James Sapara’s Personal Blog

I’m working with VB6 at work. This list is not nearly complete, but it does represent all the problems I had today with VB6. I’m sure I’ll remember some more as it bits my ass over the next week. In no particular order of importance, here they are:

1. Code that works in VB.Net and should in theory work in VB6 (with the appropriate changes) never does.
2. Modules are static classes and everyone uses them way too much.
3. Dependencies with OCX and DLL files are cached in some queer system that is supposed to save me time. More often than not it buggers the project up on release.
4. The Intellesense line complete is retarded 99% of the time.
5. Building your project requires you to specify where to save; and, what the file name is every time.
6. The errors VB passes along are generic to the point where it may as well say, “Something bad happend. Insert MsgBox someplace random.”
7. The only way to debug an app with any degree of accuracy is with lots of MsgBox’s.
8. Add a new Module, Class or User Control. Try to compile without saving your project first. Watch it burn in flames.
9. Doesn’t auto save before debug. If you get some sort of long msgbox loop from debugging there is no way to stop it other than killing Visual Studio 6. Redo all work.
10. Pretend enums, even thou we have enums in VB6. Apparently they decided not to use them for anything remotely intellegent.
11. Take two integers (whole numbers) and divide them. Usually you would expect an integer as a result, but with VB if the result is not a whole number it returns a float. If it is a whole number it returns an integer. Makes you wrap all your integer math in CInt()/Int() if you want it to be sane. Added August 22nd, 2007
12. VS VB6 seems to forget where referenced DLL’s are; or, just ignores where it knows they are and pretends they’re not there. The result of this is that any “object” that used the reference is removed from the code, along with any attributes customized for it. Added August 22nd, 2007
13. There is no undo for moving form elements. If you had an exactly placed element and accidentally moved it your hooped.Added August 24th, 2007

Note on August 24th, 2007: I realize many of these issues are fixed in later editions. My point here is that I shouldn’t be developing software in VB6… it’s wasting my time.

So yesterday I got an email confirming the mailing address of my loft. At the same time they provided me an update on possession dates. Turns out they are going to allow progressive occupation of the building starting from the 5th floor working down. That works out alright for me, since I’m on the 4th floor. Unfortunately my projected time for moving in has gone from November/December to January/February now. I’ve updated the countdown on the side of the page to reflect a Feb 1st possession. This also messes up all my financing… *sigh*