Migration from VB6 to .NET on dnrTV

Published 02 January 08 01:52 PM

There's still a lot of Visual Basic 6 systems running the world and if you're one of the developers maintaining those systems you may be looking at migration strategies to move to .NET. You don't have to take on a complete rewrite of your system, there are many ways of interoperating with VB6 from .NET and vice versa.

Check out Rob Windsor on dnrTV where he shows us how to interoperate with VB 6.0 applications and .NET in a variety of ways. He walks through different approaches to architecting these hybrid systems. He also shows how to use the Interop Forms Toolkit to demonstrate a phased migration strategy where you can convert VB 6 forms and controls to .NET pieces at a time.

Also take a look at these How Do I videos and articles on building and deploying interop forms and user controls.

Enjoy!

by Beth Massi
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# Geek Lectures - Things geeks should know about » Blog Archive » Migration from VB6 to .NET on dnrTV said on January 2, 2008 6:10 PM:

PingBack from http://geeklectures.info/2008/01/02/migration-from-vb6-to-net-on-dnrtv/

# Nikolaj said on January 3, 2008 8:11 AM:

Hello i got a problem with my VB6(Visual basic 6.0)

The problem is then i use the component "Shockwave Flash" and use the paiper tool there coming up... the (Custom) proputie isent there what have i done wrong?

# Nikolaj said on January 3, 2008 8:12 AM:

Oh sorry plz answer on my mail ^^ nikolaj_larsen_983@hotmail.com

# Eric said on January 3, 2008 12:53 PM:

If you are opting for a phased migration strategy using interop, this FAQ might be a good starting point, along with all the links Beth provides above: http://migrationguide.artinsoft.com/Migration-Guide-Faq-Chapter-14.aspx

# Wayne said on January 7, 2008 11:42 AM:

Windows Server 2008 deployments for our company are targeted to be VB6 free.  We are slowly replacing all VB6 code and VB6 dependent applications including all third party VB6 COM components with .NET ones.  It has been quite helpful since our organization accumulated software from many sources over the last 10 years and with a soon to be enterprise wide upgrade to Windows Server 2008, we get the resources to rationalize our software and hardware infrastructure.

# Subrata Chattopadhya said on January 8, 2008 11:33 AM:

I am converting all my projects from vb6 to vb.net 2005 for last two years, as time permits.

I did have lots of hurdle that are no more an issue, like I started to convert with the beta version and had to do a complete re-write. What everybody has to realize, if you have a complex system involving dlls and COMs. this is not at all an easy task. the conversion tools available with vb.net is really useless, unless you want to convert very simple code.

It is a frustrating process, with very limited documentations and samples and what is really equivalent between the tow system. any graphical function needs to be re-designed, because it is conceptually different. Don't expect vb.net help anywhere close to vb6 help. You have to search for help on the internet. although it is getting easier to find help on the internet.

All I am getting at is, first stay with your vb6 if you can, if you really want to or have to switch to the new and better technology, whatever your budget is multiply that by atleast 4.

Thanks and goodluck

# Beth Massi said on January 8, 2008 12:58 PM:

Hi Subrata,

This is exactly why the Visual Basic Off-Cycle team created the Interop Forms Toolkit. In many situations it is not cost effective to convert your entire VB6 application. The toolkit allows you to write forms and controls in .NET so that you can take advantage of features there (controls, multi-threading, WCF, etc.) but still run withing your current VB6 application.

There's also the power packs which include line and shape controls and printing libraries and controls.

You can get them here: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vbasic/aa701257.aspx

HTH,

-B

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About Beth Massi

Beth is a Program Manager on the Visual Studio Community Team at Microsoft and is responsible for producing and managing content for business application developers, driving community features and team participation onto MSDN Developer Centers (http://msdn.com), and helping make Visual Studio one of the best developer tools in the world. She also produces regular content on her blog (http://blogs.msdn.com/bethmassi), Channel 9, and a variety of other developer sites and magazines. As a community champion and a long-time member of the Microsoft developer community she also helps with the San Francisco East Bay .NET user group and is a frequent speaker at various software development events. Before Microsoft, she was a Senior Architect at a health care software product company and a Microsoft Solutions Architect MVP. Over the last decade she has worked on distributed applications and frameworks, web and Windows-based applications using Microsoft development tools in a variety of businesses. She loves teaching, hiking, mountain biking, and driving really fast.

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