Your safe journey from VB 6 to REALbasic
A letter to our friends, enemies and everyone in-between - updated 18 Aug. 2007
Let's face it, many Microsoft Visual Basic 6 users are looking for a more modern alternative. Some of us have tried VB.NET, some of us have tried Delphi or even Java. But the thing is, if you've been a VB 6 user for a while, you've got used to the language, and moving to something that's not like VB 6 is counterproductive and sometimes frustrating.
One solution is REALbasic from REAL Software. REALbasic, or RB for short, is somewhat similar to VB 6, is able to compile your code not only for Microsoft Windows, but also Macintosh OS X and Linux! Not too bad, eh? Of course, REALbasic is different enough where conversion of your VB 6 project is necessary before using it in REALbasic. As of this writing, you cannot directly import or otherwise use VB 6 project files in today's versions of REALbasic.
The VBPC
When REAL Software was about to release the next-generation of REALbasic, version 2005, they apparently decided to quickly throw together a converter that would convert Visual Basic 6 projects to REALbasic. This converter is called the Visual Basic Project Converter, or VBPC for short. While REAL seemed to have good intentions, the VBPC has languished in disrepair for the longest time, with the last update being March 2005. That's a while ago! Although many, including myself, have asked REAL to fix the VBPC, it just doesn't seem like a priority right now.
REAL made a big push a few months before REALbasic 2005 came out, issuing a press release welcoming Visual Basic 6 users to the fold. It was around this time when Microsoft was abandoning mainstream support for VB 6, so REAL saw an opportunity and tried to run with it.
Based on REAL's current lack of action regarding the VBPC, it now seems like REAL just doesn't care about selling to VB 6 users anymore, or they have so little resources that they simply can't update the VBPC. This is unfortunate, because there are still many VB 6 users out there who would like to switch to REALbasic, but with REAL not taking any visible action with their VBPC, things have been looking bleak for these VB 6 users.
Seeing nothing encouraging about REAL's VBPC on the horizon, I decided to take action, and VB Convert! is the fruit of that action.
VB Convert! comes to life
Taking a couple of months to complete the core of VB Convert!, I started testing it with as many VB 6 projects as possible. I had a few people volunteer to test VB Convert!, but of all the folks thus far, Davebert, Softbase, Anthony Cyphers and fadrianoc are the hardest working of them all, sacrificing their free time and resources to test and help improve VB Convert! And what will they get for their troubles? A free copy of VB Convert! Standard, and Pro when it comes out, as well as lifetime updates to both. They may even get other software from us for free, simply because they put a great deal of effort into helping me with VB Convert!
Here's what YOU can do
On the date of this writing, VB Convert! Standard is nearly complete and is going through final testing. I don't really require any more testers for the Standard edition, but I am getting ready to recruit some more testers for the Pro version.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND...I hand-pick those who test for me. Please don't take this as an insult, but I don't just let everyone join the testing program. If someone does write me and asks to join, I usually e-mail back and forth with them a few times, then have one or more IM (instant message) conversations and then make my decision. Don't take it personally if I don't approve you; I'm just looking for a certain 'mix' in my testers and at the same time try to keep the number of people working with alphas and betas at a manageable number.
So, if you work with VB 6 on a regular basis, have some VB 6 projects you'd like to try to convert and have enough spare time to help test VB Convert! Pro, please feel free to e-mail me your desire. If chosen, you will be compensated with either a discount, a free copy of VB Convert! and maybe even more...it just depends on your contributions and the efforts you put into testing VB Convert!
There are other ways you can help, too:
A while ago, at the suggestion of one tester, I put the VB Convert! demo up for anyone to download, but while I got tons of people downloading, only a small fraction actually asked for install passwords, and none of the recent people who downloaded have even posted any kind of feedback on the VB Convert! forums. This is not beneficial to me or the development of VB Convert! because the whole point was to get feedback, not just have a download frenzy. So, until further notice, alpha and beta releases will not be available to the general public, only to official testers.
Thank you!
I truly want to recognize Davebert, Softbase, Anthony Cyphers, fadrianoc and jdiwnab for their tireless efforts, and want to thank the newer folks who will join, as well. Together we can make a great product, and allow REAL to retire, delete, set fire to and otherwise destroy the VBPC, once and for all.
Let's face it, many Microsoft Visual Basic 6 users are looking for a more modern alternative. Some of us have tried VB.NET, some of us have tried Delphi or even Java. But the thing is, if you've been a VB 6 user for a while, you've got used to the language, and moving to something that's not like VB 6 is counterproductive and sometimes frustrating.
