Here is an excerpt from an article that Greg DeMichillie wrote on Directions on Microsoft April Edition:
"The planned follow-on release to Windows Vista, code-named Windows 7, will not include the Visual Basic 6.0 (VB 6) runtime libraries, Microsoft has begun informing customers. This sets a timeframe for the final end of support for the runtime."
As we have informed on several occasion in this Blog, Microsoft is performing all the normal steps to retire a technology from market. Visual Basic 6 was/is a tremendously popular technology but never the less it will have to go away.
Jarvis Coffin once said: "All technologies fade away, but they don’t die." This is most probably what is going to happen to VB6 (hey.. we still have COBOL code written more than 30 years ago that is alive and kicking!!!) but the question I have for you is: will you embrace the new technology? Or will you fade away with it?
It is time to upgrade your skills as a developer and also to migrate your application to greener grounds.
ArtinSoft has been hugely successful at migrating customers as Eric Nelson (Microsoft UK DPE and blogger) recently mentioned: "Artinsoft have a lot of VB6 migration experience and can help you do the migration - either by licensing their VB Upgrade Companion or by taking advantage of their migration services. Artinsoft are doing some great work with some of my UK ISVs helping them move off VB6."
If you have any questions or comments regarding your migration strategy let's cover them in this blog.
UPDATE March 11th 2009: The title of this post was: "VB Runtime NOT in next Windows". However, Microsoft has recently updated the support policy for Visual Basic 6 Runtime. The new policy states that the VB runtime is now supported for the full lifecycle of Windows 7.
PS: You can read the inflammatory comments I got over the past week below!
The date has arrived Visual Basic 6 leaves Extended support today.
Rob Helm recently wrote on "Directions on Microsoft": "Some organizations will let support lapse on the VB6 development environment, gambling that any serious problems in the VB6 environment has already been discovered" Additionally, Rob adds: "... organizations remaining loyal to VB6 applications will have to make increasingly heroic efforts to keep those applications running as their IT environments change."
Organizations that GAMBLE with their business continuity, IT professionals that need to make HEROIC efforts to keep applications running! Don't you believe that maintaining an IT organization supporting a business is already enough of an effort to add to the mix unsupported applications?
Do you plan to be a GAMBLING HERO or is it about time to consider ways out of Visual Basic 6?
Well this might be just the right time. ArtinSoft is about to release a new version of the Visual Basic Upgrade companion. The effort required to migrate has been reduced even further and it now makes more sense than ever to automatically upgrade your applications to C# or VB.NET.
Have you been procrastinating the decision to move? Act now!!