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VBB, VBA, VB.NET,... ???

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jumpjack

jumpjack

Programmer
Jul 28, 2006
79
IT
Visual Basic, Visual Basic for Applications, VB.net... what are the differences among them? Does it exist a web page which explains it in detail?

I just wrote my first VB Express 2005 program: now how do I distribute it? What do my user need to use it? Is the .exe enough, or do they need some tons of additional stuff?...

-- Jumpjack --
 
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sorry, typo in the tile: should be "VB, VBA, VB.NET,...??"

-- Jumpjack --
 
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Visual Basic - Older technology (VB6, VB5, etc) - Has been around a long time.

Visual Basic for Applications - The programming language used in MS Office applications. Very simliar to visual basic.

VB.net - The latest/greatest version, based on the .Net framework.

In order to distribute your app to other users, you would need to build a deployment application. Not sure if you can in the express edition or not (Pretty sure you can). Also your users would have to have the .Net 2.0 framework installed.
 
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VB - COM based basic programming language. Some object oriented methodology, and a bit of event driven processing. It is really the result of 20 years of development of the BASIC programming language with the addition of GUI tools.

VBA - scripting language with a syntax very similar to VB. You can use it in Office apps or even stand alone script blocks for batch processing.

VB.Net - A truly Object Oriented, Event Driven, Managed Code programming language. Based on the .Net framework. The .Net framework provides a huge collection of classes and functionality that you can use to create your own application. It saves a ton of time in development and maintenance, but it does require you to install the framework on any PC that will be running your app. And because the language is Manage Code, it means that any PC that has a compatible frame work (98, 2k, 2k3, XP, Vista, Windows Mobile, Linux, etc...) can run your app with out having to re-compile the code.

-Rick

VB.Net Forum forum796 forum855 ASP.NET Forum
[monkey]I believe in killer coding ninja monkeys.[monkey]
 
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Does XP come with .net framework pre-installed?
How large is the download I'll have to recommend to my users?...

And, finally, does it exist a free version of Visual Basic? I Installed VB.NET just because I saw "Visual Basic 2005 Express edition is freeware", but I'm very comfortable with VBA too, which I have "for free" inside Office. But I can't use it to write standalone apps (or... can I?!?)


-- Jumpjack --
 
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Xp comes with .net framework 1.1
XP sp2 comes with .net framework 2.0

the download is about 20Mb for the redistributable.

You are better staying with vb.net

VBA - scripting language with a syntax very similar to VB. You can use it in Office apps or even stand alone script blocks for batch processing.
Click to expand...

Every office app has it's own version of VBA. You also have VB-script which is a full scripting language like javascript.




Christiaan Baes
Belgium

My Blog
"In a system where you can define a factor as part of a third factor, you need another layer to check the main layer in case the second layer is not the base unit." - jrbarnett
 
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XP I believe comes with framework 1.0 included. XP SP2 includes 1.1 and I think 2.0. Vista I believe includes 1.1 and 2.0. (not positive on those)

All versions are available through Windows Update or just direct download from MS for free. I think framework 1.0/1.1 was about 20 megs. I can't recall on 2.0.

It matters on how you define "free"

VB 2k5 Express is a free tool, but it loses some of the ease of functionality that the $$$ version includes. You can do everything the $$$ version can, but you may have to do some of it through the command line. But if you're just doing personal coding or small office projects where you don't have mass deployments to worry about, it should be fine.

VBA is "for free" in that you can use it after dropping cash on Office, and making sure than anyone who wants to use it also has Office. Where as .Net is free for everyone. You can get the tools to work with it for free (the Express edition) and your users can download the .Net Framework for free.

-Rick

VB.Net Forum forum796 forum855 ASP.NET Forum
[monkey]I believe in killer coding ninja monkeys.[monkey]
 
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really free is sharpdevelop. Which has all the features for none of the money.



Christiaan Baes
Belgium

My Blog
"In a system where you can define a factor as part of a third factor, you need another layer to check the main layer in case the second layer is not the base unit." - jrbarnett
 
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#develop looks very cool; but the question is the same:what do my user need to run my programs?
Currently they must donwload 20 MB to use my 40kb program (!!!), if they do not have XP... What about #develop? Can it produce totally standalone selfexecutable files?

-- Jumpjack --
 
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It is possible to run .net software without the framework installed but i don't think there is one for free.


Christiaan Baes
Belgium

My Blog
"In a system where you can define a factor as part of a third factor, you need another layer to check the main layer in case the second layer is not the base unit." - jrbarnett
 
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You should know though, that using a tool like thinstall will increase the size of your application significantly. The reason why your app is only 44k is because it is compiled to an intermediary language. That means that the .exe/.dll you create is still mostly just a text file. When the users runs it on their machine, it will look at their copy of the .Net framework and compile fully into native code. That's why you can write your app on an XP box, and know that it will run on a Vista 64b box, a Windows 2k 32b box, or any other machine that is has the appropriate .Net library.

So to run your app with out the .Net framework installed, you will need to include any parts of the .Net framework that you have referenced, and you will likely have to make multiple compilations for different OS's.

-Rick

VB.Net Forum forum796 forum855 ASP.NET Forum
[monkey]I believe in killer coding ninja monkeys.[monkey]
 
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I didn't realize .net framework was a virtual machine like java!


-- Jumpjack --
 
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It's not quite a VM like Java... It is a compilation of managed code libraries and tools. When your app runs, it is compiled in native code. But that compile is done by the machine running the app as opposed to the IDE when you code it.

-Rick

VB.Net Forum forum796 forum855 ASP.NET Forum
[monkey]I believe in killer coding ninja monkeys.[monkey]
 
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