[AccessD] MS Access to VB6 or VB.net

Eric Barro ebarro at afsweb.com
Mon Sep 13 10:22:07 CDT 2004


I'm at #1. Most of what I develop is web-based utilizing ASP.NET and SQL server. I also develop applications in VB6 and MS Access 97 and MS Access 2000 but the majority is .NET.

There is a learning curve and this applies to any programming language. The only way to get really good at it is to learn it inside and out. So the learning curve is a given.

For those contemplating .NET here are some of my personal observations...

1. You can take your VB6 code straight into VB.NET and use the code base by referencing the Microsoft.VisualBasic libraries. That will get you started until you get comfortable rewriting the code to take advantage of .NET's strengths which are outlined in the following points.

2. ADO.NET is way much faster than ADO because of the way the connections are handled.

3. The StringBuilder class addresses one of the weak spots of VB -- string handling. It is faster and more efficient.

4. Has anyone ever used the built-in datagrid control in VB6? Compare that with the datagrid control in .NET and you will realize that the datagrid control in VB6 was a mere prototype. No wonder most VB6 developers avoided it and replaced it with 3rd party controls.

5. You can take the same code and easily transform it into a web-based app as opposed to a windows app.

6. VB.NET and C# (syntax-wise) now look so much more like siblings than they ever did. So you can leverage your VB.NET knowledge and be "conversant" in C#. Performance wise they are now the same since both, when compiled, make use of the Common Language Runtime which is the execution engine for the .NET framework.

7. VB.NET is object oriented programming.

8. As far as application deployment is concerned what can be simpler than having your end-users download and install the .NET framework on their machines? Contrast this with what you currently have with VB6 and the ActiveX/COM interface where you need to ensure that your app, which might be dependent on DLLs and OCXs and OLBs and TLBs, will find those (and mind you...the correct versions too as the ones you used on your development machine) on the users machine?

Those are just some of what I've discovered while developing in .NET.

.NET examples and articles are the majority of what show up when you Google for VB code samples. There are so many examples out on the web that will help you learn the basics and get your feet wet.


---
Eric Barro
Senior Systems Analyst
Advanced Field Services
(208) 772-7060
http://www.afsweb.com 

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Jim Dettman
Sent: Monday, September 13, 2004 5:45 AM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
Subject: RE: [AccessD] MS Access to VB6 or VB.net


Richard,

  I think rather then the worrying about the front end, you should be
considering the BE and the technology behind it.  However without knowing a
lot more about your app, it's hard to say if that's critical or not.  Also,
you didn't mention why you were considering moving from developing the FE in
Access itself.

  As for VB.Net, I've been ignoring it for the most part for some of the
same reasons you outline (distribution) plus the fact that it has a large
learning curve.  I can't see spending the time on that when I already have
tools at my disposal that do the job fine. And I'm not the only one.
Overall it seems that .Net has been poorly received by the development
community.  Most developers I know are happy (for the most part) with what
they already have/know.  Of course a lot depends on the types of apps you
develop and the end users you target.  I think most of us on this list are
on the smaller end of the scale developing typical business type apps for 50
concurrent users or less.

  How about a quick un-scientific poll?

1. Do you currently develop in .Net (you know it and use it on a regular
basis)
2. Are you learning .Net for a project (your just starting out with it and
have done a small project or two).
3. Don't know anything about it, but are interested in it.
4. Could care less.

  I'm firmly at #4 for the moment.

Jim Dettman
(315) 699-3443
jimdettman at earthlink.net

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Griffiths,
Richard
Sent: Monday, September 13, 2004 5:20 AM
To: AccessD at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: [AccessD] MS Access to VB6 or VB.net


Hi Group

After advice and thoughts.  I have a piece of commercial software (library
s/ware for schools) written with A97 FE and BE.  I am about to rewrite and
can't decide over VB6 FE/A2K(DAO) BE or VB.net FE / A2K BE.(reason for
change to VB as opposed to MS Access is that the VB footprint will be
smaller 1-2mb [easier to email/download and manage than my 12-13 mb Access
FE]).

On one hand the VB6 route will be quicker to develop (no learning curve) and
I think to deploy. On the other hand VB.Net is the future (most
likely!!)(and learning and developing in this will be more interesting and
will spur me on) but I am concerned (mainly) about deployment as my users
are not very IT literate and their pc's (at this time) are not up-to-date
(some W95 many W98 32-64mb ram - I know .net is no go on W95).  So
deployment of .net requires not only the framework but they need minimal
Data Access 2.7, IE 5.01, Windows installer etc also installed.  But 6-12
months down the line I don't want to be in the posistion that having used
VB6 to then consider rewriting in Vb.net.

What I can't gauge here is how significant these issues are (and any other
issues).  So what I am hoping to get here is how you would approach this
conundrum - tried and tested VB6 or new VB.net?

Thanks

Richard



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