VB 6 lacks on 1 important thing and that a console. So every time you need a simple program to give output or receive input, you need to create tools for that. As creating objects and event driven code is not a difficult thing in vb, one might forget that creating it all by code, will produce something that is not easy to read.
So what is so different between C and VB 6? - a lot. But this tutorial tries to fill one huge gap, that novice programmers would find. This tutorial teaches how to use console as they are used in C.
Well we need a console, something that did not came with vb 6, so we need to write it. As writing 1 is not to difficult, many could do it, but probably it would be lacking some functionality or would not be powerful as it is in C.
So knowing the fact, that +95% of code you ever write, is already written by someone in some form, would make you think:"Has someone ever thought of this problem before me, and was the problem solved?". In this case, it has been solved - look on this web page; and download the VB console written by Karl E. Peterson.
Now you have the console written for you (file:MConsole.bas), and you can start using it. One could write his(/hers) own console, but this is quite impressive by itself.
1) Start VB 6, make new standard exe.
As to show we are not using other means, then just code, remove the form IDE builder. (Project->remove form1)
2) Add a module (Project->add module)
Note that now there must be a Main() procedure in module, and when you run a program, the programs lifetime is determined by the lifetime of the main() procedure.
Sample program of Hello World would now look like:
Sub Main() MsgBox ("Hello World") End Sub
Now lets try to do this on console
3) Add an existing module MConsole.bas to the project. (Project->add module->existing module:navigate and choose MConsole.bas from the zipped file)
4) Now you need to initialize the console, so 1 why to do this is:
Option Explicit Public Sub Main(): If Con.Initialize = conLaunchExplorer Then Con.Visible = False Con.WriteLine "Hello world!" End Sub
Now when you understand how to create simplest console program, learn some simple things like input Data = Con.Readline() or something like that.
Write a code that asks users - name and year of bright and would greet him and calculate something about his age.
Option Explicit Public Sub Main(): If Con.Initialize = conLaunchExplorer Then Con.Visible = False Dim Data1 As String, Data2 As Integer Con.WriteLine "What is your name?" Data1 = Con.ReadLine Con.WriteLine "On which year where you born?" Data2 = Con.ReadLine Con.WriteLine "Hello " & Data1 & " i am CPU. You are " & _ IIf(2007 - Data2 < 19, "a kid.", "eligable to drink vodka.") End Sub
Now if you think that is simple, translate some C snippets to vb.