gmStudio Release News: Tuesday, 11-May-2021

Created by Mark Juras
Last updated: Mar 04, 2022

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 includes the general improvements needed to produce build-complete C# code for a Metal Plating ERP system. This system is a single executable: 280K LOC organized into 135 code files supported by 28 COM libraries. This release also includes significant improvements to ASP processing. This distribution, Version 40.05, includes several enhancements:

  • Adds support for using OEM or ANSI File API to support international codepages
  • Adds support for user-defined NoWarn settings, Registry type="ProjectSetting" source="NoWarn"
  • Improves arrays declared with const dimensions
  • Improves ToolTip operations performed outside of declaring form
  • Improves integer to datetime conversion done in designer code
  • Improves late-bound ControlArray.LBound and ControlArray.Count
  • Improves comment-only VBScript tags in ASP
  • Improves handling same-named include files in ASP
  • Improves AfterBuild setting for ASP

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:

  • Adds support for setting the OEM/ANSI File API used by gmBasic
  • Adds support for setting the character encoding (using chcp) used when running batch tasks
  • Improves Solution Generator to use Platform=AnyCPU
  • Improves handling of file IO standardizing on UTF-8
  • Corrects exception when applying task filter to large projects (e.g. 5000+ ASP pages)

gmAPI: a .NET API for Developing Advanced Upgrade Solutions

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

  • Improves support for using a custom metalanguage vb7lang.vbi during gmAPI startup

gmStudio Extensions

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.

  • Improves Batch Command script for ASP deployments in sample userCmd.std.cmd
  • Improves preset for Translation Audit in sample CodeScanList.txt
  • Improves rules for ADODB migration

Sample Upgrade Solutions

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