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The methodology produces many outputs: logs, model files, reports, .NET codes and assemblies. Plan for about one gigabyte of disk space for these files.
Software Requirements
The system has been tested on:
- Windows XP SP3, Windows Server 2003, Windows 7
- .NET 2.0 or higher Framework SDK
- VB6 to validate/build VB6 codes
- IIS to validate ASP sites
- VB Migration Assessment tool (optional)
- Visual Studio 2005, 2008, or 2010 (or other application associated with csproj/vbproj files). This guide assumes you have associated a version of Visual Studio with csproj/vbproj files.
- Your choice of a programmer's text editor; we use Notepad++ (default = notepad.exe, not recommended) Note: when running in Visual Studio, the VS editor will be used.
- Your choice of a file and directory comparison tool; we use BeyondCompare from Scooter Software.
Your choice of tab-delimited file viewer (launched by associated application); we use Excel.
Installed Files
gmStudio Product
gmStudio is installed by a Windows Installer setup file (gmStudioSetup.msi).
To install gmStudio, run the gmStudioSetup.msi file.
The following directories are created by the gmStudio installation process:
[INSTALLDIR]: gmStudio application and default application configuration file | +---extras | | | \---RefactorLibrary: Sample Refactor Library files | \---support: default translation config files | +---help: local redirect to (this documentation) +---trancfg: default language description and transformation rules
+---runtime: migration support assembly (use optional) +---settings: default gmStudio script templates \---tools: gmStudio system tools
gmStudio Samples
The gmStudio samples are available as a separate installer package (gmSamplesSetup.msi).
To install the gmStudio Samples, run the gmSamplesSetup.msi file.
The following directories are created by the gmStudio samples installation process:
| Code Block |
|---|
| Warning |
As of December 2023, the gmStudio product package requires a 64bit Windows OS. If you are maintaining an old 32-bit Windows machine just for VB6, you will have to install gmStudio elsewhere.
In that situation, you should plan to track down the code and COM files referenced by your VB6 application and copy them to a more contemporary machine where you will use gmStudio. Ideally, you should install the VB6 IDE and the COM packages (trial editions are fine) needed by your application on the machine with gmStudio. There should be no problem with finding and copying VB6 code files (vbp, bas, cls, frm/frx, ctl/ctx, etc.) but COM files can be more difficult. Assuming you are able find the installers or files, you may still have COM APIs that are no longer compatible with current Windows. If you cannot install a COM package, you should be able to get by with only a copy of copy of the binary files. It is usually possible to create COM Interface Description Files directly from binary files (dll, ocx, tlb, etc. ) even if the COM packages cannot be installed, but your mileage will vary. See this article and contact us if you need support with this. BTW: With a little manipulation of INI files and exclusion of a few rarely used features, it is possible to install and use the VB6 IDE (albeit in compatability mode and as administrator) on Windows 10 and Windows 11. Time will tell if VB6 will also work for Windows 12. Here is one such article with additional information on how to install VB6 on new Windows. |
Development Workstation Requirements
Required
- Windows XP through Windows 10, Windows Server 2003-2016
- .NET 4.0 or higher Framework SDK
Recommended
- VB6 to validate/build VB6 codes
- IIS to validate ASP sites
- Visual Studio 2017 or higher (or other application associated with csproj/vbproj files).
- Your choice of a programmer's text editor; we use Notepad++ (default = notepad.exe, not recommended) Note: when running as Visual Studio Plugin, the VS editor will be used
- Your choice of a file and directory comparison tool; we use BeyondCompare from Scooter Software
Your choice of tab-delimited file viewer (launched by associated application); we use Excel
Installed Files
gmStudio Product
gmStudio is installed by a Windows Installer setup file (gmStudioSetup.msi).
To install gmStudio, run the gmStudioSetup.msi file.
The following directories are created by the gmStudio installation process:
[INSTALLDIR]: gmStudio application and default application configuration file |
...
\---
...
support: default translation config files
...
|
...
...
+---help: local redirect to (this documentation) +---metalang: default
...
language description and transformation rules
+---
...
rules:
...
Sample
...
rules,
...
templates,
...
and scripts
...
...
+---...
runtime:
...
migration ...
support assembly (use optional) +---
...
settings: default gmStudio script templates \---
...
tools:
...
gmStudio
...
system
...
tools
gmStudio Samples
The gmStudio samples are available as zip files as described in this Samples section of the manual.
gmStudio Working Configuration
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By default the gmStudio workspace will be created in the [AppDataFolder] folder. The default on Windows XP is:
C:\Documents and Settings\[current_user]\Application Data\
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When you load gmStudio for the first time, you will see the Main Wizard Form. Normally the application reloads the migration project from your last session, but if this is your very first session, the Main Form will be blank.
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You can do a direct migration of a small project in two steps:
- Select the VB6 projects to migrate:
- a) Click [File/New Migration] from the main menu. This will open the [Migration Project Setup] form.
- b) Enter a name for your migration project; the default is "pgrade1Upgrade1.
- c) Use the [Select Migration Units] control to find and select VBPs.
- d) Click [Add] to add VBPs to the migration project
- e) Click [Save & Exit] to return to the Main Form.
- Run the migration process by clicking the [Upgrade] button on the Toolbar.
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- You can inspect the generated code (written in the files of the deployment folder) by selecting a migration task and right clicking [Open .NET Project Folder] from the context menu.
- You can try to compile the generated code by clicking the [DevEnv] button on the Toolbar (and thus opening the .NET project in Visual Studio).
- You can use gmStudio to browse, analyze, and summarize the various migration logs.
- You can read the remaining sections of this guide, experiment and explore.
- You can contact us for a assistance or a guided tour.
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