FAQ for Instant C++ (VB Edition)
Q: Which version of C++ is targeted?
You have the option of producing C++/CLI (VC++ 2005 and above) or native C++ code.
Q: Are entire projects converted?
You can select VB projects or folders to convert. All ".vb" files within that project or folder will be converted and written as either combined declaration/implementation header files or as traditionally separated .h/.cpp files to the directory you specify. However, Instant C++ does not construct the new VC++ project file. This is due to the lack of one-to-one correspondence between VB project types and formats and VC++ project types and formats.
Q: Is the original VB code altered in any way?
Your existing code is left completely intact. The new C++ files are written to the new location that you specify.
Q: Do you guarantee a 100% complete conversion?
No. Our converter accuracy is the highest in the industry, but there will be some minor tweaks required in all but the most trivial conversions. Read the rest of the FAQ to get an idea of a few things that are not converted. It is critical to try some of your own code when comparing VB to C++ converters since it is very easy to create a converter that does very well on a specific sample set. The most important criterion is how well the converter does on your own code, and this is where Instant C++ (VB Edition) will clearly show its superiority.
Q: Does Instant C++ convert VB6 projects to C++?
No. The most effective and safest way to get from VB6 to C++ is to use the upgrade wizard included with Visual Studio or VB Migration Partner on your VB6 code, and then use Instant C++ on the resulting VB code.
Q: What are the most common manual adjustments?
Types must be declared before they are used in C++. Instant C++ does not move type declarations around to satisfy this C++ requirement. In VB there is no such requirement since the VB compiler makes more than one pass through the source code.
Same class constructor calls are not supported in C++. These cases are marked with "ToDo" comments.
For the native C++ output option, only some of the .NET Framework references are converted to native C++ equivalents. You will need to adjust most of these references yourself.
For the native C++ output option, Instant C++ cannot ensure proper deallocation of pointer variables. In some cases, a call to the delete operator is made, but in general correct memory deallocation is not included in the conversion.
For the native C++ output option, attributes and event declarations are commented out since there is no direct native C++ equivalent to .NET attributes and events.
Static constructors are not supported in native C++. If you have selected the option to output native C++ code, then you will need to refactor the initialization logic.
There will be occasional qualifier symbol adjustments required. For example, it is possible that Instant C++ fails to determine whether a particular VB dot operator should be replaced by a C++ arrow, double colon, or dot. If type analysis fails to determine the equivalent, heuristics are used to determine the most probable equivalent.
For the native C++ output option, there is no acceptable equivalent to an exception 'Finally' clause.
Since Instant C++ does not map to a particular C++ project type, the VB 'Main' method is left in it's original location and converted literally. Depending on the C++ project type, you will need to adjust the location and structure of the main method.
If the VB project did not have 'Option Strict On' set, then you'll likely have a number of cases where different types are compared with each other - these may need adjustment.
Although most On Error GoTo statements are converted, some elements of classic VB unstructured error handling (On Error Resume Next, On Error GoTo -1, etc.) are not converted. These statements are marked as a 'ToDo' task. Also, all references to the VB Err object are not converted and marked as a 'ToDo' task.
‘When’ statements in ‘Catch’ blocks (which have no equivalent in C++) must be manually adjusted. These are commented out and combined with a warning comment.