gmStudio Release News: Tuesday, 30-July-2019

Created by Mark Juras
Jul 30, 2019

gmBasic: Upgrade Engine

gmBasic is a code transformation tool that rewrites VB6/ASP/COM systems to one of the .NET languages (C# or VB.NET). Based on feedback from our clients and migration projects in the field, we are continuously improving gmBasic so as to help users more easily produce cleaner and more correct results. This distribution, Version 30.92, includes several enhancements:

  • Corrects problems with translating VBScript comments within ASP String Literals
  • Improves preservation of horizontal and vertical whitespace in ASP translations
  • Improves support for more operation while under trial license
  • Adds use of libtype=Internal in a migration rules file to suppress stub assembly references
  • Improves support for DataField and DataSource properties while generating a global stub framework
  • Improves recognition of various VB6 Intrinsic functions
  • Improves recognition of an custom instance of the ErrorObject
  • Simplify metalanguage information for VB6 File System ListBox controls

gmStudio: Upgrade Solution Development Environment

Powered by gmBasic, gmStudio is a development environment for creating high-performance, custom VB6/ASP/COM to .NET upgrade solutions. We are continuously adding functionality to gmStudio and making it easier to use. This distribution includes several enhancements:

  • Adds Help/Extensions to display gmStudio Extensions Repository https://greatmigrations.atlassian.net/wiki/display/GMG/gmStudio+Extensions
  • Improves detecting and using of different versions of VS2017 for .NET build operations
  • Improves Definitions Report to indicate which subprograms are event Handlers
  • Improves ScriptRules command to allow additional script variables in FileName attribute value
  • Improves handling nested conditions in ScriptRules elements
  • Improves ScriptRules logging and error handling
  • Improves hot-key handling for Task Reset operation
  • Improves Find dialogue behavior in the Side-by-Side Form
  • Improves Translation Log Reporting
  • Improves Member named in Source Scan Report for matches found in a file's General section
  • Improves File Peek Report when starting from first record of a file

gmslAPI: a .NET API for Developing Advanced Upgrade Solutions

Powered by gmBasic, gmslAPI is a .NET API for automating the gmBasic upgrade engine and accessing the semantic models produced by our unique linguistic compilation technology. gmslAPI also includes classes to facilitate the management of complex upgrade rules and integration with the gmStudio IDE. This API was updated to reflect the latest product improvements and conventions.

  • Corrects issue with WPF startup when the VB6 had a startup form
  • Improves general handling of controls for XAML generation
  • Improves Definitions Report to indicate which SubPrograms event Handlers

Sample Upgrade Rules

gmStudio ships with a collection of sample upgrade rules that can be used to add custom features to your upgrade solution. These XML documents and gmSL scripts are distributed as source that you may modify to fit your unique requirements. The sample rules were updated to reflect the latest product improvements and conventions.

  • Adds gmStudio Extensions Repository https://greatmigrations.atlassian.net/wiki/display/GMG/gmStudio+Extensions. Automatic Tool integration coming in a future release
  • Improves default VB6 Issues list to check for control validation handlers
  • Improves samples rules to inherit a stronger base control when generating COM stub control classes
  • Improves sample script for adding instrumentation to VB6 codes
  • Improves sample batch script for automating gmStudio from command line
  • Improves sample batch script for testing translation results
  • Improves sample migration rules for COM: MSComCtl.ocx, Scrrun.dll

Sample Upgrade Solutions

Great Migrations publishes a number of sample VB6/ASP upgrade solutions to illustrate the capabilities of gmStudio. The sample upgrade solutions were updated to reflect the latest product improvements and conventions.

  • Improves WPF Samples to use local gmSL scripts rather than system scripts