[AccessD] VBA abandoned in Office 2008 for Mac

Hello Ken,

<<<
Extremely interesting read. In theory, managed code should be as fast as 
unmanaged
>>>
Yes, but it looks like managed code is as fast as unmanaged only in theory:
there were several attempts inside MS (WinFX/WinFS?, WPF?) to write parts of
MS Windows using managed code - they all failed...

Of course managed code is speedy enough for custom application development
for modern PCs...

<<<
An interesting project (that I don't have time for) is to use Richard's 
analysis tools to gauge the penetration of .NET code into the Office 
2007 code base. If the new development is primarily unmanaged COM code, 
that would seem to bode well for native VBA. But if it is mostly in 
.NET, then VBA's place in the new order is less certain.
>>>
AFAIMG the core MS Office 2007 software products: MS Word, MS Excel, MS
Access are still 99.99% COM. (0.01% I gave to MS Office 2007 Primary Interop
Assemblies). Some managed add-ins has been written for MS Outlook 2007.
That's it?

<<<
The response is new XML-based file formats, and 'sandboxing' VBA. How 
much of the old COM code is vulnerable is anyone's guess.
>>>
I'd think that new XML-based file formats are to attempt to conquer/coexist
well with Web 2.0, to compete with Google... (and .NET Framework was/is an
"answer" on Java challenge - very impressive and useful for custom
application software development answer IMO).

--
Shamil
 
-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Ken Ismert
Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 9:17 PM
To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: Re: [AccessD] VBA abandoned in Office 2008 for Mac


(Martin)
 > here you go and I quote from a source who knows.
 > "VBA Will still be supported in Office"

There you have it indeed. I share Martin's interpretation of that statement.

(Shamil)
 > Have a look at article titled "Welcome to the 4% Operating System" on
 > this web site - http://www.richardgrimes.com/

Extremely interesting read. In theory, managed code should be as fast as 
unmanaged (see "Is Managed Code Slower Than Unmanaged Code?" on the same 
site). But, further reading ("Is .NET A Wrapper Around Win32?") reveals 
that the .NET framework itself is incorporating *more* unmanaged code 
with each release.

Performance could be a legitimate reason for keeping the old Office code 
base, but there must be more going on. Inertia? Politics? However, if 
the 'rock' is performance, then the 'hard place' is security. The old 
Office file formats, and VBA, have proven to be fundamentally unsound. 
The response is new XML-based file formats, and 'sandboxing' VBA. How 
much of the old COM code is vulnerable is anyone's guess.

An interesting project (that I don't have time for) is to use Richard's 
analysis tools to gauge the penetration of .NET code into the Office 
2007 code base. If the new development is primarily unmanaged COM code, 
that would seem to bode well for native VBA. But if it is mostly in 
.NET, then VBA's place in the new order is less certain.

-Ken

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