One solution is REALbasic from REAL Software. REALbasic, or RB for short, is somewhat similar to VB 6, is able to compile your code not only for Microsoft Windows, but also Macintosh OS X and Linux! Not too bad, eh? Of course, REALbasic is different enough where conversion of your VB 6 project is necessary before using it in REALbasic. As of this writing, you cannot directly import or otherwise use VB 6 project files in today's versions of REALbasic.
The VBPC
When REAL Software was about to release the next-generation of REALbasic, version 2005, they apparently decided to quickly throw together a converter that would convert Visual Basic 6 projects to REALbasic. This converter is called the Visual Basic Project Converter, or VBPC for short. While REAL seemed to have good intentions, the VBPC has languished in disrepair for the longest time, with the last update being March 2005. That's a while ago! Although many, including myself, have asked REAL to fix the VBPC, it just doesn't seem like a priority right now.
REAL made a big push a few months before REALbasic 2005 came out, issuing a press release welcoming Visual Basic 6 users to the fold. It was around this time when Microsoft was abandoning mainstream support for VB 6, so REAL saw an opportunity and tried to run with it.
Based on REAL's current lack of action regarding the VBPC, it now seems like REAL just doesn't care about selling to VB 6 users anymore, or they have so little resources that they simply can't update the VBPC. This is unfortunate, because there are still many VB 6 users out there who would like to switch to REALbasic, but with REAL not taking any visible action with their VBPC, things have been looking bleak for these VB 6 users.
Seeing nothing encouraging about REAL's VBPC on the horizon, I decided to take action, and VB Convert! is the fruit of that action.
VB Convert! comes to life
Taking a couple of months to complete the core of VB Convert!, I started testing it with as many VB 6 projects as possible. I had a few people volunteer to test VB Convert!, but of all the folks thus far, Davebert, Softbase, Anthony Cyphers and fadrianoc are the hardest working of them all, sacrificing their free time and resources to test and help improve VB Convert! And what will they get for their troubles? A free copy of VB Convert! Standard, and Pro when it comes out, as well as lifetime updates to both. They may even get other software from us for free, simply because they put a great deal of effort into helping me with VB Convert!
Here's what YOU can do
On the date of this writing, VB Convert! Standard is nearly complete and is going through final testing. I don't really require any more testers for the Standard edition, but I am getting ready to recruit some more testers for the Pro version.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND...I hand-pick those who test for me. Please don't take this as an insult, but I don't just let everyone join the testing program. If someone does write me and asks to join, I usually e-mail back and forth with them a few times, then have one or more IM (instant message) conversations and then make my decision. Don't take it personally if I don't approve you; I'm just looking for a certain 'mix' in my testers and at the same time try to keep the number of people working with alphas and betas at a manageable number.
So, if you work with VB 6 on a regular basis, have some VB 6 projects you'd like to try to convert and have enough spare time to help test VB Convert! Pro, please feel free to e-mail me your desire. If chosen, you will be compensated with either a discount, a free copy of VB Convert! and maybe even more...it just depends on your contributions and the efforts you put into testing VB Convert!
There are other ways you can help, too:
- A legal donation of a current REALbasic Pro license for Windows would be invaluable.
Thanks to a wonderful and generous individual, I now have a REALbasic Pro license. Thank you so much!! :D
- VNC access to PCs with Vista would help enormously with testing as I don't have Vista.
- VNC access to an Intel Mac would be super for testing Mac builds
- Monetary donations would be gladly accepted
- Any lending or donations of Macs or newer PC parts would make a positive difference.
A while ago, at the suggestion of one tester, I put the VB Convert! demo up for anyone to download, but while I got tons of people downloading, only a small fraction actually asked for install passwords, and none of the recent people who downloaded have even posted any kind of feedback on the VB Convert! forums. This is not beneficial to me or the development of VB Convert! because the whole point was to get feedback, not just have a download frenzy. So, until further notice, alpha and beta releases will not be available to the general public, only to official testers.
Thank you!
I truly want to recognize Davebert, Softbase, Anthony Cyphers, fadrianoc and jdiwnab for their tireless efforts, and want to thank the newer folks who will join, as well. Together we can make a great product, and allow REAL to retire, delete, set fire to and otherwise destroy the VBPC, once and for all.
Last updated 10 January 2008
VB Convert! is not a product of REAL Software.
AYB Technical Services is in no way associated with REAL Software.