Visual Basic (classic)

This article is about the Visual Basic language that shipped with Microsoft Visual Studio pre-.NET. For the current Visual Basic language, based on .NET, see Visual Basic (.NET).
Not to be confused with VBScript.
Visual Basic
Visual Basic 6.0 IDE running on Windows XP
ParadigmObject-based and event-driven
DeveloperMicrosoft
First appearedMay 1991; 33 years ago (1991-05)
Final release
6.0 / 1998; 26 years ago (1998)
Typing disciplineStatic, strong
OSMicrosoft Windows and MS-DOS
Websitelearn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/visualstudio/visual-basic-6/visual-basic-6.0-documentation
Major implementations
Microsoft Visual Studio
Influenced by
BASIC, Microsoft BASIC, QBasic
Influenced
Visual Basic .NET, Visual Basic for Applications, Windows Forms, Gambas, Xojo, Basic4ppc, Basic4android, and NS Basic

Visual Basic (VB) before .NET, sometimes referred to as Classic Visual Basic,[1] [2] is a third-generation programming language, based on BASIC, and an integrated development environment (IDE), from Microsoft for Windows known for supporting rapid application development (RAD) of graphical user interface (GUI) applications, event-driven programming and both consumption and development of components via the Component Object Model (COM) technology.

VB was first released in 1991. The final release was version 6 (VB6) in 1998. On April 8, 2008, Microsoft stopped supporting the VB6 IDE, relegating it to legacy. The Microsoft VB team still maintains compatibility for VB6 applications through its "It Just Works" program on supported Windows operating systems.[3]

Microsoft significantly changed VB for the .NET technology and rebranded it Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET), and then later rebranded it back to Visual Basic. Therefore, Visual Basic can refer to a classic version, a .NET version or both. This article is about the versions before .NET.

Just as BASIC was originally intended to be easy to learn, Microsoft intended the same for VB.[4][5]

Development of a VB application is exclusively supported via the VB integrated development environment (IDE) – an application in the Visual Studio suite of tools of that era. Unlike modern versions of Visual Studio that support many languages including VB (.NET), the VB IDE supports just VB.

In 2014, some software developers still preferred Visual Basic 6.0 over its successor, Visual Basic .NET.[6] Visual Basic 6.0 was selected as the most dreaded programming language by respondents of Stack Overflow's annual developer survey in 2016, 2017, and 2018.[7][8][9]

  1. ^ "The Classic Visual Basic Programming Language". TIOBE. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
  2. ^ "Classic VB". Visual Studio Magazine. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  3. ^ "Support Statement for Visual Basic 6.0 on Windows (updated with Windows 10 version 1709 support information)". Microsoft. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  4. ^ Root, Randal; Romero Sweeney, Mary (2006). A tester's guide to .NET programming. Apress. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-59059-600-5. You can choose a language based on how easy it is to learn. For beginners, Visual Basic is a good choice. [~snip] A big advantage of Visual Basic is that it is a popular language since it is easy to learn.
  5. ^ Plant, Robert T.; Murrell, Stephen (2007). An executive's guide to information technology. Cambridge University Press. p. 343. ISBN 978-0-521-85336-1. Summary of positive issues: Visual Basic is easy to learn and widely available.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference ISpliter was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2016". Stack Overflow. 2016. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  8. ^ "Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2017". Stack Overflow. 2017. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  9. ^ "Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2018". Stack Overflow. 2018. Retrieved 2020-12-18.