Why Upgrade to .NET
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I have an application that was written in VB6 (lots of spaghetti code), that I am trying to get the business to upgrade to .net (redesign). What are some reasons that could be used to entice the business to upgrade? I know the following: 1. Microsoft no longer supports VB6 so any future software releases (office, OS, etc.) could break functionality. 2. Maintenance Cost will be cheaper. 3. Fewer bugs due to better design, unit testing (nUnit) Anyone got anymore? Thanks in advance.
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I have an application that was written in VB6 (lots of spaghetti code), that I am trying to get the business to upgrade to .net (redesign). What are some reasons that could be used to entice the business to upgrade? I know the following: 1. Microsoft no longer supports VB6 so any future software releases (office, OS, etc.) could break functionality. 2. Maintenance Cost will be cheaper. 3. Fewer bugs due to better design, unit testing (nUnit) Anyone got anymore? Thanks in advance.
Well, fewer bugs are not guarenteed. If your current code is spagetti, it probably is a sign that the coding process needs to be improved, no language will do that. It also increases the odds that you'll have a really bad time trying to turn your code base into a VB.NET project. I hate to say it, but an upgrade for it's own sake is not always a good idea. You may lose time trying to get back to the point you're at now ( that is, in converting to VB2005 ). You may introduce bugs. Unless you need stuff that's in the framework, or you just want to work in a supported framework, it's possible that upgrading is not a good idea. Have you downloaded the VB Express Edition to see how your code fares in the upgrade process ? Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++
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Well, fewer bugs are not guarenteed. If your current code is spagetti, it probably is a sign that the coding process needs to be improved, no language will do that. It also increases the odds that you'll have a really bad time trying to turn your code base into a VB.NET project. I hate to say it, but an upgrade for it's own sake is not always a good idea. You may lose time trying to get back to the point you're at now ( that is, in converting to VB2005 ). You may introduce bugs. Unless you need stuff that's in the framework, or you just want to work in a supported framework, it's possible that upgrading is not a good idea. Have you downloaded the VB Express Edition to see how your code fares in the upgrade process ? Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++
I agree with you that the coding process needs to be improved. I inherited this application when I took a new job. The app is updated/enhanced about once or twice a month. Currently, these changes are taking longer to implement because the code is performing the same functionality in several different places. My motiviation for moving the application to .Net is to redesign/rewrite the application (it is not a large app, it should only take 2 months to rewrite). My problem is I can't go to the business and say the current application is a mess and needs to be rewritten, but I can say VB6 is no longer supported by Microsoft. But I need to provide more reasons for upgrading. Thanks. Any ideas?
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I agree with you that the coding process needs to be improved. I inherited this application when I took a new job. The app is updated/enhanced about once or twice a month. Currently, these changes are taking longer to implement because the code is performing the same functionality in several different places. My motiviation for moving the application to .Net is to redesign/rewrite the application (it is not a large app, it should only take 2 months to rewrite). My problem is I can't go to the business and say the current application is a mess and needs to be rewritten, but I can say VB6 is no longer supported by Microsoft. But I need to provide more reasons for upgrading. Thanks. Any ideas?
mr_12345 wrote:
My problem is I can't go to the business and say the current application is a mess and needs to be rewritten
Why not ? You didn't write it. Point out that the app will in the long term be more cost effective for them if it's rewritten so that it's easier to extend and maintain. Point out the cost benefits of moving to a modern framework with support for lots of stuff that's not there in VB6. Point out the benefits of being able to run VB.NET code through VSTO and SQL Server 2005 stored procs ( if you use a database ). Unless your boss wrote it, if you talk in terms of cost benefit, you're talking their language. Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++
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I agree with you that the coding process needs to be improved. I inherited this application when I took a new job. The app is updated/enhanced about once or twice a month. Currently, these changes are taking longer to implement because the code is performing the same functionality in several different places. My motiviation for moving the application to .Net is to redesign/rewrite the application (it is not a large app, it should only take 2 months to rewrite). My problem is I can't go to the business and say the current application is a mess and needs to be rewritten, but I can say VB6 is no longer supported by Microsoft. But I need to provide more reasons for upgrading. Thanks. Any ideas?
