Author Topic: Can VBA do Everything that Vlisp can?  (Read 19819 times)

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psuchewinner

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Can VBA do Everything that Vlisp can?
« on: October 08, 2008, 06:02:02 AM »
Hi all,
VBA newbie here.....actually I am still learning.  Can VBA do more (or just as much) with ACAD that VisualLISP can?  Not sure if I am asking this correctly but...What are the advantages of VBA over VLisp?  Is it worth my time to learn?  Thanks






M-dub Edit: ficksed speelig misstake : )
« Last Edit: October 08, 2008, 01:43:07 PM by M-dub »

Alan Cullen

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Re: Can VBA do Ecrything that Vlisp can?
« Reply #1 on: October 08, 2008, 06:46:13 AM »
I'll try again...last time I tried to reply, my computer froze....

From what I have been told by the programming gurus........

Lisp is very versatile, VBA is very exact. So....basically learn both.

I stick with lisp because it does all I need. But I'm sure the VBA troops here will fill you in very quickly with how it all really works.

It's Alive!

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Re: Can VBA do Ecrything that Vlisp can?
« Reply #2 on: October 08, 2008, 06:55:13 AM »
VBA's days are numbered according to the development documentation, you should consider learning C#.

David Hall

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Re: Can VBA do Ecrything that Vlisp can?
« Reply #3 on: October 08, 2008, 12:56:28 PM »
ditto what Daniel said
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They say money can't buy happiness, but it can buy Bacon and that's a close second.
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Spike Wilbury

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Re: Can VBA do Ecrything that Vlisp can?
« Reply #4 on: October 08, 2008, 01:15:47 PM »
ditto what Daniel said

^^^
and triple ditto of what both of you said....

edit/addition: and yes don't waste your time.
« Last Edit: October 08, 2008, 01:20:45 PM by Luis »

New Shooz

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Re: Can VBA do Everything that Vlisp can?
« Reply #5 on: October 08, 2008, 06:35:26 PM »
VBA's days are numbered according to the development documentation, you should consider learning C#.

Wasn't this kind of propaganda / diatribe trotted out (with respect to LSP), when VBA was released ?

Swift

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Re: Can VBA do Everything that Vlisp can?
« Reply #6 on: October 08, 2008, 09:55:39 PM »
VBA's days are numbered according to the development documentation, you should consider learning C#.

Wasn't this kind of propaganda / diatribe trotted out (with respect to LSP), when VBA was released ?

But this one is more a Microsoft thing rather than an Autodesk thing.

It's Alive!

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  • AKA Daniel
Re: Can VBA do Everything that Vlisp can?
« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2008, 10:35:06 PM »
VBA's days are numbered according to the development documentation, you should consider learning C#.

Wasn't this kind of propaganda / diatribe trotted out (with respect to LSP), when VBA was released ?

I don’t know about that, there is a warning in the documentation directing VBA developers to port their code to C#. Of course you may interpret it as propaganda if you wish  :laugh:

SEANT

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Re: Can VBA do Everything that Vlisp can?
« Reply #8 on: October 09, 2008, 07:00:09 AM »
On another forum, I had presented a case that AutoCAD coders (myself included) should not rush to convert their existing VB(A) routines to .NET.  That case was based on the premise that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, at least not until a significant comfort level with OOP was achieved. 

Ideally, the next rewrite would have all routines work within an enterprise wide structure, (Sales, Construction Docs, Accounting, et. al.) a process that may be the most daunting part of the VBA –> .NET paradigm shift. 

I didn’t realize, however, that such a definitive statement had been made with regard to the future of AutoCAD VBA.  I guess it’s time to turn up the burner.
« Last Edit: October 09, 2008, 07:07:28 AM by SEANT »
Sean Tessier
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New Shooz

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Re: Can VBA do Everything that Vlisp can?
« Reply #9 on: October 09, 2008, 07:14:45 AM »
I doubt very much whether Autode$k will 'retire' the use of VBA from their products; given that they say on their website that VBA is the world's most popular programming language.
How could any worthwhile company turn their back on that many people ?

Draftek

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Re: Can VBA do Everything that Vlisp can?
« Reply #10 on: October 09, 2008, 07:58:38 AM »
Yeah, but since Microsoft is not supporting VBA, I believe Autodesk will be forced to move it outside the process and the performance is going to suck!

FengK

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Re: Can VBA do Everything that Vlisp can?
« Reply #11 on: October 09, 2008, 01:02:28 PM »

I don’t know about that, there is a warning in the documentation directing VBA developers to port their code to C#. Of course you may interpret it as propaganda if you wish  :laugh:


Daniel, which reference is this statement from?

Bob Wahr

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Re: Can VBA do Everything that Vlisp can?
« Reply #12 on: October 09, 2008, 01:18:05 PM »
Daniel is either citing a different source or misremembered, but from the AutoCAD 2009 ActiveX and VBA Developer's Guide

Quote from: Page 2, AutoCAD 2009 ActiveX and VBA Developer's Guide
NOTE Microsoft has not promised to provide 64-bit VBA SDK libraries (.dll).  Subsequently, 64-bit AutoCAD can no longer run VBA as an in-proc component; VBA components now run as 32-bit out-of-process COM components, and provides a stopgap arrangement for 64-bit AutoCAD VBA users.  This arrangement might require a few changes to existing VBA code.  This stopgap provision would be deprecated in future versions of AutoCAD and it is advisable for the users to port their existing code to VB. NET.[/b][/b]
Of course, there's no real reason to choose VB.net over C#, and there are a few to recommend the other.

rkmcswain

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Re: Can VBA do Everything that Vlisp can?
« Reply #13 on: October 09, 2008, 01:25:58 PM »
Quote from: Chortle
I doubt very much whether Autode$k will 'retire' the use of VBA from their products
Given that we should expect AutoCAD 2010 out in about 6 months, I'm sure it's in Alpha or Beta right now. Of course anyone who has seen it couldn't comment anyway, but it wouldn't surprise me to learn that VBA was not included. On the other hand it may hang around for a few more releases as long as Microsoft doesn't object. But there will certainly be no development towards it. Everything it going .NET.

As it is, VBA code runs about 10X slower in 64-bit AutoCAD.


rkmcswain

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Re: Can VBA do Everything that Vlisp can?
« Reply #14 on: October 09, 2008, 01:34:43 PM »
Quote from: psuchewinner
Can VBA do more (or just as much) with ACAD that VisualLISP can?  Not sure if I am asking this correctly but...What are the advantages of VBA over VLisp?  Is it worth my time to learn?  Thanks

IMO - If you already knew VB, and were writing a project specific application with a lot of GUI, and you knew you were going to get a good ROI on the application, then VBA would be OK to use. Otherwise, you might as well move on to .NET.

As far as lisp, there are a few things that lisp can do that cannot be done in VBA without a workaround hack, like (grread), but generally speaking, they overlap.