Topic: VBA in 2008 .. something to think about

[Keith™]

Interesting article regarding the future of programming interfaces for AutoCAD ...

http://through-the-interface.typepad.com/through_the_interface/2007/02/autocad_2008_64.html

[Bobby C. Jones]

Something to think about indeed.  An out of process VBA environment isn't going to be pretty.

[Keith™]

Something to think about indeed.  An out of process VBA environment isn't going to be pretty.

Tell me about it ..

I can see the wheels turning now .. programmers across the globe trying to figure out how to inject a 32bit process into a 64bit process .. I can't wait to see what they come up with ...

[Chuck Gabriel]

Something to think about indeed.  An out of process VBA environment isn't going to be pretty.

Ooh!  That didn't click in my head when I read the article.  That is no bueno.

[uncoolperson]

Interesting....

I think work firewall blocks almost (the swamp excluded ofcourse) that falls into that catagory.


yup, dangit

[Bobby C. Jones]

Something to think about indeed.  An out of process VBA environment isn't going to be pretty.

Ooh!  That didn't click in my head when I read the article.  That is no bueno.

Hey Chuck,
I wouldn't have caught it either.  They let us know at the dev days prior to au this past year.

[Kerry]

The incompatability of VBA with 64 bit computing has been known for quite a while. I didn't think the future of VBA  would catch anyone by surprise.

[Chuck Gabriel]

The incompatability of VBA with 64 bit computing has been known for quite a while. I didn't think the future of VBA  would catch anyone by surprise.

Some of us don't pay enough attention to changing technology because we are convinced we will never actually get to use anything newer than Windows 2000 and AutoCAD 2000i.

[Kerry]

 

Thats a pretty sad expectation Chuck, I feel for you !

[Glenn R]

I read a transcript of a Dev con ference in 2005 where MS asked autodesk to demo and they demonstrated an autocad with VSTA.
As Kerry pointed out, MS is doing nothing for VBA in 64 bit - and quite rightly so.

[Bryco]

So Glenn are you saying that vba is impossible to fix?

[Glenn R]

Not impossible to fix I think, just that MS is not going to do it. They own the code base, hence why Adesk is having to fix it in a 32 bit out of process...they can't change the way it works.

[jbuzbee]

AutoLISP and OpenDCL . . . 

[Glenn R]

< shudders >

[jjs]

does that mean i might actually have to learn .not?

[Keith™]

does that mean i might actually have to learn .not?

If you ever use a 64bit O/S you can still use VB(a) but the speed will be greatly reduced because of marshalling. VB(a) can still be used without issue on 32bit O/S .... but keep in mind that Microsoft is moving toward the 64bit O/S and in the forseeable future, you may likely only be able to get a 64bit O/S for a business environment.

[joseguia]

A reply straight from that post ...

Hi Donald,

MNU files have a somewhat limited future, but CUI files are very much part of AutoCAD's future. Which includes toolbars, pull-down menus, etc.

VBA has a limited future, given Microsoft's plan not to provide a 64-bit version, but LISP is likely to be around - there are no plans to remove it (just no big plans to enhance it).

Of the customization technologies, .NET currently seems to have the greatest potential in the future.

Regards,

Kean

[daron]

No, it means you could learn

LISP                     No impact – neither for LSP nor FAS files

and so many people say that lisp is dead. Hah. Seems like the thread it's hanging on from is not breaking.

[HarleyHetz]

I may be kind of speaking out of turn here because I don't really have enough experience with AutoCAD to have ever used VBA in it. However, I have used VB since 4 and have had to learn .NET. It really isn't that hard to make the transition, some of your old habits will have to be broken, but other than that and a short learning curve, most stuff is very similar.

[Keith™]

I may be kind of speaking out of turn here because I don't really have enough experience with AutoCAD to have ever used VBA in it. However, I have used VB since 4 and have had to learn .NET. It really isn't that hard to make the transition, some of your old habits will have to be broken, but other than that and a short learning curve, most stuff is very similar.

Agreed ...  .net is not an unfamiliar interface for a seasoned VB programmer. The transition is much easier than I had first envisioned.

[HarleyHetz]

Agreed ...  .net is not an unfamiliar interface for a seasoned VB programmer. The transition is much easier than I had first envisioned.
[/quote]

Yea, I imagine it's like anything new, folks are a bit apprehensive about it at first, but once they get into it, I think most will find it to be much less painless than they imagined!! It is human nature to resist change...