[HN Gopher] Small Visual Basic
       ___________________________________________________________________
        
       Small Visual Basic
        
       Author : rcarmo
       Score  : 82 points
       Date   : 2023-01-07 12:23 UTC (10 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (github.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (github.com)
        
       | jimnotgym wrote:
       | I really like this.
       | 
       | Since all the kids are learning Python, I really wish there was
       | an easy way to use Windorms like this
        
       | mdaniel wrote:
       | control-f "license" :-(
       | 
       | Also, it's a tiny bit weird to have `Namespace
       | Microsoft.SmallVisualBasic` since as best I can tell this is not
       | a Microsoft project. Wouldn't `Namespace
       | VBAndCs.SmallVisualBasic` work just as well and be less
       | confusing?
        
         | jbottoms wrote:
         | Why call it "dynamic" if it is compiled?
        
           | to11mtm wrote:
           | Because the typing is still dynamic, I'd wager. In .NET you
           | can have `dynamic` objects with arbitrary
           | properties/methods/etc (although you are of course going to
           | run the risk of runtime errors rather than compiler errors.)
           | 
           | This is also supported via ExpandoObject, which in most CLR
           | languages has sugar to allow for dynamic declaration of
           | properties/etc. [1]
           | 
           | [1] - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-
           | us/dotnet/api/system.dynamic....
        
         | pjmlp wrote:
         | It is definitely a Microsoft project, originally.
         | 
         | "An enhanced compiler (yet easier for children and beginners)
         | based on Small Basic, with a form designer and a mini Winforms
         | lib. In short, I made small basic visual , so it became Visual
         | small Basic, or in fact Small Visual Basic as it became a tiny
         | dynamic version of VB6!"
         | 
         | => https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Small_Basic
         | 
         | So there are most likely some copyright issues to discuss
         | about.
        
           | actionfromafar wrote:
           | MIT license, so shouldn't be too much problems.
        
       | vouaobrasil wrote:
       | Nice project. Visual basic like this is so useful for beginners
       | because almost everyone who likes programming wants to create a
       | GUI for their program, but window toolkits are a pain to use and
       | not very intuitive. That is also why I like HTML and plain
       | javascript. It's much easier to design an interface in HTML than
       | write code for one in GTK for example.
        
         | ben_w wrote:
         | I have a similar (negative) feeling about SwiftUI, but I'm
         | worried that might just be me getting old.
        
       | 29athrowaway wrote:
       | Gambas (Gambas Almost Means BASic) is where it's at
       | 
       | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gambas
        
         | czx4f4bd wrote:
         | I've only played with it and not done anything too serious, but
         | Gambas is honestly amazing for something that has seemingly
         | little adoption. It's so similar to VB6, but with tons of
         | enhancements that keep it from feeling too antiquated or
         | annoying to work with.
        
           | 29athrowaway wrote:
           | Development on VB.NET was never as fast as it was on VB6.
        
       | _0xdd wrote:
       | Anybody got some BAS files so we can hack AOL? /s Clearly my age
       | is showing...
        
         | ccbean wrote:
         | I realize this was in jest but see Re-AOL (prev. discussion:
         | https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31630216) now renamed to
         | P3OL (discord: https://discord.com/invite/p3ol).
        
         | marpstar wrote:
         | Good times, though! Got kicked off AOL at age 11 for forwarding
         | a copy of VB4 I got from one of the mail server chat rooms.
        
       | [deleted]
        
       | mackross wrote:
       | This is amazing. VB6 and later mIRC were pivotal to my learning
       | as a kid. Well done author on capturing the essence of what made
       | VB6 a great and productive learning tool.
        
       | djbusby wrote:
       | My first money for programming was building in VB5/6. And then
       | Alan wrote the Inmates are Running the Asylum which I thought was
       | a good book about building for humans
       | https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44098.The_Inmates_Are_Ru...
        
       | decremental wrote:
       | I started programming in like 1997 with VB5.5(?) before upgrading
       | to VB6. I don't know if it was just because I was young and
       | excited about programming, or the experience of working with the
       | VB IDE, but that was my favorite time as a programmer. Always
       | coming up with new little projects. I had a folder with something
       | like 40 unfinished projects, half filled with stuff from Planet
       | Source Code.
        
       | orionblastar wrote:
       | I made my money in classic VB and VBA programming. Also VBSCRIPT
       | with Active Server Pages. Nice to see Small Visual BASIC
        
       | anfractuosity wrote:
       | There used to be a cool program called RapidQ that had a GUI
       | designer and syntax similar to VB. I think you could even create
       | 3D graphics with it, if I recall correctly.
        
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       (page generated 2023-01-07 23:00 UTC)