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Support policy for Visual Basic
Support Statement for Visual Basic 6.0 | Microsoft Learn[^]
Now as I read that it means that although they are not going to be improving VB they do intend, at least now, to make sure it runs until 2035 (presuming same life cycle for Windows 11 as was for Windows 10).
But perhaps not beyond that.
So people have those VB apps now so when do they really need to start refactoring the entire code base into something else?
Start now and avoid the rush?
Wait until 2034?
Wait until 2037 and when enough customers move onto a different provider because they don't want to run an older unsupported OS?
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Visual Basic - When to Switch?
30 years ago.
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I was going to say...
Switching from VisualBasic,
The 2nd best time to switch: Today!
The best time to switch: 2001 (to C#)
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I think that's the most emoticons I've ever seen on a single post! And ditto to what you said!
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Why? To be one of the "cool kids"? confused:
To be part of the "In-Crowd"? confused:
To be "just like everybody else?": confused:
How many people back into parking spots because the see other people doing it? confused:
I guess haters going to hate.
Very Old Guy.
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I switched to backing in. In the old days, when there was some courtesy, you could back out of a parking spot slowly and people would let you out. Parking lots these days are NASCAR test tracks, it would seem.
Heavy sigh.
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I understand. I still pull in and back out, but I have excellent car insurance, and a great attorney.
Yours is a great reason for backing in, and I appreciate you feelings.
Be safe, take care.
Ed
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I back in to parking slots for the same reason I use C# rather than VB6 - it's easier and safer.
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immediately after puberty.
>64
Some days the dragon wins. Suck it up.
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Software Zen: delete this;
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I totally agree with the above "30 years ago"...
but an orthogonal take is: that is in one and a half decade. Do you think your prog will be relevant at all in 2037? I would say that rather few 15-year-old programs are relevant today (regardless of what language they were written in), unless they have a billion-head-userbase like Word, Excel and those...
But let's say i am wrong, and your prog remains attractive? Then I say
Q: When should I switch ?
A: When it is the least painful, i.e. ASAP
"If we don't change direction, we'll end up where we're going"
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Some Cobol programs have been running since Moses left Egypt.
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Correct. I should've specified desktop programs.
"If we don't change direction, we'll end up where we're going"
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My company has a desktop program that uses COBOL for some business logic. It also uses Delphi for the UI and other business logic. COBOL is not just for mainframes.
Bond
Keep all things as simple as possible, but no simpler. -said someone, somewhere
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And they still haven't found his luggage.
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The software that controls Nestlè inspection machines was first written in 1996 in QBASIC, then ported to VB in 2000 and it is running today.
GCS/GE d--(d) s-/+ a C+++ U+++ P-- L+@ E-- W+++ N+ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE Y+ PGP t+ 5? X R+++ tv-- b+(+++) DI+++ D++ G e++ h--- r+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
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Yes. And I have specified few desktop programs.
"If we don't change direction, we'll end up where we're going"
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I bet some of those programs will be relevant. It really depends on what they're supporting. I have one program that was originally developed in 1997 using FoxPro for DOS, migrated to MS-Access, and is now written in VB.Net using a SQL Server database for the back end. We still have data from 1997 in the database. The core functions of this program haven't changed since the original version in 1997.
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I have a very similar situation with software written in 1995 in a mix of QBasic and MS Access, migrated to a SQL server back-end, updated to VB for the QBasic stuff, back-end moved to MySQL, and numerous iterations since.
What's interesting to me is the derision shown for powerful, capable and effective systems written in so-called "toy" languages.
Many still run today because they just work and do what they were designed to do.
I develop mostly in C# now but I would never look down on people still using VB, VB.Net, or any other language.
If it works for them, then it must be doing something right.
Program-language snobs are something I cannot understand.
I will admit that I would never start developing a new project on any of the older languages, no matter how well I know them.
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Carl Edwards In SA wrote: Program-language snobs are something I cannot understand.
I understand your statement but there is a bit more to it that just that.
Older implementations can have other problems which management is unwilling to address. For example one often gets to the point that the only way you can find maintenance programmers is by finding someone who doesn't know anything about the older language and convince them that learning that language that is unlikely to be used elsewhere is going to be a good choice for them.
To be fair though I have seen a current trend where management has decided that micro-services can be written in any language and with any persisted data store which obviously completely ignores the longer term maintenance costs.
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It depends upon the business you're in. I designed/programmed firmware for telecom equipment (hardware on a 911 call takers desk). It had a minimum life time requirement of 10 years. Heck, one of our customers requested (and got) a firmware change to a product that was over 16 years old.
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Well, NOW would be a good choice. Oh, and moving to .NET 7 or 8 while you're at it.
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Start saving now and retire in 2034!
Yes, boss. All VB6 for all projects!
2 weeks of hand off should be plenty.
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A form is a form. VB6 is usually a (thin) front end to a client server system. No hurry given such a big window. Might even be premature; not knowing what's around the corner 2 - 5+ years in the future.
"Before entering on an understanding, I have meditated for a long time, and have foreseen what might happen. It is not genius which reveals to me suddenly, secretly, what I have to say or to do in a circumstance unexpected by other people; it is reflection, it is meditation." - Napoleon I
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