Don't try to con your employers into letting you re-write it in .NET by telling them VB6 is no longer supported; tell them the truth and inform them of the costs, benefits, and dangers then let them make the decision. Another aspect is that you need not port the whole application at once. You could test the waters by making a new component or recoding an existing one using .NET and use interop. In my opinion this is the best approach. Steve
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mr_12345 wrote:
My problem is I can't go to the business and say the current application is a mess and needs to be rewritten
Why not ? You didn't write it. Point out that the app will in the long term be more cost effective for them if it's rewritten so that it's easier to extend and maintain. Point out the cost benefits of moving to a modern framework with support for lots of stuff that's not there in VB6. Point out the benefits of being able to run VB.NET code through VSTO and SQL Server 2005 stored procs ( if you use a database ). Unless your boss wrote it, if you talk in terms of cost benefit, you're talking their language. Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++
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I have an application that was written in VB6 (lots of spaghetti code), that I am trying to get the business to upgrade to .net (redesign). What are some reasons that could be used to entice the business to upgrade? I know the following: 1. Microsoft no longer supports VB6 so any future software releases (office, OS, etc.) could break functionality. 2. Maintenance Cost will be cheaper. 3. Fewer bugs due to better design, unit testing (nUnit) Anyone got anymore? Thanks in advance.
mr_12345 wrote:
What are some reasons that could be used to entice the business to upgrade?
Everybody else is doing it. (Might seem like a joke at first, but it isn't.) ---------- Some problems are so complex that you have to be highly intelligent and well informed just to be undecided about them. - Laurence J. Peters
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Don't try to con your employers into letting you re-write it in .NET by telling them VB6 is no longer supported; tell them the truth and inform them of the costs, benefits, and dangers then let them make the decision. Another aspect is that you need not port the whole application at once. You could test the waters by making a new component or recoding an existing one using .NET and use interop. In my opinion this is the best approach. Steve
VB6 IS no longer supported. I'm a moderator on the MSDN forums, and we lock VB6 questions and tell them to find help elsewhere. Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++
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VB6 IS no longer supported. I'm a moderator on the MSDN forums, and we lock VB6 questions and tell them to find help elsewhere. Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++
My intention was NOT to suggest that VB6 was supported, it was in response the following comment from the OP: "My motiviation for moving the application to .Net is to redesign/rewrite the application (it is not a large app, it should only take 2 months to rewrite). My problem is I can't go to the business and say the current application is a mess and needs to be rewritten, but I can say VB6 is no longer supported by Microsoft. But I need to provide more reasons for upgrading." I have underlined bits to make my point clearer. Hopefully what I meant when I said, "don't try to con your employer" is now a bit clearer. Steve
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I have an application that was written in VB6 (lots of spaghetti code), that I am trying to get the business to upgrade to .net (redesign). What are some reasons that could be used to entice the business to upgrade? I know the following: 1. Microsoft no longer supports VB6 so any future software releases (office, OS, etc.) could break functionality. 2. Maintenance Cost will be cheaper. 3. Fewer bugs due to better design, unit testing (nUnit) Anyone got anymore? Thanks in advance.
Have a look at this site http://msdn.microsoft.com/vbrun/vbfus[^]ion/ and watch the video "When to Use Visual Basic Fusion" It should give you some arguments. Kevin
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I have an application that was written in VB6 (lots of spaghetti code), that I am trying to get the business to upgrade to .net (redesign). What are some reasons that could be used to entice the business to upgrade? I know the following: 1. Microsoft no longer supports VB6 so any future software releases (office, OS, etc.) could break functionality. 2. Maintenance Cost will be cheaper. 3. Fewer bugs due to better design, unit testing (nUnit) Anyone got anymore? Thanks in advance.
Oops, got the link wrong. http://msdn.microsoft.com/vbrun/vbfusion/[^] Kevin