Visual Basic
{{language|Visual Basic |strength=strong |safety=safe |compat=nominative |checking=static |parampass=both |gc=yes |LCT=yes}} {{implementation|BASIC}}{{collection|Visual Studio}} '''Visual Basic''' is a language developed by [[Microsoft]] to advance [[BASIC]] into the realm of [[GUI]] programming. While Microsoft ceased development of the language at version 6, a new language called [[:Category:Visual Basic .NET|Visual Basic .NET]] was developed around the [[.Net Framework]].
Used by Microsoft's flagship product Office, the embedded version of Visual Basic continues to be maintained. This version is known as [[:Category:VBA|Visual Basic for Applications]] and uses the same syntax as, and is mostly compatible with, Visual Basic 6.
==Categorization== Visual Basic can be divided into a few broad categories: VBDOS, Classic VB, and VB .Net. *'''Visual Basic for DOS''' (or '''VBDOS''') is really part of the [[QuickBASIC]] family -- in fact, VBDOS can compile most QB programs without change, and could be considered the "missing link" between QB and "real" VB. See [[wp:Visual Basic#Timeline|this section of WP's VB page]] for a tiny bit of info. (There is a Win16 program included with VBDOS that can translate VBDOS code to VB1 code, and vice-versa. The "forms" part of VBDOS is very similar to VB1; it's ''everything else'' that needed translating.) *'''Classic VB''' combines VB for 16-bit Windows, and pre-.Net VB for 32-bit Windows: **'''"Early" VB''' is VB1-3. The language is essentially the same as VB4-6, but the internals are a bit different, they're 16-bit only, and they use [[wp:Visual Basic Extension|VBX]] controls instead of the later ActiveX controls. These compilers are almost certainly not in use any more, as they are for 16-bit Windows. **'''COM VB''' is VB4-6 and [[VBA]]. They are [[:Category:Win32|Win32]] and use [[wp:Component Object Model|COM]] ([[wp:Object Linking and Embedding|OLE]], [[wp:ActiveX|ActiveX]], OCX) components (although VB4 also has a [[wp:Windows API#Versions|Win16]] version that can use VBX controls). *'''[[:Category:Visual Basic .NET|VB.Net]]''' isn't really VB, as far as most classic VB programmers are concerned. It's got a VB-like syntax, but the differences are great enough that it's really a separate language.
==See also==
- [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vbasic/ms788229 Microsoft's VB6 Resource Center]
- [[wp:Visual Basic|Visual Basic on Wikipedia]]