Question Converting A VB6 Desktop Application to VB.net Web Application?

[IVIr]

This is an abstract question, but I company I work for asked m to research what would be required to convert a VB6 desktop application to a VB.net web application. The application is quite large incorporates about twenty forms, many, many modules, custom controls, and what-not. It's mainly a data manipulation application that has to do with bills and loans for large-large organizations. Anyway, they want this now to be entirely browser oriented so no longer a desktop application. It's got hundreds of pages worth of code. And here's the question: being a VB6 desktop application is it better to re-write the code with the desktop application's functionality in mind or as a goal, or is it possible to make a quick simple conversion. Obviously, it's relatively easy to convert a VB6 desktop application to a VB.net desktop application; but in a nut shell, is there a simple conversion to a web application. Or would it have to be basically a re-write?

 

[IVIr]

Opinions Please

Please remember you don't need to tell me even the truth. Obviously you can't tell me how to do the conversion I just want opinions please.

 

[migr8tor]

Focus on design first: web server configuration, web application architecture, and user experience. Next develop a conversion process that allows you to capitalize on the functional requirements and detailed busines logic specified in your code but also implements a new design that takes advantage of the target platform. If the application is large, you will benefit from customizable migration tools that help you balance automated translation with manual work.

I would be very interested in hearing how things go with your effort. This question comes up pretty often in my work. Please let me know.

 

[IVIr]

Thanks for the response...

Actually you seemed well versed in the subject. Are there any migration tools that you would recommend?

And I will keep you posted on the project.

 

[migr8tor]

Most of my experience is with the GreatMigrations toolset Great Migrations--Software Migration Tools and Services. I admit I am biased -- I founded the company. I have used the GreatMigrations tools in both large and small migrations from both VB6 and ASP to both C# and VB.NET, but not taking a desktop app to the web -- yet.

We have been asked about taking desktop apps to the web. People always ask us "can the tool do it?"; "can it translate a desktop app to a web app?" We typically say the tool can certainly help, but you have to show us what you would do by hand before we can show you what it can do. So far no one has shown us an example.

Make no mistake, the desktop environment is radically different from the web in terms of things like app startup, security, and state management, user interface techniques, browser issues, deployment, scalability, the list goes on and on. Also, ASP.NET brings an array of new capabilities, rules, and tools to consider. Of course, those problems/opportunties must be addressed no matter how you are doing the migration.

Migrating a desktop app to a web app would bring many, many challenging and interesting problems and opportunities. It might be hard to make the case for such an ambitious effort -- but I can see it for some organizations and some apps. Tools should allow the team to leverage the source code as a detailed functional specification and simplify much of the requirements gathering and manual coding -- IMO this lowers the cost and risk of the job and makes it easier to make the case.