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<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Mike:
no i meant is there a way to create vb 6 programs that don't need the net framework? <hr></blockquote><p>VB6 does not require the .Net framework. Some components that you might use in your program will require certain OCX and .Dlls that are included in VB SP5. XP comes complete will VB SP5, but older machines do not.<p>My version did not come with the .Net Framework, some do. If you are going to distribute a program written in .Net, you can include the necessary files and the framework in the installation package as you would with dependency files in VB6

Come on. Please let's dispense with the MicroSHAFT VB.net stuff. Lets go to a more platform independent programming environment. Try JAVA! There are lots of freely available programming tools, sites, and learning tools available, including embedded programmings for smaller micro-controllers. VB.net and the other MicroSHAFT tools are tied to only MicroSHAFT's system.<p>Don't get me wrong, I use MicroSHAFT products as well (Only because I have to at work and some of the design tools I need to use MPASM and such are tied to Windoze). But I try to use Open Source items as much as possable. I know that SUN's JAVA is not OS yet either but it is freely available.

Sorry to interupt, but what does the ".net" mean? I searched VB.net and it appears to be simply the next version of VB after VB6. But then I believe I stumbled on alot of other ".net" suffixes on other programs.<p>I am guessing that ".net" means that they have revised the language to better interact with the internet?

Tommy,<p>.Net has some to do with the internet. <p>.Net is Microsofts new language framework. Better security, integration and cross platform delvelopment are all advantages of .Net.<p>Before, with Microsoft Visual Studio, you would have to write a .Dll in C# or C++ and calling it from VB would be a major pain. Now, the languages are integrated so it's a non-issue.<p>Visual Studio .Net integrates; C++, C#, ASP, VB
and has suffexed the language name with .Net. <p>One of the best advantages id that an application can in fact be composed of pieces made in ANY combination of the .NET supported languages (not limited, by the way to the Microsoft provided languages - VB.NET. C++.NET, C#, J#, but the set CAN ALSO include FORTRAN.NET, COBOL.NET, Eifel.NET, Delphi.NET, and so on, in ANY mixture). Then developers can work in their own favorite, and can even debug cross-language. And all of the various parts become part of the FINAL solution.<p>**Information on .Net **<p>http://www.microsoft.com/net/
http://www.microsoft.com/net/business/it_pros.asp<p>** To start learning .Net **
http://www.asp.net
http://www.gotdotnet.com
http://www.codeproject.com
http://www.aspalliance.com

Save your valuable brain cells... don't get stuck watching insomnia-curing Microsoft VB how-to movies... there are no more free copies of VB to go around...

i think we all know that,<p>This post was originally started a few months ago, right now were just discussing the copies we got.<p>Anyway, what I asked about vb 6 and .net was isn't there a way to create a program in vb .net and export it to vb6 executable that doesn't need the vb .net framework installed?

I don't know. <p>John Paul.

I wish it was possible to do that kind of conversion. But unfortunately, it is not possible, at least to my knowledge. This is partially due to the massive amounts of controls that vb.net has compared to the small number that vb6 has.<p>On the other hand, it is possible to convert a vb6 project over to a vb.net project. All you would need is to use the project conversion wizard provided in vb.net.<p>Harrison

I can't find program examples for running a stepper. None that I can open up in the visual studio anyway. I have the inpout32.dll declaration in place. The sleep declaration I found on this site may be helpfull . I have the old qb programs from the book Controling the World with Your PC. I have the interface boards I made when I did this on an old 386. I'm using an addon port card that XP put at memory location 9000 instead of 378,278 or 3BC , and no, XP won't let me change it. Something else to worry with.
Any ideas?

GaryR

First, there is a electronics orientated VB + net book coming out, it is published by a European electronics magazine, it cost £27.50 + 8.00 P&P. Not available until week 18 (May) of this year.

I don't think they have much of a distribution in th eUS these days, so I'll mention it here Elektor.

Second, you can download VB 2005 Express edition free from Microsoft's MSDN website.

Colin[/url]

Yes, went to the site, read the review. While it may seem a bit pricy, I think it'd be well worth it. Likely will be like $40 or so in USD. I think it'd be a nice adition to any port hacker's book shelf. Might keep in mind there may be applications other than hobby use.

GaryR

I wrote a HEX code dowloader for the AVR microprocessors, using Visual Basic 6 - which I've used for years.
Out of curiosity I converted it to VB Express Edition (VBEE) 2005 (free from Micro$oft).

The program has a lot of user interface stuff, serial I/O and file I/O plus it uses winsock for TCP and UDP. Microsoft's VB6 to VBEE translator spit out a huge collection of new files. Using my newly installed VBEE, I spent a half hour changing things the traslator couldn't do and fixing a few things. Then it ran with the new XP look and feel.
I've then been enhancing the program using VBEE.

My conclusions:

VBEE is not "basic" by any means. It's a small recoloring of C#.
If you're good with VB6 and get the concepts of class modules as in C++ you can do this. But why not just skip VBEE?

The VBEE development environment suffers from much data and little information, in terms of the user documentation. It's horrible.

The run time for the .NET to me seems like it's morbidly obese. And that's understated.

My program in EXE form does run. My AMD 1800 CPU with 512MB RAM struggles. Once it loads, my program runs well.

Microsoft has not preserved the easy-to-learn/use nature of VB6.

As in today's C++ and C# and Java, the programmer's thoughts are 80% consumed on how to use the tools leaving only 20% for thinking about the problem. I found the opposite to be true as I used VB6 for great rapid-app development.

Or maybe I'm just too old.