many have been butvhered beyond belief so that it is probably best to rewrite them rather than correct them.

When that happens, .Net will almost certainly be used.

I find VB.Net to be the best for that since you can reduce development time by using the upgrade wizard to convert the VB6 code to VB.net then rewrite it by picking out what you can use then get rid of the rest.

However, that being said, management does not want to hear that. They perceive C# as the "latest and greatist" and if they are "going to spend the money, we might as well do it right"

So I repeat, learn C#

 

[BobRodes]

Interesting that Microsoft is characterizing VB.Net as an entry-level platform. I guess they are just going with the flow.