What C# tools do you recommend?

Slow Eddie

I am trying to convert my VB6 code to C# (Desktop programs). I am looking for tools that will help increase my efficiency and shorten the learning curve. Any suggestions? Other than "give it up!" :laugh:

If everything seems to be going well you are obviously overlooking someone or something....

CodeWraith

This[^] is the traditional method of conversion.

I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.

Nathan Minier

Resharper. And don't give it up, C# isn't terribly difficult. Like an English muffin, it just has many nooks and crannies, and is infinitely better with butter(Resharper). I would suggest a functional clone rather than direct conversion, though. It's unlikely that a VB6 program is structured in a way that will work well in C#.

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." - Benjamin Disraeli

Nish Nishant

Unless it's less than 1000 lines of code, avoid auto-conversion software. I'd strongly recommend re-designing and then re-writing it in C#. The re-design is important because things are done way differently in modern .NET than it was during the VB6 days.

Nish Nishant Consultant Software Architect Ganymede Software Solutions LLC www.ganymedesoftwaresolutions.com

W Balboos GHB

Delete and rewrite? Seriously - give that a thought: the logical flow is not the same in these two languages. I remember way back, when I was teaching myself C and how, after some time, I finally stopped writing FORTRAN programs with C syntax and started to write real C programs. That goes for your conversion, too. Now, dropping that VB6, is your chance to finally do it right!

Ravings en masse^

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

"If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

ZurdoDev

:thumbsup:

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who can extrapolate from incomplete data. There are only 10 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don't.

Slow Eddie

Thanks, I will check it out. And yes I am actually re-writing a functional clone as you suggest. Sorry I did not make that clearer. The Program is around 400,000 lines of code. :omg:

Slow Eddie

Thanks, I will check it out. And yes I am actually re-writing a functional clone as you suggest. Sorry I did not make that clearer. The Program is around 400,000 lines of code.

CodeWraith

Nathan Minier wrote:

Resharper.

Gesundheit! Honestly, I love that nagging thing almost as much as I do JavaScript!

I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.

Nish Nishant

Yeah, you'd need to re-think the database schema, what database approach to use, do you keep it as desktop or do you roll out parts of it as web apps, host it on the cloud (AWS/Azure), use SOA and componentize the application structure, using Web API wrapper layers, designing for scalability, etc. Sounds like a really fun project. :thumbsup:

Nish Nishant Consultant Software Architect Ganymede Software Solutions LLC www.ganymedesoftwaresolutions.com

HobbyProggy

Best Tool for me is ReSharper

Rules for the FOSW ![^]

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Slow Eddie

Yes I am actually re-writing a functional clone as you suggest. Sorry I did not make that clearer. The Program is around 400,000 lines of code. Can't delete, too many clients still successfully running their businesses with the VB6 code. :rolleyes:

all out of aphorisms...

Nathan Minier

No worries, just wanted to make sure you didn't end up down the rabbit hole :)

"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." - Benjamin Disraeli

W Balboos GHB

No real problem: let them keep doing what they're doing. Meanwhile, you write and debug the replacement. Switch over the willing. Note that, down the line, you'll have a much better chance of maintaining your (new) code.

Ravings en masse^

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein

"If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010

Jim_Snyder

He isn't kidding. I would LOVE to get into a project like that!

Slow Eddie

Converted database schema to SqlServer years ago. The VB6 Code runs fine on SQLServer2016. Using CodeTrigger to create the data access layers. Like it a lot.:cool:

Old men need love and respect too... (Did not believe this when I was 25...

Dan Neely

What might be useful, if it exists, is a tool that would let you embed C# in VB6 or vice versa allowing you to incrementally rebuild the app one module at a time. THis's dependent on the legacy apps structure not being too horrible; but at 400k lines and worked well enough to be kept alive this long I'm assuming that it did have more software engineering that the average craplication that earned VB6 so much hate over the years.

Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, weighing all things in the balance of reason? Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful? --Zachris Topelius Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies. -- Sarah Hoyt

Slacker007

Nathan Minier wrote:

Resharper.

:thumbsup::thumbsup:

Slow Eddie

I have been a firm believer in Rokford Lhotka's Business Objects....

F ES Sitecore

If all you're doing is converting it then what do you hope to gain? If you're not prepared to rewrite it just leave it as it is.