gmBasic: Upgrade Engine

gmBasic is a code transformation tool that reads, interprets, and 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. Most recently this work included the general improvements needed to produce build-complete C# code for a 173K LOC statistical-process-control-reporting application and major improvements to migration rules conventions. This distribution, Version 31.00, includes several enhancements:

• Corrects fixed-size array declarations in VB.NET.
• Improves support for implementing COM API replacements using Migrate command files and gmSL Scripts
• Improves migration of Property.Let statements
• Improves migration of DisplayStyleConstants and DrawModeConstants
• Improves migration of local references to default properties

gmStudio: Upgrade Solution Development Environment

Powered by gmBasic, gmStudio is a development environment for analyzing code and developing 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:

• Updates gmStudio with gmBasic V31.00
• Adds support for creating generic VB6 starter codes and gmStudio projects for testing specific translation scenarios
• Adds File/New menu as context menu to New toolbar button
• Adds option to display Upgrade Task fields with red/yellow/green color for ERROR/WARNING/SUCCESS status
• Adds COM IDL files as a Search Source
• Modifies Alternate Field Layout
• Improves highlighting Task List items
• Improves Search Results to allow sorting of numeric columns in natural numeric order
• Improves Visual Studio Solution File Project list to allow %UserFolder% variable in project path
• Improves performance of pre-processing large translation scripts
• Improves adding new tasks to a project
• Improves Translation Log Reports
• Improves organization of File and Help Menus
• Improves appearance of Fonts in high DPI environments

gmslAPI: a .NET API for Developing Advanced Upgrade Solutions

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

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. See also additions and changes in gmStudio Extensions Repository.  This distribution includes several script enhancements:

• Scrrun.Refactor.xml – Adds COM API mapping for scrrun.dll to System.IO and Specialized Collections.OrderedDictionry
• Scrrun.Transform.xml – Adds Scrrun.Transform Class implementing transformations for various scrrun.dll API references
• Mscomctl.Refactor.xml – Adds COM API mapping for Windows Common Controls to WinForms Controls
• Mscomctl.Transform.gmsl – Adds MScomCtl.Transform class implementing transformations for various Mscomctl API references
• Mscomctl.MigCode.gmsl -- Adds MScomCtl.MigCode class implementing dynamic code generation logic for MScomctl API controls
• Mscomctl.ServiceMethods.gmsl – Adds MScomCtl.ServiceMethods class implementing service extensions that alter the processing done by the core tool at specific points in the upgrade process
• UserCmd.std.cmd – Improves Testing logic

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.

• FileExplorer – Adds ListView Columns Sorting example to this sample
• FileExplorer – Adds ListView Item Selection example to this sample
• Batch Script – Adds logic to run Analytics Definitions Reports to the sample batch script
• Changes to using Refactor IDF files rather than Custom IDF files for deep migrations
• Changes to using gmSL scripts rather than gmNI DLLs for deep migrations
  Learn more on this Blog Post.